The Effect of Lateral/Directional Departure Metrics on the Design of the F-14A

In aircraft design, the underlying flying qualities of the airframe will ultimately determine program success or failure. This research is a technical and historical overview of flying qualities issues experienced with the F-14A Tomcat U.S. Navy fighter and serves as a case study to showcase the evolution of lateral/directional departure design metrics post-WWII. This work concludes that the death of the fictional “Goose,” from the 1986 hit movie Top Gun, was the result of a flawed flight control system. While the F-14 was largely compliant with the 1960s-era MIL-STD 8785B for flying qualities, that standard did not provide an adequate framework to design high-angle-of-attack capable high-maneuverability aircraft.