I thought I was going to go out boatwatching today but the weather was on the iffy side and I didn't feel like going out anyway. However, I wanted pictures, so I decided to have one of my models fill in.
Everybody is familiar with the movie "Top Gun" and everyone knows that it had Tom Cruise in it.
However, I am of the opinion that the F-14 Tomcat was the true star of the movie. I think I heard somewhere that the Navy got a recruiting boost from the movie.
The F-14 was designed in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. The Navy wanted an aircraft that could be used to defend the aircraft carriers from the Soviet bombers that were being built at the time.
The F-14 had a radar that could track 6 targets at one time. The Tomcat also had one of the earlier radar guided missiles in the form of the Phoenix missile.
The F-14 could carry 6 Phoenix missiles but rarely did because they were so heavy.
As the Soviet bomber threat died down with the death of the Soviet Union, the need for a plane like the Tomcat died down.
Because of its variable geometry wings, the F-14 had a high maintenance cost.
It was also a difficult plane to fly. A number of them were lost in training exercises.
Because of that, the F-14 was retired in the early 2000s.
Shame because it is a nice looking airplane.
No comments:
Post a Comment