Rex Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 (edited) The Tomcat only had a "monopoly" on two nicknames,,,,VF-1 and VF-2. All of the rest of those nicknames were already established by Furys, Demons, Crusaders, Phantoms, Panthers, Cougars, Tigers, etc, etc. In fact, the Pukin' Dogs didn't even get that nickname until Phantom days, before that they had different names. (Griffins, Blue Racers, Blue Knights, then "Pukin' Dogs" after someone saw the Griffin painted on the Phantom {that is what the "dog" really is/was}.) Edited July 31, 2017 by Rex Quote Link to post Share on other sites
my favs are F`s Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 I think it`s exactly from the Top Gun and the history/legacy they tried to reproduce in a movie. ;) And of course, the Tomcat has some silhouettes and characteristics, which are unique. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tomthegrom Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 I think the markings must have played a huge part. Why have a tail code with a tiny tail flash when you can have a flaming devils head, in a snipers sight over a lightning bolt? Or a flying skeleton holding a sythe? Or a huge sunburst emblazoned on the tail with a shark mouth on the nose? Or a hooded skull with blood dripping off a knife while painting an awesome looking black skunk stripe/hood/anti glare panel around the cockpit? As a kid I saw top gun, then I built model planes, then I found out about its capabilities. Its just a cool airplane and definitely my favorite. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Laurent Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 (edited) As a kid I used to love this plane probably because I found it impressive: big, sleek profile that oozed speed and power, colourful schemes (Wolfpack, Sundowners), big missiles, swing wings. Nowadays I don't like it much. It looks "esthetically incoherent" to me (profile view is nice but front and rear views inspire clumbsiness to me) so I find the Turkey nickname very appropriate. Planes like the F-111 or Flanker family members look more "esthetically balanced" while the F-14 looks more like a clunky compilation of shapes glued together. Also I've tried watching Top Gun again but I just couldn't... the sillyness of situations, dialogs, people was overwhelming. Edited July 31, 2017 by Laurent Quote Link to post Share on other sites
parche Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 Forget the movies, the real reason is HERE Cheers, Dave Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Darren Roberts Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 7 hours ago, southwestforests said: The Naval Aviation Museum disagrees with that. And http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/attractions/aircraft-exhibits/item/?item=f-14a_tomcat_flightline I guess it's semantics. I take air superiority fighter to mean it's able to mix it up in close quarters. The F-4 Phantom had some difficulty doing that. The F-15 was a true air superiority fighter. As much as it pains me to say it, the F-15 could probably take down the F-14 the majority of the time in a "dogfight" situation, depending on the drivers of both aircraft. With that said, the F-14 was considered an "air superiority fighter" because of it's ability to keep the skies around the carrier group clear of threats. It had a different mission from the F-15. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Geoff M Posted July 31, 2017 Author Share Posted July 31, 2017 My introduction to the F-14 was back in the early 70's. We would go to the Outer Banks of N. Carolina and there were all these t-shirt shops. I remember going into one and they had these t-shirts with the now familiar Tomcat emblem with "Anytime, Baby" on the back. To a teenage boy that was the coolest t-shirt ever. Wish I still had it. Geoff M Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GW8345 Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 8 hours ago, Rex said: The Tomcat only had a "monopoly" on two nicknames,,,,VF-1 and VF-2. All of the rest of those nicknames were already established by Furys, Demons, Crusaders, Phantoms, Panthers, Cougars, Tigers, etc, etc. In fact, the Pukin' Dogs didn't even get that nickname until Phantom days, before that they had different names. (Griffins, Blue Racers, Blue Knights, then "Pukin' Dogs" after someone saw the Griffin painted on the Phantom {that is what the "dog" really is/was}.) The Pukin Dog name came around in the late 50's (58 to be exact) thanks to an officer's wife who commented that the tail marking looked like a "puking dog". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
southwestforests Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 1 hour ago, Darren Roberts said: ... the F-15 could probably take down the F-14 the majority of the time in a "dogfight" situation, depending on the drivers of both aircraft. If the deciding factor is the drivers, then then hardware factor must be equal or the result would not be dependent on the drivers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
picknpluck Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 I think the Tamiya Tomcat is partially responsible for the current surge in popularity too, coupled with a nostalgia for more diverse and interesting air wings and the 30 year anniversary of Top Gun last year. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 11 hours ago, Darren Roberts said: You can also ask the Iraqi's how relevant it was. Why did the F-15's get so many kills? From the mouth of an F-15 driver (paraphrased). "We would set up our kill box and wait. The F-14 would light up Iraqi jets with their radar, and the Iraqi's, remembering what had happened during the previous war with Iran, would turn tail and run right into our kill box. It was like shooting fish in a barrel." Even in OIF and OEF, it was the go-to jet for long range strike missions. Never heard that one before. Any references? Pretty sure the Tom was kept out of the DS fight due to difficencies with its avionics. Too much of a chance it would score blue on blue kills so they left the A2A mission to the AF. Air to ground was a niche role the Navy found for a few squadrons at the end of the Tom's career when they realized they retired the A-6 to soon. Given its horrible maintenance numbers, how many Toms would have been flying those missions each day? 3 or 4? I think some F-15E pilots might disagree that it was the go-to jet. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 It's not my favorite aircraft but I always liked the name "Tomcat"...just sounded cool. That and something about the patch logo and "Anytime Baby" slogan always drew me in. And hey...Zero drivers and Mig-28 jocks everywhere fear the Tomcat ! LOL! Cheers! