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The US Navy Says Goodbye to the Tomcat

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the off-into-the-wild-blue-yonder dept.

jonerik writes "Though it's not being widely reported, this week marks the end of the line for the F-14 Tomcat in US Navy service. First flown in 1970, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat was easily one of the world's most powerful, advanced, and deadly aircraft for many years, capable of flying at Mach 2.3 and firing its half-dozen Mach 5 AIM-54 Phoenix air-to-air missiles at targets as much as 100 miles away. Having been gradually replaced during the last several years by the newer F/A-18E/F, the last of the aircraft in US service will be officially retired on Friday, September 22nd in a ceremony at Virginia's Oceana Naval Air Station. However, at least a few F-14s will continue to fly for a few more years: Iran — which took delivery of 79 aircraft before the overthrow of the Shah — still flies the plane, though only a small number (perhaps ten or twenty) are believed to still be in service due to a lack of spare parts and attrition."

6 of 576 comments (clear)

  1. Thank God by hcob$ · · Score: 5, Funny

    that we won't have to think of Tom Cruise anymore when we see one of those planes flying!!!

    Not to mention we won't have to think of "Danger Zone", "you've lost that loving feelin'" (when he sings it), and we won't have to think of Navy training jets as MIGs anymore!

    --
    Cliff Claven
    K.E.G. Party Chairman
    Founding Leader of: Koncerned for Egalitarin Governance
    1. Re:Thank God by martin-boundary · · Score: 5, Funny

      On the other hand, with all the remakes and sequels that Hollywood is making, we might just see a new movie about a cocky Iranian F14 pilot who temporarily lost faith in Allah and later recovered it through the help of his fully veiled and covered but nevertheless assumed sexy flight instructor.

  2. Anyone else think Apache? by GeorgeFitch3 · · Score: 5, Funny

    At first I thought the Navy was dumping Apache Tomcat! :) http://tomcat.apache.org/

    1. Re:Anyone else think Apache? by thechronic · · Score: 5, Funny

      ha, seriously, my first thought was the Navy dumped Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes...I watch way too much E! Channel...

  3. Re:I bet some hydraulic techs are happy about this by GrahamCox · · Score: 5, Funny

    Murphy states the bad actuator is the last one you test

    Well, yeah - because once you've found the bad one you don't test any more, right?

  4. Re:I bet some hydraulic techs are happy about this by z3d4r · · Score: 5, Funny

    so test the last one first

    --
    You shall know him by his Sig