Photo Brief
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat
Posted April, 2012
by Tom Hildreth

The first time I saw an F-14 Tomcat it was climbing steeply away from Westover AFB on a gray morning in 1971 or 1972. Twin tails, lots of noise, high performance-I knew what it was even from a distance. I would see these fleeting views of the Tomcat a number of times in those dreary days when Westover appeared ready for closure, and little air traffic was either coming or going from the long runway there. It was probably those two factors, low traffic count and a long runway, that attracted the Grumman pilots to Westover for their hops. Away from the heavily-used coastal airline routes and the cold Atlantic, the big base in western Massachusetts was a short hop north from Long Island.

The Tomcat series was an outstanding success, meeting or exceeding most USN design requirements. As a result, it served long and well from the Navy's carrier decks. It had no peer, ever-even today, years after its last flight. As this is a photo presentation, a detailed history of the Tomcat will be found elsewhere.

As with all of the "Teen" series American fighters, ongoing powerplant development, accompanied by advances in electronic systems led to improved versions such as the F-14A(+), the F-14B and F-14D. I'll let an expert fill you in on the F-14B, as I'm still confused about that one. I recall a long-awaited F-14B that was to be a re-engined version of the F-14A, but I think the delivered F-14B was more than that.

When the Tomcat first entered service, the Navy was still applying glossy gray finish to its aircraft, and the new Grumman top-of-the-line product was a billboard for the bright traditional colors applied by Navy maintenance personnel. In many cases, these color schemes proudly displayed historic squadron markings of Navy combat units. As the era of subdued markings approached, some far-sighted members of the American Aviation Historical Society, in cooperation with the Navy, held a "last chance" base tour at NAS Miramar on 25 January 1981. I was fortunate to attend this event, and although I had been unable to purchase any additional Kodachrome since arriving in California, I shot row upon row of Tomcats, Phantoms, and recon Crusaders. Without this B&W imagery, my Tomcat collection would be very deficient.

When it comes to the Tomcat, I'm probably not much different than any other enthusiast or photographer in my age group. I wonder, on occasion, how did it all happen so fast? Maybe I feel this way because in my eyes the aircraft was never replaced in fleet service. It just went away.

Crash-related information is from Joe Baugher's excellent online serial number pages at http://www.joebaugher.com/

Click each photo below for large version


F-14A 158615 of VF-202
at London, ON 6 June 1992.

F-14A 158619 from NATC Pax River at
NAS Willow Grove, PA on 14 September 1974.
Crashed during spin tests at NATC
22 February 1977. Both crew killed.

F-14A 158619 from NATC Pax River at
NAS Willow Grove, PA on 14 September 1974.

Machine #36, F-14A 158635 on final
at Grumman's Peconic River facility on
Long Island, NY 5 October 1973.
Collided with 161295 2 February 1994
over Red Sea. Both aircraft landed.

F-14A 158637 VF-202 from Dallas, TX
at Griffis AFB, NY 1 June 1991.

Colorful F-14A 159431 of VF-142 arriving at
Pratt & Whitney's 50th Anniversary show,
Rentschler Field, E. Hartford, CT 3 October 1975.
Crashed into Mediterranean Sea after striking
A-6 during night bolter on 3 January 1987.

F-14A 159439 of VF-142 at Griffis AFB, NY
11 August 1979. Crashed into Arabian sea fol-
lowing single-engine landing attempt aboard USS
America on 15 July 1974. Both crew ejected.

F-14A 159615 of VF-101
at Griffis AFB, NY 7 August 1976.

F-14A 159857 of VF-213
at NAS Miramar 25 January 1981.

F-14A 159868 of VF-114
at NAS Miramar 25 January 1981.

F-14A 160379 of VF-41
at Westover ARB MA 29 March 1981.

F-14A 160381 of VF-84 at NAS Miramar, CA
25 January 1981. Crashed 26 August 1994,
Pamlico Sound, NC. Both crew ejected safely.

F-14A 160389 of VF-101
at Pease AFB, NH 28 July 1979.

F-14A 160391 of VF-84
at NAS Miramar 25 January 1981.

F-14A 160407 of VF-101 at Griffis AFB, NY
29 July 1978. Crashed into Atlantic near
Virgin Is. 8 August 1998. Both
crew ejected safely.

F-14A 160411 ex-VF-214 at the ESAM
museum, Scotia, NY 3 July 1998.

F-14A 160677 of VF-51 at NAS Miramar 25 January
1981. Written off 7 September 1981 aboard USS
Kitty Hawk after struck by landing A-7E 156844.

F-14A 160680 of VF-111
at NAS Miramar 25 January 1981.

F-14A 160682 of VF-111
at NAS Miramar 25 January 1981.

F-14A 160684 of VF-211
at NAS Miramar 25 January 1981.

F-14A 160887 of VF-24
at NAS Miramar 25 January 1981.
Crashed at NAS Fallon, Nevada
22 January 1992. Both crew killed.

F-14A 160891 of VF-101 at Plattsburgh AFB, NY
19 May 1979. Crashed 6 July 1998 during training
mission from NAS Fallon, NV.
Both crew ejected safely.

F-14A 161138 of VF-84 at NAS Brunswick, ME
2 August 1980. Struck by EA-6B during night
recovery 26 May 1981 aboard USS Nimitz. W.O.

F-14A 161281 of VF-103
at Pease AFB, NH 8 September 1989.

F-14A+ 161425 of VF-101 at Pease AFB, NH
8 September 1989. Crashed 2 October 1997
Both crew ejected, pilot died due seat failure.

F-14A 161432 of VF-143 at Rentschler Field.,
E. Hartford, CT 11 October 1985.

F-14A+ 161440 of VF-203
at Hanscom AFB, MA 5 July 1991.

F-14A 162711 of VF-202
at Plattsburgh AFB, NY 22 July 1990.

F-14B 162914 of VF-74 at Hanscom AFB, MA
21 August 1993.Collided with F/A-18 12 February
1994.Both crew ejected safely.

F-14B 163227 of VF-103
at NAS S. Weymouth, MA 3 June 1995.

F-14D 163418 of VF-11
at NAS Brunswick, ME 21 July 1995.

Gloss black F-14D 164604 of
VX-9 at NAS Brunswick, ME 22 July 1995.
Possibly last Tomcat built.

Tail C/U F-14D 164604 of VX-9
at NAS Brunswick, ME 22 July 1995.
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