You don’t have time to think up there. If you think, you’re dead. ” – Lieutenant Pete “Maverick Mitchell, Top Gun. The F-14 Tomcat program was initiated when it became obvious that the weight and maneuverability issues plaguing the U. Navy variant of the Tactical Fighter Experimental (TFX) (F-111B) would not be resolved to the Navy’s satisfaction. The Navy requirement was for a fleet air defense fighter (FADF) with the primary role of intercepting Soviet bombers before they could launch missiles against the carrier group. The Navy also wanted the aircraft to possess inherent air superiority characteristics. The Navy strenuously opposed the TFX, which incorporated the Air Force’s requirements for a low-level attack aircraft, fearing the compromises would cripple the aircraft, but were forced to participate in the program at direction of then Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara who wanted “joint” solutions to the service aircraft needs to reduce developmental costs. The prior example of the F-4 Phantom which was a Navy program later adopted by the USAF (under similar direction) was the order of the day. Vice Admiral Thomas Connolly, DCNO for Air Warfare took the developmental F-111A for a flight and discovered it was unable to go supersonic and had poor landing characteristics. He later testified to Congress about his concerns against the official Department of the Navy position and in May 1968, Congress killed funding for the F-111B allowing the Navy to pursue an answer tailored to their requirements. NAVAIR shortly issued an RFP for the Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX), a tandem two-seat fighter with maximum speed of Mach 2.2 and a secondary close air support role. Grumman had been a partner on the F-111B, and had started work on an alternative when they saw the project heading south, and so had an edge on its competitors. Their early design mock-ups and cost projections were floated among Navy brass as an alternative to the F-111B. The winning Grumman design reused the TF30 engines from the F-111B, though the Navy planned on replacing them with the F401-PW-400 engines then under development by Pratt and Whitney for the Navy (in parallel with the related F100 for the USAF). Though lighter than the F-111B, it was still the largest and heaviest U. Fighter to ever fly from an aircraft carrier, its size a consequence of the requirement to carry the large AWG-9 radar and AIM-54 Phoenix missiles, also from the F-111B and an internal fuel load of 16,000 lbs (7300 kg). The F-14 would also share a similar inlet duct, wing, and landing gear geometry with Grumman’s A-6 Intruder. The F-14 first flew on December 21st, 1970, just 22 months after Grumman was awarded the contract, and reached Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in 1973. Pictured here is a stunning 1:72 scale diecast replica of a US Navy Grumman F-14A Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter that was attached to VF-1 “Wolfpack”, and flown by Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell and LTJG Nick “Goose” Bradshaw, commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the feature film, “Top Gun”. Dimensions: Wingspan: 7-inches Length: 10-1/2-inches. Features: – Diecast construction – Opening cockpit – Movable variable geometry wings – Accurate markings and insignia – Full complement of weapons – Interchangeable landing gear – Comes with display stand. Historical Account: “Top Gun” – Top Gun is a 1986 American military action drama film directed by Tony Scott, and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, in association with Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps, Jr. And was inspired by an article titled “Top Guns” published in California magazine three years earlier. The film stars Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, and Tom Skerritt. Cruise plays Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a young Naval aviator aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. He and his Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (Edwards) are given the chance to train at the Navy’s Fighter Weapons School at Miramar in San Diego. In 2015, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. The free listing tool. The item “TSM 172 USN Grumman F-14A Tomcat Maverick and Goose, Top Gun, #TSMWTP001″ is in sale since Friday, April 19, 2019. This item is in the category “Toys & Hobbies\Diecast & Toy Vehicles\Aircraft & Spacecraft\Contemporary Manufacture”. The seller is “themotorpoolnet” and is located in Oakland Gardens, New York. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Vehicle Make: Grumman
- Material: Diecast
- Theme: Top Gun
- Scale: 1:72
- Year of Manufacture: 2016
- Features: Unopened Box
- Color: Camouflage
- MPN: Does not apply
- Vehicle Type: Military Airplane
- Vehicle Year: 2016
- Brand: True Scale Model Wings