F-14 Tomcat

F-14 Tomcat. . , A/C SN: 164350 , Date Acquired: October, 2006 , From: Loan, US Navy , Displayed: December, 2006 , , Built by Grumman Corp. (now Northrop Grumman Corp.), the F-14 Tomcat spent more than 30 years in service. The fighters were officially retired on Sept. 22, 2006. , , Palmdale's specimen arrived from Fighter Squadron Three One (VF-31) at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia. For pilot Lt. Cmdr. David "Superfly" Faehnle the flight was a cause for powerful emotions. , , "It's sad, saying goodbye to an old friend," he said. "I spent a lot of my life sitting up in that cockpit. It's been my office." , , September 2005, the Tomcatters deployed for the final Tomcat deployment aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71). Returning home from the last ever F-14 deployment on March 10, 2006, VF-213 and VF-31 joined 22 F-14D for a historic fly-in over the skies of NAS Oceana, Virginia. , , F-14 Tomcat , General Information , Manufacturer: Grumman Aerospace Corporation (later Northrup Grumman Corp.) , Production Period: 1970 to 1991 , Number Produced: 726 total all sources , Production Series: F-14A, B, and D , Roles: The F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, variable sweep wing, two-place fighter designed to attack and destroy enemy aircraft at night and an all weather conditions, capable of US Navy fleet defense, air superiority, long-range strike and tactical reconnaissance. , , Performance and Specifications , (Varies by model) , Maximum Speed: 1,544 mph (Mach 2.34) , Service Ceiling: 53,000 feet+ above sea level , Range: 1,600 miles , Weapons: One M61 Vulcan 20mm cannon, six AIM-54 Phoenix long range air-to-air missiles, along with six AIM-7 Sparrow and four AIM-9 Sidewinder medium and short range air-to-air missiles and assorted bombs , Crew: Pilot and Radar Intercept Officer , Length: 61 feet, 9 inches , Wingspan: 64 feet unswept, 38 foot swept , Height: 16 feet , Maximum Takeoff Weight: 72,900 lbs. Powerplant: F-14A: two Pratt and Whitney TF30P-414A turbofan engines with afterburners (20,900 lbs. of thrust each); F-14B and F-14D: two General Electric F-110-GE-400 augmented turbotan engines with afterburners (27,950 lbs. of thrust each) , Achievements: The F-14 Tomcat has the unequaled ability to simultaneously track up to 24 targets and attack six of them with its advanced weapons control system and the AIM-54A Phoenix missile, the longest-ranged air-to-air missile in the world.