Grumman F-14A (Tomcat)

Type: Carrier-based air superiority fighter

Crew: two

Wingspan: 38'2" (full sweep) Length: 62'8"

Gross Weight: 59,714 pounds

Power Plant: Two 20,714 lb thrust Pratt & Whitney TF-30 turbofans with afterburners

Maximum Speed: 1,584 mph (Mach 2.34)

Service Ceiling: 60,000'

Armament: One fuselage-mounted 20 mm, M-61A1 Vulcan cannon; four AIM-9G Sidewinder; and four AIM-7E Sparrow air-to-air Missiles; provisions for alternate missile loads or up to 14,500 lbs of bombs.

Narrative

The F-14 Tomcat was a product of Grumman's past experience with swing-wing designs, including the XF10F-1 Jaguar and the F111. It first flew on December 21, 1970. It became the Navy's first variable geometry aircraft to enter service in late 1972. Able to track and engage up to six targets at once during flight, the Tomcat's wing sweep could be set to adjust to changing conditions automatically.

The F-14 flew combat air patrol during the evacuation of Saigon in April 1975 at the end of the Vietnam War. In 1981 a pair of Tomcats from VF-41 shot down two Libyan fighters over the Mediterranean Sea, and in 1989 two VF-32 Tomcats from VF-41 did the same. During Operation Desert Storm, the F-14 primarily flew fleet protection, ground attack, and reconnaissance missions.

This F-14A is on long term loan from the US Navy and served with VF-101 at NAS Oceana, Virginia. It is painted in the VF-32 markings of Captain Dale O. Snodgrass, USN, who flew the aircraft to this museum in 1996.