US Navy retires the F-14

[MightyGem]

The F-14 retired last month (see here) (http://www.anft.net/f-14/f14-lastcatshot.htm) after 36 years of service.

[BombayDuck]

My favourite fighter of all time.

*sigh*

[Not_a_boffin]

She's not quite dead yet. VF31 are the last squadron and don't stand down until September.

Without a doubt the most visually stunning jet fighter ever built and it's a tragedy that the bug mafia managed to get the F/A18E procured instead of Tomcat 21. Then we'd have a real alternative to F-35.......

[joe2812]

Along with the Phantom, as with BD, one of my favourite aircraft of all time.

Shame. :(

[bakseetblatherer]

Like most of my generation, I wanted to fly one after seeing Top Gun. Still I got to be 'Goose' in an F3; although I really wish I had done a cat launch (I'll add that to 'japanese twins' on my list of things I never managed). Thankfully the prediction of a 6 or 7 year old at a 56 Sqn family day didn't come true: Me (pointing to the back seat) "This is an ejection seat" 6/7 year old " Yeah I know, the guy in the back always dies hitting the window in these things"!

[Navaleye]

Maybe the Iranians would like to buy some more?

[Sashathehungry]

For those that love the F14 there are some great videos on www.patricksaviation.com. Just search for "Fighter Fling". My fav is 2004, although it took some downloading (400+MB!). Worth it though.

[The Helpful Stacker]

Maybe the Iranians would like to buy some more?

Maybe thats what the letter to GW was about...

[flying bizzie]

36 years in service.........thats almost as long as you Mighty Gem:ok:

[Zoom]

Wasn't it nearer '73 or '74 that it joined the USN, making it 32 or 33 years in service. I can't find the details anywhere, not even on the USN website.

[soddim]

My memory of the early days of the F14 was on a visit to Pt Magu in an F4 being shown the new jet and hearing how they planned to transfer some of the rear cockpit avionics to the front to reduce the back seat workload. Having just flown from Luke AFB where the USAF were introducing the single seat F15 I just had to accept how different were the USAF and USN opinions of how to do the aviation bit. So, back into the two stick F4C and return to Luke (they all had two sticks because the USAF could not live with the idea of competant WSOs in those days).

Now we in the RAF are embarking on our very own single seat air force - lots of fun but is it right for the job?

[OORah]

.....................................yep

[MightyGem]

Wasn't it nearer '73 or '74 that it joined the USN, making it 32 or 33 years in service. I can't find the details anywhere, not even on the USN website
First flight was December 1970.
Series production began and VF-124, the Fleet Replacement Squadron, received their first F-14A on the 8th of October 1972. VF-1 and VF-2 began equipping with the Tomcat in July 1973 with a first cruise on the new mount in September 1974.
Taken from here. (http://www.anft.net/f-14/f14-history-f14a.htm)

36 years in service.........thats almost as long as you Mighty Gem

Now, now. Don't be cheeky to your elders. Don't I know you?? ;)

[WE Branch Fanatic]

The mighty Tomcat may well have gone, but the mission of carrier based air defence will continue, performed by the Super Hornet, as opposed to those of us on this side of the pond, who no longer have this capability — as discussed at considerable length on the Sea Jet (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=98152) thread.

I understand that the Tomcat was designed for fleet air defence, a very important part of which was countering the threat of long range anti ship cruise missiles fired from Soviet Bear (and other) bombers. The F14's radar was designed to work with the long range Phoenix missile to destroy up to six of these missiles at the same time. Some of these Soviet missiles approached the size of a small fighter. I have a vague recollection of being at Navy Days in 1991 (I think) and seeing a video from the School of Maritime Operations in which a group of RN ships is engaging several incoming cruise missiles with various weapons, including a Type 21 Frigate firing her 4.5" gun!!

Phoenix was designed for long range engagements over the Atlantic, Pacific or Indian Ocean, where the a group of unknown radar contacts could be safely assumed to be hostile. With a range of over 100 nm, it probably wouldn't be that useful in the littoral environment in which Navies now expect to operate and fight.

But the USN have not been short sighted enough to throw away organic air defence. We have.

[Chalkstripe]

WEBF
Well done - knew we could rely on you to get the SHAR in ;)

CS

[WE Branch Fanatic]

I'm sure the USN would understand.