If you’ve ever seen Top Gun, you’ve definitely seen the Tomcat, though probably one of an earlier series. The F-14D Tomcat, designed by Grumman, is definitely a one of a kind aircraft. Able to reach speeds at mach 2.34, the aircraft was made to be able to destroy enemy aircraft at night. While many planes are only cleared to fly in decent weather, the F-14D can fly and destroy in any type of conditions. Not only can it attack at night in not-so-great weather, the plane can also target not 1, not 2, but 6 targets at the same time. The Tomcat is also great for detecting hostile aircraft from 100 miles away. The plane took its maiden flight on November 23, 1987 from Grumman’s Calverton plant and the final prototype took flight on February 9, 1990.
The F-14D Tomcat stands as the final result of the F-14 series and was upgraded with new computer software that was far more reliable and advanced. However, Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney deemed the airplanes uncompetitive enough to compete with today’s modern technology and cancelled production of the F-14 in 2008.
Flying, fighting or sitting?
The U.S. Navy retired use of the F-14D Tomcat on March 10, 2006. February 8, 2006 marked the last date that the aircraft would be used in an American combat mission which called for a bomb to be dropped in Iraq. About 712 of these planes were built, but most of them today are grounded. Tomcats still intact without much damage or mechanical issues are housed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. You will also find plenty of models at various air and space museums.
Others were destroyed so that Iran and other countries would not get access to the plane’s parts (there are reportedly 20 F-14s in Iran that are operational, 44 in total).
As of 2007, 23 of the 165 planes have been demolished by shredding. It costs about $900,000 to demolish each plane properly, which is about 42% of the cost of making an F-14D.
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