F14 fuselage strakes

[nzhills]

Hi, just realised after years of looking at it, the F-14 has 4 large fore aft strakes on the top of the fuselage, just a bit behind the wing pivots. I'm guessing these are to stop untoward fuselage cross-flow around the stall. Does anyone out there know the real reason for these strakes? Regards Mark

[TURIN]

Google is a remarkable thing (http://lmgtfy.com/?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anft.net%2Ff-14%2Ff14-detail-wingsweep.htm)

[Thrust Augmentation]

"These wing fences give the sealing plates more structural stiffness and represent the "inadequacies of the designer", in other words they are an afterthought to correct an unforeseen aerodynamic characteristic in the performance of the aircraft."


Now that's an accurate description for unexplained lumps & bumps if there ever was!

[nzhills]

Hi, thanks TURIN and thrust augmentation, now I know. mark