Warbird Information Exchange

Just read an article on Yahoo! about something called the "Maverick Act" to gift three F-14Ds to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Museum with some language that may allow for restoration of one to airworthy for demonstration flights for airshows. It was written by Thomas at the Warzone. Interesting if real!

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/god ... 06274.html

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Maybe Iran has some spare parts they no longer have a use for.

Neat goal.
With a WWII warbird if you have a sound airframe and a rebuildable engine, yes it can fly.
But modern warbirds have a lot of subsystems: electrical, hydraulic, motors, actuators, and that's without the combat avionics which of course wouldn't be needed here.

But, if there is good news, the Tomcat is old enough that excluding avionics, it might be analog enough that it is still supportable.
Especially, IF the Navy still has parts in its system.

(We see stories that modern F1 cars, and probably some exotics, are so computer dependant that they will be unsupportable when the computer systems are no longer available.
It happened to an accessory unit for my wife's sewing machine which was designed for Windows 2 or something).

So, I'll leave it to a F-14 pilot or maintainer to assess the viability.
Is there a computer system the plane must have to fly?
Perhaps an engine controller or artificial stability system?
If so, are there parts and software to restore it?

Frequent WIX visitor Al Casby, a pilot who has spent much of his life collecting parts to fly a F7U-3, might have some insight here. That aircraft is probably closer, technology wise, to a WWII warbird than a Tomcat, and it has been a challenge for him.

Think of it this way, in 50 years will there be the parts of its computer controlled stability system to slow a B-2 to fly?

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Few thoughts on this, and I'd be happy to be proven wrong -

1) The group these planes are going to is not an operational group. Restoration for display, sure, but this is a non-flying museum.

2) While the bill "allows" for a flyable aircraft, did the US Navy not direct and then conduct engine mount destruction on *every* F-14 still in the US, including the ones in AMARC, back around '05-'06 when someone was caught "intending" or actually having transferred parts to Iran?

3) The bill only requires the transfer of parts and airframes, it doesn't specify that those parts have to be in airworthy condition, something the US Navy and USAF both took advantage of during all the issues that were had around the Phantom(s).

While I'd love to see a Tomcat back into the air, I seriously doubt it'll happen. At least we'll get at least 1 historied airframe back on display though.

If you believe certain reports (an iffy position currently) Iran no longer has a need for F-14 parts.

If I’m not mistaken there are a few privately owned F-14s.

As JohnB stated - even in the case if there are privately "held" air frames is it even possible to fly one after demilitarization? In terms of control systems, parts, and software I am just not sure if it is feasible.

Feasible in the US, under an Experimental categorization. Money and spares might be a limiting factor but whereas (for example) in the UK such a thing is impossible due to local regulations, in the USA there isn't so much of a procedural limitation.