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F-14 Tomcat Parking Only


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In honor of FT's new VF-211 sheet, I thought I'd share a few VF-211 pics I got when VF-Decals was in biz.

The first 2 shots were from one of VF-211's OEF cruises, and the last shot of course was from VF-211's final markings.

Enjoy..

101sunlit.jpg

101rightside.jpg

115sideview.jpg

Brian would it be inaccurate when i did my 211 OEF jets if i did those tail markings with the mission markings.

Andrew

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Interesting shots of weapons being tested on the Tomcat but is it just me looking at those pictures of the AGM-84 that it looks like the belly racks are carrying 1 or 2000lbs'ers??

Here's an assortment of weapon arrangements that did or didn't make it to the fleet.

77b21df13922737xe3.jpg

dca63b7a3594663ci6.jpg

Tricose :thumbsup:

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Interesting shots of weapons being tested on the Tomcat but is it just me looking at those pictures of the AGM-84 that it looks like the belly racks are carrying 1 or 2000lbs'ers??

Here's an assortment of weapon arrangements that did or didn't make it to the fleet.

77b21df13922737xe3.jpg

dca63b7a3594663ci6.jpg

Tricose :thumbsup:

I'm not sure if this is what you mean by "belly racks" but it looks like the bombs are where the fuel tanks usually go, doesn't it??? There are no belly pallets mounted on this 'cat.

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I'm not sure if this is what you mean by "belly racks" but it looks like the bombs are where the fuel tanks usually go, doesn't it??? There are no belly pallets mounted on this 'cat.

No, they are being carried on the modified Phoenix pallets, these pallets just dont have the pointy aerodynamic fairing we're used to seeing. Look carefully at the first photo, becouse of the lighting and depth of field, it blends with some of the stuff in the background.. They have the end caps fitted like the rear pallets do. While not common, I have seen other Toms carry bombs and blivits in this manner.

Edited by Fuji
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The weapons rails are there (pallets) but not the forward fairings (Phoenix Fairings). From the looks of the bomb racks their using (BRU-10's) I would say that this photos were taken in the late 80's to early 1990, after that the F-14 was using the BRU-32 bomb rack.

The Harpoon on the wing is loaded on a Phoenix adapter with a BRU-10 and adapter installed in place of the LAU-93 Phoenix launcher.

Reddog :thumbsup:

Edited by Reddog
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The weapons rails are there (pallets) but not the forward fairings (Phoenix Fairings). From the looks of the bomb racks their using (BRU-10's) I would say that this photos were taken in the late 80's to early 1990, after that the F-14 was using the BRU-32 bomb rack.

The Harpoon on the wing is loaded on a Phoenix adapter with a BRU-10 and adapter installed in place of the LAU-93 Phoenix launcher.

Reddog :bandhead2:

I stand corrected. Thanks!

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imagine if the F-14 was actually cleared to carry LMAV,AMRAAM,SLAM etc :thumbsup:

I don't see that it would've made any difference... after the first gulf war, you could probably count the number of air to air victories our service jets (any branch) on one or two hands (I don't know how many aircraft we shot down over Kosovo, though I suppose it could be more), and the Tomcat was already carrying most of the available air to ground weaponry in common usage (excluding AGMs, which the Tomcat really didn't need). I suppose it's fun to dream though.

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imagine if the F-14 was actually cleared to carry LMAV,AMRAAM,SLAM etc

Except the VF community was violently opposed to this. As it was the Tomcat was dragged kicking and screaming into the air-to-ground mission by the gap between the A-6 out-of-service date (based on the decision not to fund the A-6F in favor of the A-12) and the entry of the Rhino.

Spongebob

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Except the VF community was violently opposed to this. As it was the Tomcat was dragged kicking and screaming into the air-to-ground mission by the gap between the A-6 out-of-service date (based on the decision not to fund the A-6F in favor of the A-12) and the entry of the Rhino.

Spongebob

Yeah, when VX-4 had an F-14A+ on display at Pt Mugu in 1987 with bombs slung underneath, the crew that was chatting with the public were sort of ambivalent about the coming A-G role of the F-14 Community ... The RIO was like: "whatever ..." :whistle: the Driver was more like "Hell's NO !" :rofl: ...

Gregg

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I don't see that it would've made any difference... after the first gulf war, you could probably count the number of air to air victories our service jets (any branch) on one or two hands (I don't know how many aircraft we shot down over Kosovo, though I suppose it could be more), and the Tomcat was already carrying most of the available air to ground weaponry in common usage (excluding AGMs, which the Tomcat really didn't need). I suppose it's fun to dream though.

There was actually quite a number of kills - 44 in number:

EF-111A: 1

F-15C: 37

F-15E: 1

F-14A: 1

A-10A: 2

F/A-18C: 2

Total: 44

In addition, you can add the 2 Viper kills immidiatelly following the war, but still technically during Dessert Storm

(Tail numbers 90-0778 and 86-0262)

As for Kosovo/Ex Yugoslavia, the numbers are:

F-15: 5

F-16: 4

No aces, closest was 3 kills by any one pilot.

;)

Edited by Boman
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Did anyone see this over on Fence Check? It's not all F-14's but mostly...some really good and and interesting pics I've never seen before.

Interview with Dave "Bio" Baranek

Thanks for that link! Does anyonehave more info on that camoflaged F-14 in one of Bio's shots?

http://www.fencecheck.com/files/YRl41Vf0u1...tx1si0ki1Da.jpg

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Thanks for that link! Does anyonehave more info on that camoflaged F-14 in one of Bio's shots?

http://www.fencecheck.com/files/YRl41Vf0u1...tx1si0ki1Da.jpg

I'm leaning towards a temp scheme for one of the Recce meets ...

Others probably know better than I though ...

Gregg

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I would bet it's around the same timeframe as the camo jets in the right background. Also happens to be VF-2's line. There were all kinds of temp schemes for exercises, dets, fighterderby's, doodie and laughs back then.

CVW5linecuccx.jpg

-brian

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Mr Brown hows the book comming,and does anyone have a photo of NF-14A bu 161623 around 1992 when it was used for testing the -D avionics suite..And VF-213 F-14D bu 161166 last cruise with the rover sensor.... Thanks..STUMP

Edited by stump
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