End of an Era the Retirement of the F-14 Tomcat

On a note I would really really like to see them do with the F-14 what they did with the F-18. Take it, make it better, make it more maneuverable, and make it ever more deadly. Hehe... F-14 Super Tomcat. That would be so so sweet. Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!

BTW: Top Gun had Tom Cruise in it. Therefore it sucked. However it had F-14's in it. Therefore it ruled. These two balance themselves out.

Originally posted by Shaker
I'm going to cry...

There's nothing like those photos of the F-14 strapped down and parked. I love those head on shots. Reminds me of an Eagle standing in front of you saying, "Try me... I dare ya... B***h."

I know the feeling... I just wish that I could be in that last flight...

Oh yeah, I put my money on that this pilot has been in Top-Gun... Super Picture...

[edit on 25-9-2005 by Figher Master FIN]

Originally posted by Figher Master FIN

Oh yeah, I put my money on that this pilot has been in Top-Gun...

Super Picture...

[edit on 25-9-2005 by Figher Master FIN]

Not quite sure here, I'm not aerodynamics guru or anything, (helicopters my whole career), but wouldn't having one wing folded up, and one wing extended cause some flight issues?

It would cause you to have to land at a higher speed. The wings swing all the way forward for slow speed flight. You wouldn't be able to go as slow as normal with them all the way forward. It also might cause it to roll to one side once you slow down. You will have more lift on the side that's extended than on the other side so it would roll into the retracted side.

SOME MORE GREAT PICS.

Originally posted by Daedalus3
If I am not mistaken, the F-14 was the inspiration for the fighter jet-bot machines in the 1st season of the popular cartoon series "Robotech"

I dunno.... looks like some parts are more drawn to F-15 specs more.... Maybe it's just me...

Great F-14 has capability to do any maneuverablity as Cobra as it was going to do













[edit on 1-10-2005 by emile]

[edit on 1-10-2005 by emile]

Since we're posting pics of F-14's. Here is one I took myself. Not the best shot, but the experience was so cool. The guy flying this thing didn't get any higher when he flew over my head. My hair was litteraly blown back as he flew over, then he pulled stright up. I could feel the heat of the exaust blowing down on me. My ears were ringing after that.

Originally posted by jra
Since we're posting pics of F-14's. Here is one I took myself. Not the best shot, but the experience was so cool. The guy flying this thing didn't get any higher when he flew over my head. My hair was litteraly blown back as he flew over, then he pulled stright up. I could feel the heat of the exaust blowing down on me. My ears were ringing after that.

You don't get any better pictures than that jra. If you think having your hair blown around by a Tomcat is fun, try being behind 4 of them and having their exhaust blowing you all over the flight deck. You can stand up but barely. I had so many of them blowing on me one day some grease on my life jacket caught on fire. My chief standing behind me started ripping it off of me and threw it over the side of the ship. There is nothing more beautiful than watching Tomcats launch at night. The way the afterburners light up the area is something to see. The Hornet just doesn't compair.

I always loved the colourful paint schemes on the F-14 during the '70's when Navy fighters were gull grey and white, once they toned down it seemed to lose something for me but I love that plane.

Originally posted by Figher Master FIN
[Oh yeah, I put my money on that this pilot has been in Top-Gun...

Super Picture...

[edit on 25-9-2005 by Figher Master FIN]

Actually that is a picture from the F-14's flight test to evaluate the handling of the plane in that configuration. The red tips on the wings and tail are the givewaway

The picture of the F-14 with one wing swept and one not was done on purpose in order to prove to the Navy that the aircraft could be controlled in this configuration. It was done at the Naval Air Test Center in 1977.

Does anybody remember the film "The Final Countdown" in which Kirk Douglas was the captain of a nuke carrier which went through a time warp and ended up back in time just before the strike on Pearl Harbour?

There was some stunning Air to Air footage of 2 F14's dogfighting with some WW2 Zero's!

The film was pretty naff but the flying sequences were spot on!



Sv Out!

Originally posted by Silentvulcan
Does anybody remember the film "The Final Countdown" in which Kirk Douglas was the captain of a nuke carrier which went through a time warp and ended up back in time just before the strike on Pearl Harbour?

There was some stunning Air to Air footage of 2 F14's dogfighting with some WW2 Zero's!

The film was pretty naff but the flying sequences were spot on!



Sv Out!

The helicopter crewman with Martin Sheen at the beginning was my first roommate when I checked into HS-15. Something not too many people know is that most of that movie was filmed at Key West NAS because at the time the Nimitz was based out of Norfolk. The flight out of Pearl Harbor at the beginning of the movie was the only thing filmed in Hawaii. Another peice of trivia is the creator of "The Final Countdown", Martin Caidin also created the TV series "The Six MIllion Dollar Man".

I remember reading a piece in... was it AFM or something a couple of years back, basically ripping poo out of the F-18 (E/F variants included) and saying the Navy retiring the F-14 was a big mistake. Over Afghanistan it was the only plane the Navy could use properly to conduct strike missions as the F-18s don't have the legs for it.


The F-14s only problem seemed to be avionics, but that could have been fixed if the will to do so had existed. Certainly the aerodynamics of the F-14 are much better than the F-18 with the VG wings and the lifting body fuselage.

Mod Edit: Changed Circumvention Of Censors.

Please don't use profanity, or easily recognizeable substitutions for the same.



[edit on 3/10/2005 by Mirthful Me]

Look at this one... This is pretty cool...

Originally posted by Figher Master FIN
Look at this one...

This is pretty cool...

Yes, What about these three
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Mod Edit: Image Size.

[edit on 4/10/2005 by Mirthful Me]

The F-14 / "Tomcat" has certainly been one of my favorite planes.
I will never forget the first time that I attended the London International Air Show (London, Ontario Canada) and saw my first "Tomcat" up close and in person. I recall thinking that it was beautiful. But, aside from its' astounding appearance, I remember watching the air demonstration of the "Tom". I watched in awe as the F-14 flew by, arced, and flew straight up until it was out of sight into a perfectly clear, blue sky.

I will always think fondly of this plane and the vital role that it has played in maintaining US air superiority. If a plane could talk, I'd thank it for it's many years of excellence and service. My hat's off to all of the fine airmen who had the privilege to fly the F-14 "Tomcat".

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The best fighter ever operated by the USN.

[edit on 4-10-2005 by Jezza]

Mod edit: Image Size

[edit on 4/10/2005 by Mirthful Me]