F-14 - 50th Anniversary First Flight

[Avnut]

The F-14 made its first flight 50 years ago on December 21. A remarkable and outstanding design. Gone, but not forgotten.

One can always dream that the Super Tomcat 21 was produced instead of the Super Bug.
This Is What Grumman's Proposed F-14 Super Tomcat 21 Would Have Actually Looked Like
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/2 ... ooked-like

A few F-14 videos for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy.

Great Planes - Grumman F-14 Tomcat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4arJFZbfKAg

Fighter Fling 2004
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCmEFrWDAUY&t=1135s

F-14 Design Evolution
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsUCixAeZ0A

F-14 Tomcat Scenes from The Final Countdown HD Part1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4bshTKiwYc

F-14 Tomcat Scenes from "The Final Countdown" HD Part2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkOsXNF_ZoM

F-14 Tomcat Scenes from "The Final Countdown" HD Part3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M74yB9duRc

[JohnB]

Okay, who else feels ancient on hearing that bit of aviation history?

Last edited by JohnB on Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:19 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Combatmech]

Little bit. Spent 12 great years with the Tomcat. I was two months old when the first flight took place.

[sandiego89]

A true icon of an aircraft.

#1 was lost a few weeks later and with a very harrowing ejection. Probably less than 5/10 on the Hobbs meter.

[maxum96]

I grew up next to Miramar and loved watching the F-14's in the pattern. One my neighbors was killed in a 1976 F-14 crash at Miramar. Besides the Iranians, are there any F-14's still flying? NASA maybe?

[Combatmech]

I grew up next to Miramar and loved watching the F-14's in the pattern. One my neighbors was killed in a 1976 F-14 crash at Miramar. Besides the Iranians, are there any F-14's still flying? NASA maybe?

Negative. Only Iran. Last word is they have 6 or so that fly. Those can be seen on airliners.net

[aerovet]

Like these IIAF F-14s at the Kish airshow in November 2018

https://www.airhistory.net/pub/show.php?type_generic_id=814&oper_basic_id=2498

[p51]

A British pal of mine went over there for an airshow to get some got shots of Tomcats for what will likely be for him the very last time.
Were it not for the whole Iranian thing, Tomcat parts wouldn't be treated like they were radioactive in regard to people getting their hands on them. I'm for sure not saying you'd likely be seeing a privately-owned example by now otherwise, but you just never know what could have been had we not sent these there...
You just have to wonder what the pilots and crews think about them, as they came from a country that the Iranians officially hate.

Last edited by p51 on Tue Dec 22, 2020 12:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[lucky52]

So not completely gone yet.

[maxum96]

You just have to wonder what the pilots and crews think about them, as they came from a country that the Iranians officially hate.

I'd be willing to bet the average Iranian does not hold animosity towards the U.S. and the West. I'm sure it's the politicians and hardliners that hate us.

[DH82EH]

I would love to listen in to the phone call when they contact Grumman for customer support

[sandiego89]

You just have to wonder what the pilots and crews think about them, as they came from a country that the Iranians officially hate.

I'd be willing to bet the average Iranian does not hold animosity towards the U.S. and the West. I'm sure it's the politicians and hardliners that hate us.

Concur with you maxum96, think the majority of the rhetoric comes from the top, and through a controlled media. By most accounts many Iranians in pre-revolutionary Iran and the Air crews sent to train on the US types in the US had a positive experience and view. Many of these highly trained and professional crews were purged.

While the F-14 gets most of the attention in the west, let's not forget that the Iran still operates tie F-4, F-5, P-3, C-130, 707, 747, Ch-47's, AH-1's etc. While much of it has to do with they have no other alternative to still operate the types, they can't hate them that much.

[p51]

You just have to wonder what the pilots and crews think about them, as they came from a country that the Iranians officially hate.

I'd be willing to bet the average Iranian does not hold animosity towards the U.S. and the West. I'm sure it's the politicians and hardliners that hate us.

Just think if the Shah had wound up with some Kfirs before his downfall. Imagine the Iranian Air Force flying aircraft made for Israel!