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I can't believe that those of us who normally keep up with these things missed this....today is the one week anniversary of the final flight of the F-14 Tomcat in U. S service. It was a trip to the aircraft graveyard (think that's the informal name for it) in Arizona.
Does NASA or anyone else still have one flying? I think the Iranian ones are still flying though.
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Aside from the Iranians, that's it for the F-14. I don't think any will be preserved in flying condition, either.
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At the risk of this turning political, we sold them F-14s back when they were the Good Guys. The order was placed in 1974, the planes began being delivered in 1976, and the Shah was overthrown in 1979. They got 79 of the 80 aircraft they purchased.
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But man, are those Iranians resourceful with those Tomcats. Though one of my favorite aircraft, it was a maintenance hog. Their ability (though somewhat limited) to keep them in the air has been impressive.
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I think they are down to a few dozen potentially flyable airframes at best, and they have never gotten any of the upgrade packages.
We embargoed their arses and they haven't had any spares except what they could scrounge on the black market, and that is some pretty slim pickens, as there isn't any market for them but us or Iran, and anything they buy must be stolen US property.
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potentially flyable airframes is right...
One estimate I read a few years ago was that less than a dozen are "combat ready", and maybe 10 more are OK for "display" flights, but are missing many non-critical parts making them not really combat ready.
And F-14 "A" models are no match for later revision F-14's, much less the F/A-18's the Navy flies now.
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Oh, and I seriously doubt that any of the retiring F-14's is going to be scrapped totally for quite a few years...
I visited Davis-Monthan once, about 10 years ago... they keep retired aircraft in "reactivatable" condition for a VERY long time after they are pulled from service.
When I was there, they had dozens of F-4 Phantoms (retired in the mid 80's), and more B-52's than I could count (the B-52 isn't retired, but they were keeping ones built in the early 50's at Davis-Monthan).
They also had F-8 Crusaders (the plane my father flew for the Navy), and they were retired in the mid 70's!
By now, the F-8's and F-4's are probably gone... But the F-14's will be "subject to recall" for a decade or so...
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I saw a program on the History Channel (maybe) recently where the remaining stock of airworthy F-4s are being refurbished and used for target practice. On the program they showed a whole row of F-4s still in "mothballed" condition.
The F-4s hold a special place in my heart because they were the fighter jets I saw go over my house at supersonic speed on a daily basis during the Vietnam war, then skim the treetops on the return trip to the airport. However, with their slab-sided fuselage and flat airflow splitters ahead of each engine air intake, their radar signatures must be both huge and unmistakable...and excellent for airborne target practice.
I suppose when they run out of F-4s in this role, they'll start using F-14s.