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kurt H. Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 3 hours ago, parche said: Forget the movies, the real reason is HERE Cheers, Dave You beat me to it. Growing up in the 80s, the Sky Stryker was pretty much the coolest toy ever. Also back then, it seemed everyone could recognize an F-14. And at the first air show I attended at Andrews AFB in 84 or 85, the first plane I saw perform was the Tomcat, and it was amazing to a 9 year budding aviation enthusiast. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GW8345 Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 14 minutes ago, 11bee said: Never heard that one before. Any references? Pretty sure the Tom was kept out of the DS fight due to difficencies with its avionics. Too much of a chance it would score blue on blue kills so they left the A2A mission to the AF. Air to ground was a niche role the Navy found for a few squadrons at the end of the Tom's career when they realized they retired the A-6 to soon. Given its horrible maintenance numbers, how many Toms would have been flying those missions each day? 3 or 4? I think some F-15E pilots might disagree that it was the go-to jet. It is true, how do you think VFA-81 got their Mig kills, the Migs were running from VF-74 and VF-103 Tomcats and ran right into the strike package. The Migs were so worried about the Tomcats that as soon as the Tomcat's turned to engage them they hi-tailed it and flew right into the strike package, all the time looking over their shoulder worrying about the Tomcats that were chasing them. How do I know, I was in VF-103 at the time and was told first hand what happened by my Div O who happened to be on that mission. As for the maintenance record, don't believe everything you read/hear about it, I worked on the bird for 14 years, the maintenance record was overblown in order to justify the super Hornet. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mistral Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 I never thought much about the F-14 until I walked around the one at Udvar-Hazy. It's simply a feat of engineering and aerodynamic excellence. No other aircraft has more complex curves than the F-14 which makes for an interesting subject from all angles. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Darren Roberts Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 2 hours ago, southwestforests said: If the deciding factor is the drivers, then then hardware factor must be equal or the result would not be dependent on the drivers. An inferior fighter in the hands of a good pilot can defeat a superior airframe flown by a mediocre or inferior pilot. That's why Topgun was started. F-4's were being dropped by MiG-17's. Once the pilots were trained properly, the F-4's began to have the advantage. So much so that I believe I read somewhere that North Vietnamese pilots were said to have avoided the "gray" Phantoms because they had a higher risk of being shot down. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jonathan_Lotton Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 For me? Because they were overhead constantly when I was a kid. I lived really close to NAS Point Mugu so I saw the Tomcats of VX-4, VX-9 and VX-30 all the time. I saw Phantoms all the time also, and less frequently, Hornets. They were the "hometown fighters" for my area..I imagine had I grew up near Langley or one of the big Eagle bases..I would have been enamored with them first? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rex Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 Yes, Gerry, but there is a "cause and effect" deal that goes with that story. The squadron was still named "Blue Knights" as VF-53, until they got to the Phantoms and got redesignated to VF-143. From 1958 to 1962, they still had Blue Knights on their patches, under the Griffin. They were unofficially called the Pukin' Dogs, just as jarheads called a squadron the "Willy Lovers" or the "Wandering Idiots" because of their tail codes. (WL and WI) Then they changed their name as they became VF-143, got Phantoms, and became "The World Famous Pukin' Dogs",,,,,,,,,,but all of that was because of a nickname given to them while they continued to be officially named the Blue Knights. When a squadron gets redesignated, gets a new aircraft type, has an entire squadron's personnel transferred to it, etc is the perfect time to choose a new name for the unit. (that last is how the Vagabonds got a new name) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rex Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 It seems like I am arguing with the Tomcat fans, but, I just realized what is happening. Tomcats are realllllly popular with the guys that were kids or young adults when they came out,,,,,,,,,,and that explains why I am more of a Phantom fan than a Tomcat fan. I was part of the age group ( and "military ethnic group", lol ) that was glad that the Tomcat didn't "infest" our beloved Phantom squadrons back in the seventies. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spruemeister Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 *Ding* Excellent answer. I like Tomcats. There are just other things I like more. Rick L. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
B.Sin Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 Regarding F-14, why so popular? Just look at it !!! Need more be said. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
adamitri Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 And it's 4 movies...... The Final Countdown Top Gun The Hunt for Red October Executive Decision Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aigore Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 It simply looks so good from every angle :D It's balanced and well proportionate and has some very distinct shapes :D Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Camus272 Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 (edited) At an airshow a few years ago the guy next to me was saying the F-22 should be retired and replaced with the superior F-14. He wasn't just serious, he was cocky about it. Yeah, I'm sure the Navy feels the same- given the early retirement the F-14 got. Edited July 31, 2017 by Camus272 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
305swag Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 To be honest, the F-15 should have got all the love, imho. The F-15 will always be the goat! I love watching those babies fly around JIA. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.