Grumman F-14 Tomcat facts for kids

An F-14 Tomcat.

The F-14 Tomcat was a powerful fighter jet built for the American Navy. It was designed to protect ships and shoot down enemy planes. This amazing aircraft first took to the skies in 1970. By 1973, it began replacing an older plane called the F-4 Phantom II.

The F-14 was known for its ability to carry many weapons. It could hold up to six long-range AIM-54 Phoenix missiles. It also carried two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles for closer fights. This jet was incredibly fast, able to fly faster than the speed of sound! The U.S. Navy stopped using the F-14 in 2006. However, Iran still uses some F-14s today, though people say they might not be in the best shape.

About the F-14 Tomcat

The F-14 Tomcat was a special kind of fighter jet. It had wings that could change their shape during flight. This allowed the plane to fly fast or slow, depending on what it needed to do. It was mainly used to defend the Navy's aircraft carriers far out at sea.

Key Features of the Tomcat

The F-14 had several important features that made it a top fighter plane:

• Variable-sweep wings: These wings could move backward for high-speed flight and forward for slower landings or turns.
• Powerful radar: The F-14 had an advanced radar system. This allowed it to detect enemy aircraft from very far away.
• Long-range missiles: The AIM-54 Phoenix missile was unique to the F-14. It could hit targets from over 100 miles away.

When the Tomcat Flew

The F-14 Tomcat was a very important plane for the U.S. Navy for many years. It served from the early 1970s all the way until 2006. During this time, it was involved in several important events around the world. It helped keep peace and protect American interests.

Related Aircraft

The F-14 Tomcat was part of a family of famous fighter jets. Here are some other planes that are similar or were used around the same time:

• F/A-18 Hornet: A multi-role fighter that replaced the F-14.
• F-15 Eagle: A powerful air superiority fighter used by the U.S. Air Force.
• F-16 Fighting Falcon: A versatile and widely used fighter jet.
• F-4 Phantom II: The plane the F-14 replaced in the U.S. Navy.

Images for kids

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  The F-111B was designed to fulfill the carrier-based interceptor role, but had weight and performance problems, and was not suited to the types of aerial combat that were predominant over Vietnam

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  Grumman's VFX entry was designed around the TF30 engine, AWG-9 radar and AIM-54 missile intended for the F-111B; this eventually became the F-14A

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  VFA-143 "Pukin Dogs" F-14B (in the foreground) and F/A-18E Super Hornet in 2005

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  An F-14D launching an AIM-7 Sparrow; a GBU-10 Paveway II is also carried.

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  An F-14D(R) from VF-213 flying over Iraq on last Tomcat deployment with LANTIRN pod on starboard wing glove station and LGB underneath fuselage.

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  F-14 Tomcat with wings in asymmetric sweep during testing for this possible in-flight malfunction

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  Rear view of the F-14 showing the area between the engine nacelles

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  An F-14D prepares to refuel with probe extended.

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  F-14 with landing gear deployed

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  F-14 Tomcat carrying an AIM-120 AMRAAM during a 1982 test.

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  Two Iranian Tomcats equipped with multiple missiles, circa 1986, in the midst of a project to adapt I-Hawk surface-to-air missiles for F-14s

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  An F-14A of VF-84 Jolly Rogers, in a 1970s color scheme

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  An F-14A from VF-114 intercepting a Soviet Tu-95RT "Bear-D" maritime reconnaissance aircraft.

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  An F-14A of VF-32 during Operation Desert Storm with a KC-135 Stratotanker and two EA-6B Prowlers in the background

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  A Navy F-14D flying over the skies of Afghanistan on a precision bombing mission in November 2001.

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  The last F-14 launch from a carrier, USS Theodore Roosevelt on 28 July 2006

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  Iranian ace Jalil Zandi is credited with shooting down 11 Iraqi aircraft during the Iran–Iraq War, making him the highest scoring F-14 pilot.

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  Formation flight of Iranian Tomcats, 2008

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  Close-up view of the distinctive afterburner petals of the GE F110 engine

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  An upgraded F-14D(R) Tomcat with the ROVER transmit antenna circled with USS Theodore Roosevelt in the background

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  Grumman's proposed F-14 Interceptor for USAF Aerospace Defense Command in 1972 with the simulated "Buzz Code" and Aerospace Defense Command livery and emblem on the tail

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  F-14 Tomcat operators as of 2014 (former operators in red)

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  An IRIAF F-14 Tomcat landing at Mehrabad, Iran.

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  F-14A Tomcat of NFWS (TOPGUN) NAS Miramar c. 1993

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  Front view of an F-14A at Yokota Air Base, Tokyo, Japan, 2003

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  F-14A BuNo 162689 at the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda, California, 2009

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  An F-14A on display at Grumman Memorial Park in New York

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  F-14A BuNo 160661 on display at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center's Aviation Challenge facility in Huntsville, Alabama, 2009

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  YF-14A at the Cradle of Aviation Museum

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  F-14B at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum

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  F-14A of VF-84 "Jolly Rogers" at the Museum of Flight

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  Grumman F-14 Tomcat drawings

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  F-14A of VF 111 "Sundowners" (USS Carl Vinson)

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  F-14B from the VF-211 Fighting Checkmates carrying six AIM-54 Phoenix missiles.

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  Tomcat logo

See also

In Spanish: Grumman F-14 Tomcat para niños