Grumman F-14B Tomcat by Academy

1/72 scale
Kit No. 12578
Retail: $42.00
Decals: Five versions by Cartograf — all U.S. Navy
Comments: Engraved panel lines and recessed rivet detail; highly detailed cockpit; option for fully extended or closed variable geometry wings; drop tanks included; armament includes four AIM-9 Sidewinder, four AIM-7 Sparrow, four AIM-54 air-to-air missiles, and two 500 lb. laser guided bombs

History

The Grumman F-14 Tomcat was a two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather air superiority fleet defense interceptor in service with the U.S. Navy from 1974 to 2006. Even before the demise of the General Dynamics F-111B program (for which Grumman Aircraft Corporation was to have been a prime contractor), Grumman had been working on a replacement interceptor more closely tailored to the Navy’s needs, but employing several of the F-111B’s design features, namely twin engines for increased reliability, variable geometry wings, and a powerful search radar. It was also a two-seater, but had tandem seating as opposed to the side-by -side arrangement of the F-111B.

The dirty little open secret was that from the outset, the Navy had vigorously resisted the very concept of the F-111B, the navalized version of an Air Force design for what was essentially a precision strike aircraft (translation: bomber — despite its F- designation) that Defense Secretary Robert McNamara’s 1962 standardization program had tried to shoehorn into the Navy’s requirements for a fleet defense fighter to replace the McDonnell F-4 Phantom. McNamara’s TFX program was not what the Navy had in mind.

McNamara had previously compelled the Air Force, which had purchased the F-4 some two years after it entered service with the Navy, renaming it the F-110 Spectre, to switch the nomenclature back to the F-4 as part of the September 1962 Standardization Order. As part of the standardization, McNamara sought to save on procurement costs and have the Navy adopt the F-111B, a variant of the Air Force’s F-111 resulting from the TFX (Tactical Fighter Experimental) program, but from the Navy’s point of view this did not make for good procurement policy. A major factor that rendered the F-111B airframe unsuitable for carrier operations was the fact that it was allegedly just too heavy, in part due to the cockpit/escape capsule which was an integral part of the design — and no modification had been able to cure this. After years of development work, the Defense Department formally cancelled the program in July 1968.

Grumman’s new design flew for the first time on December 21, 1970. Designated G-303, it incorporated the F-111’s variable sweep wings, AWG-9 fire control radar, AIM-54 Phoenix air-to-air missiles, and Pratt & Whitney TF 30 twin-engine powerplant. Like the F-111, it was also a two-seater, but there the similarities ended. Grumman had collaborated with General Dynamics on the F-111B, the intended carrier-based escort fighter, but even before its cancellation, Grumman had quietly begun work in 1966 on an alternative carrier-borne aircraft that could serve in the air superiority, escort fighter and interception roles. Ultimately it would also be modified for precision air strikes, but initially that was not among its primary missions.

The F-14 was equipped with four AIM-54 Phoenix air-to-air missiles, the only aircraft in the U.S. inventory so armed. The million-dollar Phoenix had a range of 120 miles, giving the Tomcat over-the-horizon offensive capability. Radar-guided AIM-7 Sparrows, along with a 20mm cannon and four AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles for close-in engagements, provided the F-14 a variety of options to engage and destroy threats to itself or the carriers it was designed to protect.

Its variable sweep wings could be moved fully forward to provide the lift needed for take-offs and landings, or swept back to a dart-like configuration for high-speed, supersonic flight. In November 1987 the F-14B was introduced with new General Electric F-110 engines. A 1995 upgrade incorporated new digital avionics and weapons system improvements to improve the Tomcat’s multi-mission capability. The F-14D, delivered from 1990, added upgrades to the engines, radar, electronic jamming capability, and infra-red search and track system. Precision strike capability came with the introduction of LANTIRN (Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting and Infra-red for Night), night vision compatibility, new defensive countermeasures, and a new digital flight control system. LANTIRN pods fitted below the right wing allowed the F-14 to drop laser-guided bombs with accuracy in complete darkness.

The F-14’s debut combat deployment was to Southeast Asia. Operating from the U.S.S. Enterprise, VF-1 provided air cover for Operation Frequent Wind, the helicopter evacuations from Saigon, South Vietnam on April 29-30, 1975. The Tomcat proved itself in combat on August 19, 1981 in what became known as the Gulf of Sidra incident when two F-14’s from the U.S.S. Nimitz were intercepted by two Libyan Sukhoi Su-22 fighter-bombers. The Su-22’s were initially sent after a Navy S-3 Viking patrolling in the Gulf of Sidra off the Libyan coast but reportedly still in international waters. The F-14’s were sent in for protection while the S-3 was directed north out of harm’s way. An Su-22 fired on one of the Tomcats with an AA-2 Atoll missile and missed, after which the F-14’s engaged and shot down both Su-22’s. This event was part of a day-long series of cat-and-mouse incidents in which Libyan aircraft staged mock attacks on the Nimitz carrier group, only to be chased off by F-14’s.

