Continue reading]]>

A VF-103 F-14B Tomcat firing an AIM-54 Phoenix missile. (Photo Robert Sullivan (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0))

According to an article published by Stefano D’Urso on The Aviationist website, an F-14D Tomcat could return to the skies in the United States under the “Maverick Act.” The proposal aims to allow the restoration to flying condition of one example of the legendary U.S. Navy carrier-based fighter, retired from active service since 2006.

The proposal has already been approved by the Senate and must now be approved by the House of Representatives. If passed, it would authorize the transfer of three F-14 Tomcats to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission, with one of the aircraft potentially being restored to flying condition.

The Tomcat in question would be a former museum aircraft, whose restoration would involve extensive technical and administrative work. The return to flight of a Tomcat would represent a major event in the warbird world, as no example is currently airworthy outside Iran, the last operational user of the type.

Designed by Grumman in the 1970s, the F-14 Tomcat became famous for its variable-geometry wings, powerful AWG-9 radar, and AIM-54 Phoenix missile capable of engaging targets at very long range. The aircraft also remains closely associated with popular culture thanks to the movie Top Gun and its iconic role in American naval aviation during the Cold War.

Source: U.S. Space and Rocket Center Commission | The Aviationist (in English)