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Post #1 Fri, Mar 10, 8:07 PM |
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Buhandi
Supercar Messiah - 6777
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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - There will be no more dogfights for the Tomcat. The last two squadrons of the sleek, Cold War fighter jet returned home from their final deployment Friday, two decades after the warplanes were glamorized in the 1986 Tom Cruise movie "Top Gun."
All 22 Tomcats of fighter squadrons VF-213 and VF-31 arrived in style, flying together in a wedge formation over Oceana Naval Air Station as hundreds of sailors and their family and friends cheered. Some wore T-shirts reading "Tomcats Forever" and a banner proclaimed, "Last Fly-In, Baby!"
"We're putting the premier fighter to sleep," said pilot Lt. Jon Jeck, 32, as he held his 3-year-old son Collin. "It's a staple of Americana."
The Navy plans to replace the F-14, a two-seat fighter with moveable swept-back wings, with the F/A-18 Super Hornets.
The F-14 entered service in the early 1970s to defend aircraft carriers from Soviet bombers carrying long-range cruise missiles.
"If you want to think about airplanes that have defined the air age, this would have to be on the short list," military analyst John Pike said.
After the Cold War, the Navy became less concerned about defending carrier groups and transformed the F-14 into a bomb-dropping fighter jet, said Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, an Alexandria research center on security issues.
"But it was not designed as a bomb hauler," Pike said. "They would rather have a new plane ... than try to teach an old cat new tricks."
The F-14 squadrons that returned Friday were from the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, which has been on a six-month deployment for the Iraq war. The Roosevelt was to return Saturday to nearby Norfolk Naval Station.
ZIONIST!
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Post #2 Fri, Mar 10, 8:45 PM |
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Sled Driver
Supercar Messi - 25422
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*Member of The Most Noble and Ancient Order of Motorcyclists of SC.net*
Mia: That's when you know you've found somebody special. When you can just shut the #$%# up for a minute and comfortably enjoy the silence. -- Mia Wallace
"Res ipsa loquitur, sed quid in infernos dicet?"
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Post #3 Fri, Mar 10, 9:02 PM |
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Ryan_Cunningham
Supercar Messiah - 7197
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Truely a sad day in naval aviation.
#7 Florida State Football
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Post #4 Fri, Mar 10, 9:30 PM |
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RLQ
LoL HAHA - 61780
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I'll miss this jet like the F-4.
I don't give a crap about whales so go and hug a tree.
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Post #5 Sat, Mar 11, 6:11 AM |
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stiffstuffW
Supercar Messi - 4748
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Dead sexy plane - will very much be missed
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Post #6 Sat, Mar 11, 7:23 AM |
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AMGrulz
Supercar Messiah - 48046
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Aww, i loved that plane...
People dont die by the millions. You never see coffins by the millions why do we see that now?
-Tim
its a coffin factory, tim
-CrystalBaller
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Post #7 Sat, Mar 11, 12:40 PM |
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ChevyRocks
Still here... - 26311
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Pretty much the most awesome navy plane ever built...too bad it's going away.
"I had to get up in the morning at 10 o'clock at night, half an hour before I went to bed...eat a lump of cold poison, work 29 hours a day down at the mill and pay mill owner for permission to come to work, and when we got home, our dad would kill us and dance about on our graves singing halleluiah."
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Post #8 Sat, Mar 11, 2:46 PM |
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Orange F1LM
Supercar Messiah - 17231
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lets pay tribute and post some pics
3rd pic is called, glory days are numbered, its such a nice pic...
aviation is a beautiful thing, so are machines like this
JOSN David Beyea
USS Kitty Hawk Public Affairs
Tomcats may remain in fleet or be preserved in a desert environment
As supersonic engines roar to life and iron wings spread to their full extension, a great predator of the sky nears extinction.
As it soars 50,000 feet above, nearing a speed of Mach 2, the F-14 Tomcat approaches its retirement from active duty with style, grace and ferocity.
