December 21st 47 years ago marks the birth of our beloved F-14 ” Tomcat”. F-14 would be “Grumman Ironwork’s” last Navy Fighters of our time. An Iconic symbol of Naval Aviation at its prime when “Maverick ” and “Goose” made their debut in the 1980s movie “Top Gun” and the mostly forgotten ” The Final Countdown” where brand new F-14A from VF-84 ” Jolly Rogers” was splashing A6M2 Zeros in this movie starring Kurt Douglas and Martin Sheen on board CVN-68 USS Nimitz.
Tomcat is also iconized by the Fat Cat Mascot with the 2 tails. The Cat was drawn up after a tabby cat that was used for photographs, and named “Tom”. The logo has gone through many variations and in many cases some squadron have their variations of the Tomcat logo as shown below>
- VF84 tomcat Logo
- Sundowners Logo
- TOmcat and HOrnet Logo
- Black Ace Logo
- Iran Ali cat Logo
- Swordsman Logo
- TOmcatters Logo
- Freelancer Logo
- Tophatters Logo
- VF-1111 Logo
- Texas TOmcat Logo
- Tarsiers Logo
- Jolly Rogers Logo
- VF2 Bounty Hunter Logo
For this 47th Birthday Dedication on for the Tomcat, I would like to post some of the Tomcat moments in Photography of vivid pictures showing the hay day of this magnificent machine. Tomcat may have been retired back in 2006, but her legend will continue. Tomcat Forever!!
VF-101 Grim Reapers ( US Navy F-14 Fleet Replacements Squadron )
- VF-101 in Hanger NAS Oceana
- F-14 on the Tarmac NAS OCeana
- VF-101 Colorbird in NAS Oceana
- VF101 in Barkesdale AFB
- VF101 in Barkesdale AFB
- VF101 in Barkesdale AFB
- VF101 in Barkesdale AFB
- VF101 retro scheme in Barkesdale AFB
- VF101 retro scheme in Barkesdale AFB
- VF101 retro scheme in Barkesdale AFB
- VF101 in NAS Oceana
- VF101 Tomcat demo
- VF101 return from F14 demo display
- VF101 on the tarmac NAS OCeana
- VF101 hanger
VF-213 Black Lions
- F14D VF213 in NAS Fr worth
- F14D VF213 in NAS Fr worth
- F14D VF213 in NAS Fr worth
- VF213 Fleet demo NAS OCeana
- VF213 Fleet demo NAS OCeana
- VF213 Fleet demo NAS OCeana
- VF213 Fleet demo NAS OCeana
- VF213 Fleet demo NAS OCeana
- VF-11 Red Rippers in NAS OCeana
- VF101 in NAS OCeana
- VF-32 swordsman
- VF154 Black Knights
- F-14D hanger VF-101
- VF31 F-14D in Uver Hazy
- VF31 F-14D in Uver Hazy
- VF31 F-14D in Uver Hazy
- F14 in Pensacola
- Naval Aviation Museum
- F14 in Pensacola
- Tomcats in Aerospace America 1994
- VF-2 Bounty Hunter USS Ranger
- USS ranger
- F14 in KAFW
- VF-1 USS Ranger
Tomcat Farewell 2006
- VF31 line jet in NAs Oceana
- VF31 Fleet demo NAS OCeana
- VF31 Fleet demo NAS OCeana
- VF31 Fleet demo NAS OCeana
- VF31 Fleet demo NAS OCeana
- VF31 take off
- VF31 Fleet demo NAS OCeana
- VF31 Fleet demo NAS OCeana
- VF31 Fleet demo NAS OCeana
- VF31 Fleet demo NAS OCeana
- VF31 Fleet demo NAS OCeana
F-14 Walkaround view of the Mighty F-14 Tomcat
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Article by Dave Chng
Photograph by Dave Chng