US's Most Capable Fighter Makes 12 MiG Planes Back Down Without Firing a Shot
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- Опубликовано: 19 окт 2024
- The initial conflict to expel the Iraqi troops from Kuwait began with an aerial and naval bombardment on January 17, 1991. Some of the first American aircraft to fly over the Iraqi skies that morning were four F-14 Tomcats from United States Navy Strike Fighter Squadron 32.
The Tomcat pilots had strict orders to stay with their strike team to protect electronic warfare and other aircraft at all costs instead of chasing and engaging enemy aircraft.
But when 12 airborne enemy aircraft approached the formation, the American pilots had to think fast.
It was the very first day of Operation Desert Storm, and what the dozen Iraqi fighters did next took everyone by surprise…
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Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.
As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.
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The F-14 Tomcat is one of the most beautiful aircraft ever built.
Just behind the P51 mustang D for me. Not sure where the SR71 fits its so beautiful as well.
The Avro Arrow with it's Iroquois engines could do mach 2 in the 1950's it was the best fighter and looking plane, for some reason it was scrapped, perhaps the Americans did not want Canada with the best fighter plane
"one of"? Lol. Too true, too true...
For me mig23 flip wing is the most beatiful
@@aediasnaini4918 opinions vary. Lol
The 4 F-14's from VF-32 was not a strike fighter squadron. It was a fighter squadron. VF-32 later became VFA-32, that's when it became a Strike Fighter Squadron. I was a Gypsy Swordsmen (VF-32) from June 85' to June 87'.
Edited: I apologize if I misrepresented myself, I was not a Naval Aviator. I was and (AMS2) Airframe and Hydraulic Mechanic 2nd Class.
I was with an A-7 squadron, VA-305, that transitioned to FA-18’s.
Some people might have got confused when they started the ‘Bombcat’ program. What a waste.
Thank you for your service, sir! That must have been the experience of a lifetime!!
@@gamerelated3887 Oh the sea stories I could share. If I had to do it over I would only change a few things, mostly my attitude...hahaha. Thank you for your kind words.
Not too sure what any of that means but it sounds pretty damn cool. Thanks for your service!
I was an AQ way back when. The Tomcat will always be my favorite bird!
Glad I could help keep you guys in the air! Thank you for your service sir!!
I was an EM1 (RPE) on the USS Enterprise CVN65 in the 70's. We were the first carrier to get the F14 and the first to deploy with them. They still are the best looking aircraft the Navy ever had.
F-14 had a top speed which is still nearly the fastest fighter among today's fighters. Fast, very long range, tremendous loadout ... what a fighter!
Its top speed was actually mach 2.5, same as the F15 but the navy limited it to mach 2.34
There is an old expression amung fighter pilots....."When everything goes wrong......a Grumman will get you home."
Even with all the new variants of the F-35 and the Super Hornets the US Navy doesn’t have the capacity or capability that the F-14 provided. The F-14 was deemed to expensive to operate minus the Cold War and the loss of the Soviet bomber threat.
@@ecleveland1 stealth is what the united states'is looking for.
One of the coolest naval fighters in history…
Nothing looks cooler than F-14s with the jolly roger.
Always loved the Tomcat and the Eagle. Maybe something about the twin vertical stabilizers and twin engines.
One of my favorites for certain!
That w i d e lifting body makes her look thicc
Heard she dances pretty good for a fat girl
No, the coolest without a doubt. Nothing was cooler than an F-14.
Maybe the coolest
5:33 the AWG-9 was the radar that the tomcat had ,not an air to air misille
i identify as an AWG-9
@@plingket lol
And AIM-9s are infrared not radar. PDS TT isn't a radar mode either as far as i know, but Pulse Doppler (PD) is a mode and Single Target Track (STT) can be used with it.
Yeah this channel doesn't seem to focus much on research.
@@WolfA4BINGO!🎯
F-14 was not built as a strike fighter that was the f-18 and F-16. F-14s didn't become capable strike frighters until the Delta variant which got the nickname Bombcat.
Yep. F-14 Tomcat was all about covering the full spectrum of air-to-air. Long range, medium range and short range dogfighting, but Grumman had "hardwired" the F-14 Tomcat in the 70s with air-to-ground avionics as well as software that went with it anticipating it might become a strike fighter one day.
