How Do You Identify The F-14 Tomcat?
The F-14 Tomcat is the U.S. Navy’s air-superiority weapon. Grumman Aerospace Corporation delivered the first of the series to the Navy in 1973. Updated engines and electronics mean the F-14 remains one of the world’s best interceptors. Look for a large, twin-engine jet fighter. The Tomcat is more than 60 feet long. Check the wings, the Tomcat’s unique feature. They are movable and can be extended to over 60 feet for low-speed maneuvers and swept back to a wingspan of only 38 feet for high-speed flight. Look at the side view. The F-14’s fuselage gives the appearance of being bowed in a slightly upward arc in the area of the cockpit. Note the cockpit. It’s tandem style, with the pilot seated ahead of the radar intercept officer. Remember, the Tomcat’s nose wheel sits well back, dropping down from an area directly under the pilot’s seat. Check the tail area. Note the F-14 has twin vertical stabilizers with swept back leading edges and nearly perpendicular trailing edges. Notice the horizo
