Manufacturing Tips: The F-14 Tomcat Retires
One of the greatest manufacturing feats ever accomplished in the history of the world may be the creating and manufacturing of the F-14 Super Tomcat by Grumman. It was the premier long-range strike fighter. The Tomcat replaced the F-4 Phantom and was designed to defend our US NAVY's fleet. Its long history began with its first flight on December 24, 1970. Grumman in New York built it for $38 million. Grumman's manufacturing operations were designed for continuous improvement. One of the key manufacturing processes that Grumman excelled in was hot forming or forging. They produced more than 2,000 titanium parts per month without a performing operation. Titanium Tube Grumman's integrated manufacturing operations included a facility to manufacture all aluminum, steel and titanium sheet metal parts with heat-treating and finishing capabilities. All designs and flight testing was done on site with more than 27,000 hours of wind tunnel testing. The F-14 was tested for aer...