All Varients were strike capable. It just was not implemented until the mid 90’s when the intruder was retired.
@@dandychiggins8329 yes all variants were able to drop bombs although they were not allowed to until the 90s and didn't receive a targeting pod until then. Point still stands F-14 was purpose built fighter/intercepter that later became a capable strike aircraft.
F-14 was actually designed as a strike fighter / interceptor (all bombing modes built in), but due to the F-111B controversy and Navy's argument against it at the time, at first the F-14 was only allowed to be spoken of as an A-A platform. I think the F-16 was originally meant strictly as a fighter as well but gained all other missions capabilities through the years
@@AudiA6Q Also, failure of F-111B was because of poor performance, maneuverability and carrier landing, which is why F-14 was conceived to be a proper fighter that could also do well in dogfighting if necessary, but it was not its primary mission.
F-14 still is the best looking fighter.
Fr
You got that right! My plane was the A 7 but they were awesome on the flight deck 😊
@@andysharlofsky627 A7 was the coolest looking plane but the best looking plane ever is the B-58 Hustler.
Especially when you add the cool factor of the Jolly Rogers
You got to go V if your going to go Stealth ! V . Your going throw them all off ! V IT !
The F-14 Tomcat should still be in the air and to this day can do things no other plane in the world can!
Back in 04 I flew into Camp anaconda in Iraq for a 3 day training detail with one of my mechanics. There had been a break down in communications between our unit on Victory North and the unit that was hosting us. Each unit thought the other had arranged transport for us from the air field to the host units AO. The 2 of us got to sit on the tarmac and watch sorties come and go every 15 minutes for the rest of the night. The F14’s are awesome to watch. They would hit the end of the runway and stand on their tails. It was like watching rockets launch. A quick run up to speed and then just shoot straight up into the darkness. All you could see was the blue red flame disappear into the thunder of the launch.
As an army ground pounder it was a treat to watch.
The best I've seen up close is the F18. That was at a Red Bull air race. That thing is big, powerful and scary. It flew over the grand stand and rearranged everyone's clothes and head gear. It then went around doing its impressive rolls etc. but it was the ending that had everyone literally going 'AAAAWE'. That thing flew over us at about 300', went out across the water and then literally went vertical as in a right angle turn and shot up into the ceiling and became less than a speck in about 3-4secs. The commentator said how impressive that these aircraft are flown by 25yo, who he said were old for this aircraft. These jets aren't even in service any more! Scariest thing I've ever seen fly over my head.
It’s a shame that this beautiful and amazingly powerful airframe was retired. She went away before her time, for sure.
Especially since they could have been greatly improved with new engines and materials to be made from. Like anything else, it's politics that kill great things. Just look at budlight.
The military leaders of this era; real men of genius, not!!!
@@thystaff742 budlight was never great )
@shlug The beer wasn't great. However, the story behind it and the cheap buzz is what gave its appeal. I'm a fan of microbreweries myself, but it's not cheap to drink real beer in America.
What we have now exceeds it in many ways. However per a comment below, take design back to drawing board and improve it. Technology we have now could make it very dangerous among current offerings.
It’s a damned shame that they retired this beast of a machine. I know it’s a couple generations out of date, but it’s still a hell of a plane.
its only 1 gen out of date the F-14 is a 4th gen fighter
If they were less costly to maintain (per hr of flight time) there would still be at least 3 per carrier & a few on land.
Because reckless politicians thought it was awesome to sell our prized technology to Iran at the time.
It isn't budget problems, that's bullshit when you have like 9 10 or 11 air craft carriers ready at any moment noticed just patrolling the globe and most countries don't have one or even close to having one and the onse that do are your allies and the case of China.
Seems all the planes are 'hell of a plane's. search for fighter planes, and every single one is referred to as the best at some point.
@@d.e.b.b5788No the truth is all 4rth generation fighter's if all pilots were the same pilot in all the 4rth gen planes at once then the f16 will come out on top. It was designed to be the most maneuverable of them all. So in an air to air dogfight it is either you can maneuver the best or you fly away as fast as you can before the more maneuverable fighter gets a lock on you.
