Originally Posted by
LOMCEVAK
As there have been some comments about the Auto Wing Sweep and Manoeuvre Device System (AWSMDS) on Tornado vs the system on the F-14, I thought that I would try to add a little more detail, albeit from memory from a few years ago (30+ for the Toranado, 24 for the F-14D). The F-14 auto wing sweep was infinitely variable and set according to airspeed/Mach number. It could be manually overridden to a further aft position but not overridden further forwards. .
FWIW, as I recall it, the F-14 wing sweep was designed with four modes: Full auto, manual normal which as you said would not allow undersweep, manual emergency which allowed complete manual control without the undersweep protection, and ground attack. When the latter was selected the wings would automatically sweep to 55° and lock there. The purpose was to take one variable out of the equation when computing release point for dumb bombs, which was what the majority of weapons were in those days. I don't if all those modes remained during the Tomcat's entire career.
Interesting footnote: The world's first microprocessor chips, called the MP944, were designed and built for the F-14's Central Air Data Computer, which among other things controlled the moving surfaces of the aircraft including the wings.