Originally designed in the early '70s to attack and destroy enemy aircraft, the Tomcat has reached the end of its service life, explained Cmdr. Doug Waters, executive officer of Carrier Air Wing (CVW 5)'s Fighter Squadron (VF 154), embarked on USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), one of 10 F-14 squadrons in the Navy.
"The F-14's been around for a long time. It's been a great fighter and a strike fighter. It's just getting old," said Waters.
Although the Tomcat has been upgraded and modified since its debut to the world, the 30-year-old design requires too much maintenance, explained Waters. Because of older hydraulic and electrical systems, the F-14 is more difficult to maintain than newer aircraft.
"Our squadron flies F-14As, which is the original model Tomcat," said Waters. "It's a testimony to how good our maintainers are, that they're able to keep those jets full-mission capable and lethal as they are."
According to Waters, in the '90s, naval leadership made the decision to phase out the Tomcat and replace it with the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet. The F/A-18 E model of the Super Hornet is a single-seat aircraft, while the F/A-18 F's two-person crew resembles the F-14's crew more closely, with a pilot and a radar intercept officer.
"What you get with the Super Hornet is a brand new airplane, with upgraded avionics, with modern ergonomics, plus the fuel capacity and range and endurance you have in a Tomcat. All that, with a digital architecture," said Waters
The schedule for replacing the Tomcat with the Super Hornet is created by the Transition Squadron Process Action Team (TSPAT). TSPAT looks at the schedules of carriers, squadrons, schools, and any other organization that will be affected by the transition, in order to come up with the best schedule to phase out the Tomcat, Waters said.
"Generally, an air wing will come off of a deployment, and the squadrons will have to transition then," explained Waters. "The Tomcat will eventually be retired completely by 2007. Our transition will probably occur this fall."
During their scheduled transition time CVW-5's Tomcat pilots will join Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) VFA-122. FRS are post-training commands, where pilots learn to fly specific aircraft. Pilots already trained to fly the Super Hornet will also be brought into the existing squadrons, to provide their valuable experience, explained Waters. Tomcat maintenance crews will spend their transition time in maintenance training school, learning about the Super Hornet.
The 10 squadrons that fly Tomcats will remain squadrons, however, they will be adding an "A" to their squadron identification. The Black Knights of VF-154 will become VFA-154, explained Waters. "The Tomcat squadrons that transition will maintain their lineage, their heritage and their name," he said.
As for the fate of the Tomcats, that decision will be made by Commander Fighter Wing Atlantic. After a squadron's transition period, the Tomcats will be evaluated. Based on that evaluation, they will either be sent back to the fleet until the full phasing out period is completed, or the Tomcats will be preserved in a desert environment. By preserving the Tomcats, the Navy will be able to pull them out of retirement should the need ever be required, explained Waters.
"I have mixed emotions. I've flown the Tomcat my entire career. I have over 2,500 hours in it," said Waters. "It's a great airplane. I love flying it. You get an emotional attachment to aircraft that you fly, especially that much. But I realize the future of naval aviation lies in the Super Hornet. It's time for the Tomcat to move on."
America's oldest active warship, Kitty Hawk with embarked CVW-5 currently operates with coalition forces in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the multinational coalition effort to liberate the Iraqi people, eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and end the regime of Saddam Hussein.
No other man-made device since the shields and lances of the ancient knights fulfills a man's ego like an automobile.
Sir William
Edited by Orange F1LM - Sat, Mar 11, 2:50 PM
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Post #9 Sat, Mar 11, 6:03 PM |
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Sled Driver
Supercar Messi - 25422
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Quote from burner
What do they fly in topgun now?
*Member of The Most Noble and Ancient Order of Motorcyclists of SC.net*
Mia: That's when you know you've found somebody special. When you can just shut the #$%# up for a minute and comfortably enjoy the silence. -- Mia Wallace
"Res ipsa loquitur, sed quid in infernos dicet?"