I served in RVAH-6 (RA-5C Vigilantes) as part of Carrier Air Group 8 (CAG-8) on the USS Nimitz from July 76 to the end of 77. We had F-14 Tomcats from VF-41 and V-84. We also had A-6 Intruders (VA-35), EA-6B Prowlers (VAQ-135), A-7 Corsairs {VA-82, VA-86), S-3 Vikings (VS-24), E-2B Hawkeyes (VAW-112), and H-3 Sea Kings (HS-9) with support from C-1 (COD), C-2 Greyhound, and H-53 Sea Stallions. I was a RA-5C Plane Captain and spent my time working nights on the flight deck. Just mentioning all of those aircraft brought back great memories. Thank you!
My uncle who worked for the state dept posted to the Philippines embassy took his son and me to Subic for a vip tour of the Nimitz. I saw all the planes and learned the distinct roles of each, including the tomcat. I was 10 years old and in hog heaven, and it still is the most incredible tour I have ever had
Over the years your videos have got so much better and enjoyable. Thank you for slowing down when you speak because your content is amazing.
I too recall when he spoke quicker & could be hard to understand… 😊 But at the same time, his very distinctive voice & “urgent” sounding style of delivery (as unique as William Shatner’s signature stop/start voice acting technique) is one of the most enjoyable aspects of this channel. It really adds to the narrative impact of some of the dramatic events that are documented in these videos & greatly enhances the overall experience & sense of drama that is conveyed while watching them.
During my tour of service I was able to get pretty close to all the Navy carrier fixed wing, and a few rotary wing aircraft. The Hornets were my favorite, but I was young. The Tomacats were HUGE! Both in size, and in respect and duty carried.
Is that why the Tomacat maintenance costs was much more than the Hornet?
In real fight the F14 is the best , cost worth to win the real battle...
My son worked cats 1&2 on the GW in the mid 90s. He said the Tomcats were rough on the cats because of their weight.
@@Chris_at_Home make sense. The tomcats were huge and the maintenance costs were high. That’s too bad as the tomcat was awesome in the sky and the long range was useful.
Perhaps the "Final Countdown" had someting to do with it when I was kid, but the Tomcat is still my favorite fighter. The sweep wings are still so cool. Such an amazing piece of engineering.
I loved that movie! What could be cooler? F-14's dogfighting with Japanese Zeros!
@@thomastrankle426 And no CGI!
The F-14 was a beast to work on and maintain, it requited many hours of maintenance for each hour of flight. That seriously impacted and degraded readiness.
That was the reason it got retired, it cost so much to keep it flying. The F-14 is miles ahead of the f-18 but it all came down to the budget.
Was very happy to have worked with Tomcats on Independence in the gulf. Just sitting on the flight deck with the wings overfolded and the nose slightly lowered, the front view of the aircraft gives one that predatory sense.
I'm pretty sure all Tomcats were "D"'s on all carriers in 91/92. Ward Carroll has a great channel as he was a RIO on F-14's btw. The F/A-18 was much less maintenance than the Tomcats even though they are both 4th gen. Had an uncle that flew tomcats but he croaked before I could get any stories out of him....RIP uncle Bill
Ever since they came along, the F-14 Tomcat has always been my favorite fighter jet. They're the most beautiful thing in the air. I still have (most of) the model I bought in the 70s. I should find a new one, and do it up right...I didn't paint my model, and a couple of small parts have disappeared. I joined the navy in 1985, and am a plankowner for USS Theodore Roosevelt, where I finally got to see them close up. I'll never forget hanging out on vulture's row, watching night flights...while tripping on acid. I'm somewhat disappointed that they had to be replaced with something more modern, with capabilities they don't have, but that's what happens...time stops for no one.
F-14 Tomcat forever. "Anytime Baby!"
This brings back some memories. I flew the E-2C Hawkeyes with VAW-126 off of the Kennedy during this time. We were incredibly lucky during that conflict because we lost no one on the entire ship as well as the air wing during that cruise/war. We were not so lucky the following year when we lost an E-2 to hydraulic failure/fire with all 5 crew members lost. I believe one of the F/A-18 squadrons lost their XO when he flew into the ground or at least hit something close to the ground during that same few weeks in the Puerto Rico Operating area. I was back home recovering from having a hole drilled into my skull to relieve a sinus block. So to this day I wonder how close I dodged the bullet when Closeout 602 went down. Ironically the plane had my name on it which freaked my family out a lot. Hard to believe that I left that squadron 30 years ago next month.
