The Pratt & Whitney F401 (company designation JTF22 [1]) was an afterburning turbofan engine developed by Pratt & Whitney in tandem with the company's F100. The F401 was intended to power the Grumman F-14 Tomcat and Rockwell XFV-12, but the engine was canceled due to costs and development issues.

The F-14B prototype with F401 engines made its maiden flight as early as on 12 September 1973. But tests with the F401 engine were not as satisfying as desired and finally, after completion of a series of test flights, the F-14B was put into long term storage at Bethpage.

The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American carrier-capable supersonic, twin-engine, tandem two-seat, twin-tail, all-weather-capable variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX) program after the collapse of the General Dynamics-Grumman F-111B project.

After production of fleet F-14 was underway, Grumman remanufactured one F-14A to F-14B standard with new and more powerful P&W F401 engines (see below for colourscheme). The next prototypes were those of the final F-14B (until May 1991 F-14A+) with GE F110 engines and more upgraded electronics and equipment.

Dec 13, 2024 · The F-14 was supposed to feature the Pratt & Whitney F401 engine. But when the F401 suffered from repeated reliability issues, the first batch of F-14s was built around the TF30 instead. The pairing was a mistake.

F-14's Jet Engines. Todays F-14s are powered by two different engines (not two different engines in one F-14, but two types in the F-14 fleet), the old TF30 and the new and more reliable General Electric F110.

Dec 20, 2022 · DOD cancelled the F401 leaving the F-14 with the TF-30 for many years. According to wikipedia (entry for Pratt & Whitney F401), "Due to costs and the reliability issues that dogged early F100s, the F401 was eventually cancelled in 1974".

Feb 9, 2025 · Advancements during the Cold War in Soviet long range patrol and bomber aircraft dictated a requirement for a fleet defense fighter that could engage high-altitude bombers from well beyond visual range. The iconic F-14 Tomcat was Grumman’s answer.

Jan 26, 2020 · • F-14A Tomcat – First production version (delivered from 1973) for the US Navy (554 pieces). • F-14A/TARPS – F-14A’s, equipped with the TARPS system, were used for reconnaissance collecting (50 pieces). • F-14B Tomcat – prototype of an F-14 with F401-P-400 engines (2 pieces).

One F-14B was flight tested, showing that an F401-powered Tomcat would be a potential future option. The F110-GE-400 is a new design which emphasizes reliability, maintainability, and...