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Post #10 Sat, Mar 11, 7:00 PM |
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Buhandi
Supercar Messiah - 6777
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Quote from burner
gay. F-18s suck dogs balls compared to F14s. I would be ashamed to buzz teh tower in an F18. I would prefer to fly rubber dogshit out of hong kong.
ZIONIST!
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Post #11 Sat, Mar 11, 7:13 PM |
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subaruguy
Supercar Messiah - 4821
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This is possibly the greatest modern era dogfighter but it was never really useful as close quarters dogfighting was a thing of the past when this plane came into service. Still it is the most beautiful modern era fighter plane and I will be one who is sad to see it go. The new super hornet is more useful and is a good replacement but it will never be the Tomcat.
supercars.net member since
16/Apr/2002
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Post #12 Sun, Mar 12, 7:21 PM |
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RLQ
LoL HAHA - 61780
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Quote from burner
gay. F-18s suck dogs balls compared to F14s. I would be ashamed to buzz teh tower in an F18. I would prefer to fly rubber dogshit out of hong kong.
I don't give a crap about whales so go and hug a tree.
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Post #13 Sun, Mar 12, 8:09 PM |
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MuscleCarHeart
Supercar Messiah - 24328
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Quote from Ryan_Cunningham
Truely a sad day in naval aviation.
Quote from Sled Driver-Not if I turn the island of Greenland into my personal fortress, guarded by hordes of breakdancing bionic baboons. -Awesome.
"well she earned every penny!"-my buddy J after leaving a $.50 cent tip to a lousy blond bartender chick
Stop with the racial comments, they offend people-Rockaforte
"Where the speechless unite in a Honda Accord.."
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Post #14 Sun, Mar 12, 9:29 PM |
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Jap Performance Eat Dust
Supercar Messiah - 4514
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A genuine performance landmark - Autocar's road test conclusion to Ferrari 430 Scuderia
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Post #15 Sun, Mar 12, 11:58 PM |
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Supercar Ace
Supercar Guru - 563
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I'm saddened by the news. The F-14 is my all-time favorite plane, and it has been a cultural icon for the past 30 years. It's sad to see this legend go but unfornately it's like the saying goes: "All things must pass, for not even the Earth itself shall last forever."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9EWJJ9mLXs
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Post #16 Mon, Mar 13, 4:33 PM |
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daisho13
Supercar Messiah - 3142
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The Hornet is a better aircraft, just not nearly as pretty. The only concern I would have is the lack of a Phoenix replacement for stand-off engagements. The Tomcat is certainly one of my favourites though and it will be sad to see it go.
http://russellsteapot.com/comics/
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Post #17 Mon, Mar 13, 5:04 PM |
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FerrariAKL
King of the South - 17256
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It had one heck of a career. One of the airplanes that got me into airplanes.
Capability-wise, though, the F/A-18 Super Hornet is a superior plane.
I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned" - Jesus Christ, according to John
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Post #18 Mon, Mar 13, 5:10 PM |
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Mad Caddie
Supercar Messiah - 8123
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You wanted to know who is the best? That's him. Iceman.
it's just like, dude you just get the best barrels ever dude. it's just like, you pull in, and you just get spit right out of them, and you just drop in, you just smack the lip.. WHUBAA... drop down... saPHBAAAGHW, and then after that you just drop in, just ride the barrel and get pitted, so pitted like that.
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Post #19 Tue, Mar 14, 1:42 AM |
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Sled Driver
Supercar Messi - 25422
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Quote from burner
that is a stupid saying
*Member of The Most Noble and Ancient Order of Motorcyclists of SC.net*
Mia: That's when you know you've found somebody special. When you can just shut the #$%# up for a minute and comfortably enjoy the silence. -- Mia Wallace
"Res ipsa loquitur, sed quid in infernos dicet?"
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Post #20 Wed, Mar 15, 10:57 AM |
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Sled Driver
Supercar Messi - 25422
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Quote from burner
yeah, but so blindingly obvious only an idiot would say/publish/appreciate it.