Jesus, thank you for your service 🫡. From an airmen- do you think the navy is going to unmanned aircraft exclusively?
I was curious about this- considering craft like the E2 and the Prowler with all the anti-warfare gear on the craft, could that be operated remotely?
I was an AMS2 with VF-32 on the Kennedy for the 86'-87' cruise.
@@BrianRhodes9763 So you where there before the shootdown of the Libyan fighter jets. I did not get to my squadron until Jul 1990 so I missed that excitement as well, but Shield and Storm were enough for me. I keep forgetting which squadron was the Top Hats and which one was the Swordsmen.
@@fredflux2738 I think we will go with a mixture of the two for the near future. There are too many possible ways for jamming or some other interference to cause problems for the aircraft. But who knows what advancements in technology will happen over the next few decades. We may very well get a solid grip on quantum entanglement and so develop unbreakable and instantaneous communications with our aircraft to the point where remote control will be the best way to go. Only time will tell.
@@flyboy38a Yes, I got to the VF-32 in June of 85' and transitioned from active duty in June of 87'. I missed the shoot down by 1 cruise. I am still in contact with several of the flight deck crew in my old squadron that did make that cruise. VF-32 (VFA-32 now) are the Swordsmen and VF-14 (VFA-14 now) are the Tophatters.
The greatest Navy fighter of all time in my opinion. What an absolute beast. I’ve seen people comment “if it was so great why’s they retire it? And from what I understand it was because it was so expensive to upkeep. F-18 is simpler, cheaper to maintain. But I think head to head the Tomcat is better.
That is only part of the reason. Yes it was more expensive to maintain, however, the ST-21 program (Super Tomcat for the 21st century) was a proposal to replace the F-14. The MAIN reason the F-14 is no longer in the inventory is the Secretary of Defense dick cheney (I intentionally spelled that lower case for a reason) and Grumman got into a pissing contest (so I've been told) and Grumman lost. cheney, for some reason had something against Grumman.
I’m going to guess that part of the calculation of withholding strike missions from Tomcats was to minimize chances of being shot down in such close proximity to Iran, so as to minimize the chance of them being able to salvage any parts from downed aircraft
This content is gold for military aviation buffs
Except for the details the script writer got wrong. Such as VF-32 being a “Fighter Squadron”, not a “Strike Fighter Squadron”, those are VFA designated units. Or the fact that the F-14 didn’t get the Air-to-Ground role until late in its service life. Before that capability was added, the Tomcat was given reconnaissance and forward air controller tasks and training.
When the wings are swept back, it's just so damn good looking that even if it was a hunk of crap, you could still love it.
When you find out it looks that good AND it was pretty badass, that's just impressive design and engineering by Grumman...
The exact moment I saw F-14s engaged in Aerial combat, first thing that comes to mind is Tom Cruise and Kenny Loggins.
Did Tom Cruise make the F-14 iconic or did the F-14 make Tom Cruise iconic? I vote the latter.
@@MrNota500 I mean, if you know movies, if you think of one, you may or may not think of the other.
That f14 tomcats with a skull looks so sick💀🦴🦴🔥🔥🔥
The F14 was not a strike fighter. It was designed and adopted as an air superiority fighter with the protection of a carrier group against all air threats. It wasn't converted into a fighter-bomber before the end of the 1980's.
Exactly, It was a Fleet Defense aircraft.
My father was head of production support for the Tomcat.
RIP, Dad.
Fun Fact : the F 14 came to be because the Navy could not turn the F - 111 into a viable ship borne fighter, despite McNamara's desires. No big surprise there as the Air Force could not use the F - 111 as a fighter either, they made it a strike bomber. But the large engines were initially reused in the same twin layout on the F - 14 A. Still a shame that Chaney ended the use of the great Tomcat.
"Chaney ended the use of the great Tomcat" Is that Dick Cheney? I didn't know that he was the one that pulled the plug.