A second Gulf of Sidra incident occurred over the same waters on January 4, 1989 when two Tomcats shot down two Libyan MiG-23’s. Tomcats also provided fighter protection to a variety of strike and reconnaissance missions during the 1991 Gulf War. The only country besides the U.S. to deploy the F-14 is Iran, which began taking deliveries in 1976 prior to Iran’s Islamic Revolution two years later.

Of the 80 aircraft Iran ordered along with 424 Phoenix missiles – to cope with frequent incursions of Russian MiG-25 Foxbats into Iranian airspace — 79 F-14s were delivered along with 270 Phoenix. The final deliveries were cancelled after the Islamic Revolution. Despite significant maintenance difficulties (the complex F-14 has always been expensive and time-consuming to maintain) the Iranians have kept a portion of them flying, probably by cannibalizing some aircraft to keep others airworthy. It is estimated that the Iranian Air Force has about 30 operational Tomcats. According to some sources the Iranian F-14 played an important role in the Iran – Iraq War, shooting down over 30 enemy aircraft.

The F-14B

The F-14 received its first of many major upgrades in March 1987 with the F-14A Plus (or F-14A+), which led to the F-14A’s Pratt & Whitney TF30 engine being replaced with the improved General Electric F110-GE-400 engine. The F-14A+ also received the state-of-the-art ALR-67 Radar Homing and Warning (RHAW) system. Many of the avionics components, as well as the AWG-9 radar, were retained. The F-14A+ was later redesignated F-14B on May 1, 1991. A total of 38 new aircraft were manufactured and 43 F-14A were upgraded into B variants. In the late 1990’s, all 81 F-14Bs were upgraded to extend airframe life and improve offensive and defensive avionics systems. The modified aircraft became known as F-14B (Upgrade), the first of a series of variants that would culminate in the F-14D. After over 30 years of service, the F-14 was decommissioned by the U.S. Navy in September 2006.

The Kit

Academy’s F-14B is injection molded in grey and white plastic and consists of 211 parts, including three clear parts for the windshield, canopy and heads up display. All airframe parts feature both engraved panel lines and recessed rivet detail. The cockpit is rich in detail with main instrument panels featuring crisp and extensive raised relief, accompanied by four separate side panels (two for the pilot, and two for the radar intercept officer) to be cemented to the cockpit tub.

For those who do not enjoy detail painting, Academy has taken the unusual step of providing diminutive individual decals for all instrument panels — what is unusual about this is the sheer number of markings for the main instrument panel, 18 in all. However, these markings are so small that correct positioning may be a challenge, particularly if a modeler lacks fine tweezers. Painting may well be easier. The ejection seats are well detailed, with separate parts for the seat cushioning and ejection-initiating loops above the headrests. All this detail is rounded out by individually mounted control yokes, instrument panel hoods, and a clear plastic part for the gunsight.

The landing gear are well detailed. The kit includes more armament than the F-14 can carry at once, so there will be left-overs for your spares box. Weapons provided include four AIM-9 Sidewinder, four AIM-7 Sparrow, and four AIM-54 air-to-air missiles, and two 500 lb. laser guided bombs. Tomcats typically carried two Sidewinders, two Sparrows, and four Phoenix missiles — however, with all this armament there is an opportunity for different configurations.

The kit instructions suggest swapping out the Phoenix missiles altogether and replacing them with two laser-guided bombs and a single AIM-7 mounted to belly pallets, while a pair of Sparrows are retained, along with a single Sidewinder and a targeting pod. Modelers will have to do their own research and make a decision on this, but it’s interesting that the instructions don’t reference the Phoenix missiles at all although they are clearly present on the weapons sprues. Painting guides are provided for all weapons except the Phoenix. Per the instructions, the two-part canopy can only be depicted closed.

Markings

The kit decals are by Cartograf and include ample stencil detail. Markings are included for five versions. The first is for Bu. No. 163217, the Commander’s aircraft of VF-103 Jolly Rogers, on its final cruise in 2004. This aircraft carries the white skull and crossbones of VF-103 (previously VF-84) along with the legend on the black vertical tail, “Jolly Rogers – Final Tomcat Cruise.” The second version also carries the white skull and crossbones on a black vertical tail, but does not identify the squadron — the aircraft is identified only as Bu. No. 162705, “of the same period” as Bu. No. 163217.

Markings are also provided for three additional aircraft (Bu. Nos. 161435, 162695, and 161422) but they do not differ significantly from the first two. All five aircraft appear to be from the same squadron, VF-103, or possibly its predecessor, VF-84. The key difference is whether they are employing high- or low-visibility markings for the skull and crossbones or the fuselage flashes and national insignia.

Conclusion

This is perhaps the most detailed F-14 Tomcat available in 1/72 scale, and offers a plethora of munitions. Its only drawback appears to be that given the extensive cockpit detail, provision should have been made for the option of an open cockpit. Highly recommended.

References

• Combat Aircraft Since 1945 by Stewart Wilson; Copyright 2000 Stewart Wilson and Aerospace Publications, Fyshwick, Australia.
• A Handbook of Fighter Aircraft by Francis Crosby (Imperial War Museum, Duxford); Copyright 2002 Anness Publishing, London.
• military.wikia.com
• seaforces.org