*Member of The Most Noble and Ancient Order of Motorcyclists of SC.net*
Mia: That's when you know you've found somebody special. When you can just shut the #$%# up for a minute and comfortably enjoy the silence. -- Mia Wallace
"Res ipsa loquitur, sed quid in infernos dicet?"
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Post #21 Wed, Mar 15, 11:11 AM |
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saleenfan
Supercar Messiah - 3208
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there is no doubt the F14 was a great plane the pilots loved the plane and its sad to see it go however the F18 has better range (not speed) better weapons load out capabilities (only 700 lbs but still) and its more modern. the major deciding factor was the maintinence on the f14 each flight hour took aproximately 36 maintinence hours and the f18 is only around 14 and it also has half the crew so it was a logical choice but a sad one at that.
ps: the image is the last formation of the f14
Having NOS is like knowing a hot girl with an STD...You KNOW you wanna hit it, you're just afraid of the outcome.
Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car and oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car.
Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall, torque is how far you take the wall with you.
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Post #22 Fri, Mar 17, 7:13 AM |
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426 Hemistage 8
Insanely Cruel - 23969
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The tomcat had the hugues awg 9 radar which gave him to track 24 targets and engage 6 at the same time, it was later replaced by the apg71 monopulse multimode radar on the f14d. It was also able to shoot the aim 54d phoenix, the best air to air missile ever produced. The aa 39 amos the russian equivalent (mounted on the su27-su37) of the aim 54 was made after the Iranians delivered a tomcat and an early variant of the phoenix missile (the aim 54a)to Russians.The f14d was the best of all possible tomcats and one of the best planes the navy ever had with the f4j and f4ej phantom II.
The proud Member of SC Net American Muscle.Among the vast underground of street racers that total millions across the land, the man in the 1968 Dodge Hemi Charger RT or 1969 Dodge Hemi Charger Daytona is king-especially the man with number "426hemi head 425hp" displayed on his machine's air cleaner and "426 hemi" badges displayed on the front door panels. Member of the screaming Chicken Faction. Cars will come and go but the Phoenix lives forever. Long life to the 1973-1974 pontiac 455 sd and 1971 pontiac 455 ho formulas and transams. Mopar a rich tradition in motoring. Oldsmobile 1897-2004 you can't cover up 107 years of successful US automotive history and brilliant ingeniosity.RIP 1967-2002 camaro and firebird may the legend live forever.I support the NRA. 100% Republican
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Post #23 Fri, Mar 17, 9:21 AM |
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Buhandi
Supercar Messiah - 6777
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Quote from 426 Hemistage 8
The tomcat had the hugues awg 9 radar which gave him to track 24 targets and engage 6 at the same time, it was later replaced by the apg71 monopulse multimode radar on the f14d. It was also able to shoot the aim 54d phoenix, the best air to air missile ever produced. The aa 39 amos the russian equivalent (mounted on the su27-su37) of the aim 54 was made after the Iranians delivered a tomcat and an early variant of the phoenix missile (the aim 54a)to Russians.The f14d was the best of all possible tomcats and one of the best planes the navy ever had with the f4j and f4ej phantom II.
ZIONIST!
Edited by Buhandi - Fri, Mar 17, 11:03 AM
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Post #24 Fri, Mar 17, 10:52 AM |
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Sled Driver
Supercar Messi - 25422
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Quote from Buhandi
the aim-54 phoenix couldn't hit the broad side of a barn
*Member of The Most Noble and Ancient Order of Motorcyclists of SC.net*
Mia: That's when you know you've found somebody special. When you can just shut the #$%# up for a minute and comfortably enjoy the silence. -- Mia Wallace
"Res ipsa loquitur, sed quid in infernos dicet?"
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Post #25 Fri, Mar 17, 9:19 PM |
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Walperstyle
Supercar Messiah - 22281
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1970's technology
www.ka-t.org
www.rightwheeldrive.com
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Posted: Today |
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Superbot
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Posted: Today |
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Superbot
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