Leave it to an A-4 pilot to kill the Tomcat
Yes, sorry. Dick Cheney* came into the Nixon White House as a staffer and liked some of McNamara's ideas on streamlining military procurement and spending. As Sec Def under George H. W. Bush he actually cut spending ( and tried to ignore that Congress had authorised spending on the V - 22 ). As VP under George W. Bush he exercised "oversight" on Defense policy and activities in a few instances ( the response to 9 11 and "enhanced interrogation" most noted ). Cheney had no... affection for the F 14 and thought having them was... a liability that Iran could repair their planes from our stockpiles. He turned out to have a point, Iran had a long running parts smuggling operation to keep their F 14's in service ( Ward has mentioned the parts theft and smuggling in in other videos ).
The f14D had so much potential. Just imagine if it was upgraded to a fly by wire setup. Would've been a game changer.
Adding fly by wire to an existing airplane does not make it fly faster, turn tighter, or carry more payload, so it wouldn't be a real "game changer". It might make it harder for the pilot to get into trouble by mishandling the controls, depending on the airplane's flight characteristics.
the F-14 is aerodynamically stable, it doesn't need fly by wire.
@@ReTuRneD1 True. But Airbus aircraft are stable, and they get FBW anyway. It does not increase performance, but Airbus thinks it makes them safer and easier to fly by replacing pilot skills with software.
@@gort8203 FBW helps flying it easier, but other fighters straight up need it. Commercial wise it factors into fuel efficiency and autopilot. FBW on the F-14 would remove the need to apply rudder during their turns and idiot-proofs the aircraft to prevent over-g and stall if they go full aft stick at speed.
@@ReTuRneD1 So are you trying to agree or disagree with what I said?
The F-14 was NOT a strike fighter, at least not during this part of history. It was later adapted for ground attack, but that was well after the first gulf war. It was designed as a long range interceptor. LATER they adapted it to be a strike fighter to prolong it's service life so they could retire the A-6 Intruders that were still deployed to the fleet.
I came here to say this...
And it never had the designation as a strike fighter, although they did call it the Bombcat.
Well said
The Tomcat was originally designed with strike capability intending to sell them to the Marines. When the Marines didn't buy any Tomcats, the bombing capability was simply never used until the A-6s were retired. I was an AT in VF-2 during Desert Storm 91, I remember seeing schematic traces for bombing capability then.
@@chrisstancer5857 I think Grumman wanted to sell the F-14 to the Marines, but the Navy had no intention of using the strike capability, they shied away from that type of platform because they used that argument for not taking delivery of the F-111.
The F-14 is arguably the most iconic US fighter of all time for several reasons. One, Top Gun. Gotta get that out of the way. Top Gun made Tom Cruise and F-14's into Megastars. Two, it was the primary carrier bird for the second half of the Cold War. Given that the US Navy carriers were usually the ones responding to trouble, those F-14's got a lot of press. Three, Japan. In the 80's guys like me grew up on Japanese animation and toys. The most famous of transforming aircraft looked just like F-14's, the VF-1 Valkyrie from Macross. There were plenty of others, like Jetfire from Transformers too. They still sell a lot of VF-1 toys and kits to this day.
Your work on these videos is great!
F14 was originally built as an INTERCEPTOR! Strike was an add on relatively late in it's heritage. JS
Love your narrating matey. I've been watching your channels for a while now. Take care. ❤
I watched them test those at the Grumman facility in Calverton in the very early 1970, very impressive.
The F-14A+ was later redesigned the F-14 B according to Ward Carroll former F-14 RIO who flew the F-14A,B,&D!
B-D had different engines.
Ward Carroll was also A Gypsy Swordsmen of VF-32
Mooch. He has an amazing channel
@@AKlover The A+ and B are the same, they just changed it to B to be less confusing. The A had the original engines which were prone to flame outs.
Saw one of your videos and subscribed Immediately
I would love to see a show about “Mike” Boleslaw Gladych. Polish fighter pilot then French, then British.
You were born to do great stories this is one.
The F-14 is my favorite plane of all time.
Man your voiceovers could be used for pre workout motivation videos too
I like that you can be watched anytime of day not too loud just consistently delivering a story
The F14 was old technology in '91. The USA wanted and needed to test it's newer weapon systems in actual combat. The space programs really supercharged US technology so that even small gaps in time saw large increases in capability. A plane made in 1970 was not near the equal of one made in 1975.... materials, electronics, and aerodynamics had changed. Some things can be upgraded and some things can't.
