Grumman F-14 Tomcat - a supersonic American fighter with variable wing geometry designed and manufactured at the Grumman Corporation's Bethpage and Calverton plant on Long Island.
The first F-14A prototype was flown on December 21, 1970, but it was more of a "jump" than a flight. The second flight was held on December 30, unfortunately the hydraulic system failed resulting in a plane crash and the aircraft was completely destroyed (the pilots survived by catapulting). on May 24, 1971, the second machine was flown, and from then on, design work accelerated significantly, and test flights were successful. In June 1973, the fifth prototype crashed during testing of the AIM-7 missile launcher, and on June 29, 1973, there was another crash of the aircraft with the number 10 in which, unfortunately, the pilot did not survive.
After many tests, corrections and modifications, it turned out that the F-14 with variable wing geometry was not only a better fighter, but also a better multirole bomber than the F-4. From the moment it entered service, it was the most maneuverable and had the most powerful engines in US aviation.
The first F-14A Tomcats began service on the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, eventually 478 machines entered US Navy equipment.
The aircraft was produced between 1972 and 1991, and was withdrawn from service in 2006.
Want to learn more about the F-14 aircraft ? See HERE.
Plastic model kit from Japanese company Tamiya. The kit does not include paint and glue.
Specifications:
- Manufacturer: Tamiya
- Scale: 1/48
- Product code: 61114
For more information and photos, visit the manufacturer's website (link in the tab above).
A bit of history in the video:
F-14 in action:
F-14 in the museum:
And, how to assemble the model ?