.: Welcome to the Castle Air Museum -- Atwater, California :.

Manufacturer:	Grumman Aircraft Corporation
Role/Function:	All-weather interceptor/fighter
Serial Number:	164601
Model Number:	MK. 4 (D-model)
Crew:	2 Crew (Pilot/Radar Intercept Officer -- RIO) in ejection seats.
Power Plant:	2 - GE F-110-GE-400, w/28,000 lbs. thrust each.
Performance:	Max Speed: 1.544 mp/h (M. 2.38) Cruising Speed: 400 Kts Service Ceiling: 53,000 ft Range: 2,050 nm
Weights:	Gross: 74,349 lbs.
Dimensions:	Wing Span: 64 ft. 1.5 in. (unswept), 38 ft. 2.5 in. (swept) Length: 62 ft. 8 in. Height: 16 ft.
Armament:	1 x M61A1 20mm cannon, 6 x Aim-7 Sparrow and 2 x AIM9 Sidewinder Missiles or 6 x AIM-54 Phoenix Missiles and 2 x AIM-9 Sidewinders or 4 x AIM-54 Phoenix and 2 x AIM-7 Sparrow and 2 x AIM-9 Sidewinders or up to 13,000 lbs of "smart" bombs or iron bombs.
Cost:	n/a
# Built:	n/a

In the early 1960s, Grumman was working with General Dynamics on the carrier-based version of the TFX, the F-111B. That design had serious problems with weight and size. Even before the Navy rejected the F-111B as unsuitable, Grumman was preparing its in-house design 303 for a carrier fighter to replace the F-4 Phantom. That design became the F-14A, using a variable sweep wing and the same TF-30 engines proposed for the F-111B. The first two F-14 squadrons were formed in 1972 and went to sea for the first time in 1974. The F-14A was considered to be underpowered and the TF-30 engines suffered a number of problems. The most serious was compressor stall at high angles of attack and, unless the pilot reacted very quickly, the aircraft could be lost. The Tomcat was equipped with Hughes AWG-9 fire control radar and was the only aircraft to carry the AIM-54 Phoenix air-to-air long range (120 miles) missile.

In 1981, the Navy began testing an F-14A with GE F-101 DFE engines. As a result of this testing a contract was awarded in 1984 for re-engineing of 32 F-14As with F110-GE-400 engines, to be designated F-14A(Plus). The new engines dramatically improved performance and combat range. The increased power also allowed catapult takeoffs without use of the afterburners. 36 new-build F-14A(+) were also ordered. All were later designated as F-14Bs.

The final version of the Tomcat was the F-14D, with a new APG-71 radar, all digital electronics and a dual chin pod that contains both the Television Camera System and Infrared Search and Track (IRST) 37 new-build F-14Ds and 18 conversions from F-14As were delivered. The conversions were designated F-14D(R). The F-14D could carry either a TARPS (Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System) or the LANTIRN (Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night) targeting pod. The LANTIRN pod gave the F-14 precision strike capability. The last F-14D was delivered to the Navy on 20 July 1992.

The Tomcat on display was flown to Castle on 20 September 2005, a few days after the squadron it was assigned to (VF-101) was dis-established, It was flown by CDR Paul Haas, the last squadron commander and CDR Anthony DeSmet, the last executive officer. It was delivered to the Navy 17 April 1992 and was one of the last five built. It has a 1970s VF-101 paint scheme, It also served with VF-31 and was deployed with VF-31 on USS Abraham Lincoln and saw combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. The last F-14 squadron (VF-31) will transition to the F/A18 in September 2006, ending a tradition of Grumman Navy fighters that began with the Grumman FF biplane fighter in 1933.

On the web at: www.f-14association.com/