Possibly still the greatest fighter ever built.
The Tomcat was killed just as it was finally perfected.
The 'TomCat' was under used and a true beauty of a bird.
Please keep the great videos coming friend from Scotland 😊
F-14, my favorite plane; they should make a movie plot around it.
The Tomcat is one bad boy fighter plane! Those 50 caliber guns in the wings do serious damage fast! Outside the Phantom and a Blackbird, this is my favorite pane.
Iranian F-14 Tomcats had been fighting Iraqi Aircraft from 1980-1988, the Iraqis were very familiar with the Tomcats. IRIAF Claims to have as many as 160 kills with F-14s against Iraqi Airforce
The F-14 was not designed as a strike fighter. Up to about midcareer it carried no air to ground weapons. It was an air dominance fighter and fleet interceptor; the strike roles were reserved for the A-6, A-7, and F/A-18 Hornet. However, it was highly adaptable, and with the addition of sensors, and lasers, crews could bomb targets with a high degree of accuracy. Also, our narrator did not mention the F-14's use in tactical reconnaisance during the Gulf War. The LANTIRN pod came in very handy for that.
@Dark Skies
As a narrator, you are perfect👍
Keep up the good work!👌😊
The f14 is still my favorite fighter! Mam I love your videos. They are the best documentaries imo. Have you ever considered doing long form documentaries?
The Hornet vs MiG-21 engagement was also a good Desert Storm fight.
Aside from the P-51 Mustang and the F-4 Phantom, these F-14 Tomcat are the fighter planes I love the most. Oops, also A-10 Warthog.
,,Beauty and performance F14 had..👍💕
Should have paid to upgrade it to the "Super Tomcat." Thanks, Don Rumsfeld.
There is a lot of F15 footage in your F14 documentary. But I love this channel.
The F-15s were the fighters clearing the skies before and during the war. If you count the Migs shot down by the Eagles the score was 34 of the 38 kills were F-15 kills. The good news for the Navy was no aircraft carriers were lost during the hostiles. Go Navy.
The F14 was a BARCAP air superiority fighter first and foremost. The ground strike capabilities first came with the F14B models nicknamed Bombcats.
I remember the first time I saw a F14 rolling down the taxiway and thinking Jesus Christ the thing is huge. My 2nd thought was “They really land that on a aircraft carrier?” 😂
One of the most beautiful aircrafts ever made
Great video, thank you.
I like the leading voice, it adds great level of mystery.
Still a very capable aircraft. Bring it back with some updates!!!!!!
-- Fighter yes. Strike fighter for sure. But I've always viewed the F-14 as more of an interceptor.
My favorite Jet Fighter ever. The the Wings transitioning has always captured my imagination. Can this plane be redesigned with all the new Tech?
Ever since I was einen Junge, Ich liebe den F-14 Kater; I always will!! The Variable Wing Geometry or Swing Wing (or Scissor-Wing, as I used to call it when I was little) is what gives it the ability to be BOTH extremely FAST and extremely AGILE at SLOW speeds for HIGH manueverability (while dog-fighting) and to make it easier for LANDING on an Aircraft Carrier!!
Thank you for sharing
😎🏆🙏🇺🇸
I remember seeing a F-14 in the spring of 1972 just after it took off going overhead.
Great video love your channel
Desert Storm was bad ass. 1990-91 we were like get the popcorn and turn on the news. 24/7 news didn't exist then either.
I wish we would have kept the D models and upgrade the older models. The Super Hornet may have a tough time with a large group and of incoming bombers.
A more handsome bird has never been built.
Best looking fighter jet ever.
I can't believe that they retired this Remarkable aircraft.
Stressed heavy fuselages, they wear out relatively quick. Cheaper to go back to the drawing board and start again.
Guessing you used some F-14 stock footage for your video. Those F-14's with the skull and cross bones are from VF-84 Jolly Rogers out of N.A.S. Oceana Verginia. I know I was in VA-35 whom now fly the F-18 Hornet, but at the time was still flying A-6 Intruders, AKA Iron Tadpoles. But the info was spot on.
Very interesting! Mike C is my neighbor and good friend, when I realized who's channel this was I had a chuckle. Small world!
F14 was a bad ass fighter, but I can see why they moved to a more cost effective multi role platform.
Still one of the best looking fighters ever!
My goodness that’s beautiful
Master of the sky F-14 Tomcat and King of the sky F-15 Eagle Powerful Combination of US Jet!
The F-14 is retired, but was a super capable fighter.
The F-15 or F-15EX can kill any jet fighter. Even if it looks like a supersonic passenger jet on radar.
AWACS planes are obvious "easy" targets that multiply other fighters' potential.
Consider this bait. They are always surrounded by at least several serious fighters with multiplied potential.
The AWG-9 was not a missile. It was the radar the F-14 used.
And very "big" radar to...
Worked on Tomcats my entire naval career. Just FYI, your thumbnail is a picture of an F-14A from the VF-143 "Pukin' Dogs", then out of NAS Miramar, until all F-14s were moved to NAS Oceana. In 1991, no Tomcat squadrons were called "strike fighters". They were at that point in time strictly stand-off air-to-air fighters, with no bombing systems yet incorporated. Your comments about them being strike fighters with air-to-ground capabilities are completely untrue. The first deployment to incorporate any air-to-ground configurations was a Western Pacific (WestPac) cruise in 1994 aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70).
AWG9 is not a missile system , that refers to the radar system that was installed on the F14
Did he mean AIM-9?
@@itsmederek1 It was the radar for the F14 and especially the Phoenix missile. I work on test benches for it on the Kennedy
God. That is more awesome than Top Gun. Semper Fi
Great videos, informative, good presentations and totally cool narration voice 👍
I had hopes to fly the Tomcat, though as I was going in I found out they were slowly being decommissioned and I was heart-broken.
Thanks for the tip, I have ordered the book.
We need the st-21 , but made with the same airframe and fuselage materials as the f22s raptor
Thanks for the video.
The F-14 should have been modernized, not retired.
Agreed
i was aboard JFK last ship of my career. F-14s were the Swordsmen 100 series aircraft numbers. old file photos of those pirate flag tails?? the jolly rogers? one drag on f-14 deployment was its huge upkeep bill. it was a hangar horror story, 4 times the maint as flying and hugely costly.
VF-32 was 200 series/VF-14 had 100 series on the Kennedy. I was assigned to VF-32 as and AZ1. VF-32 had the 100 series on the Turman.
@@rogercarpenter3491 kennedy was likely dead by then.
Is it me or is the tomcat footage at 5:54 and onward, modified to look like Roy Fokker's VF-1s from the Robotech Macross anime? I can't make out the fuselage markings but the skull and crossbones tale is a giveaway.
Skull Squadron's markings are based on the F-14 squadron, VF-84 "The Jolly Rogers" in their mid-70s livery. Robotech came after the F-14 and utilized the F-14 as the model for their Veritech Fighters.
Up until this video, I regarded this as a seriously researched youtuber. But several times there's an F-15 in the video while the F-14 is referred to. Also, the "AWG 9 missle" is mentioned, which doesn't exist. There's the AWG 9 radar and the AIM 9 (Sidewinder) missile. Easy to find (not Wikicrap).
The F'14A/B variant was not a fighter-bomber, nor did it carry air-to-ground weapons. Those models were strictly for Fleet Defense/Air Intercept. During the 1991 Gulf War, the Navy's Ground Strike component was the FA-18 and the A-6E.
F-14 tomcat my favorite jet
Looking at all these aircraft, the most enjoyment I ever had was flying gliders, and it didn't even have a single engine. Real pure natural physics in action. Water dumping fun.
My father, who retired in 1984, was a senior air force officer and was an air rescue and transport pilot in the early stages of his career. I remember speaking with a fellow colonel and friend of his one day at our home when I was in my late teens. Although he had flown such incredible aircraft as the F-15 eagle, he told me he enjoyed flying gliders the most.
My Father worked for McDonald Douglas, I have some awesome test flight pictures. He loved the F15, but told me, at that time, nothing could match the F18.
Great stuff! Thank you!
Just good memories.