Hobby Master 1/72 F-14A "Sukhoi Killer" 160403 VF-41 USS Nimitz August 1981

In August of 1981, President Ronald Reagan deployed a large naval force to conduct "Freedom of Navigation" operations off the coast of Libya. Libya responded by deploying fighter-bombers and interceptors, resulting in a tense standoff that peaked when two VF-41 F-14A Tomcats from the USS Nimitz - "Fast Eagle 102" and "Fast Eagle 107" - were ordered to intercept a pair of Libyan Su-22 Fitters. One of the Su-22s fired upon the F-14s and missed, and when the Su-22s tried to escape the Tomcats returned fire. Fast Eagle 102 shot down the first Su-22 and 107 shot down the second. The incident was over quickly, but history repeated itself in 1989 when two F-14s shot down a pair of MiG-23s in the same region.

US Navy Fighter Squadron 41 (VF-41) Black Aces was commissioned on June 1st, 1945 flying the F4U Corsair. The squadron transitioned through the F2H Banshee, F3H Demon and F-4 Phantom II before upgrading to the F-14 Tomcat in 1976. The Black Aces deployed several times on the USS Nimitz, often sharing the deck with F-14s from VF-84 Jolly Rogers. It was during one of these cruises, on August 19th, 1981, that Black Aces Tomcats shot-down two Libyan Su-22 Fitters over the Gulf of Sidra. This was the first ever combat incident involving US Tomcats. The squadron's final cruise with the F-14 took place in 2001 aboard the USS Enterprise. Upon return, VF-41 transitioned to the F/A-18F Super Hornet.

Designed to carry the formidable long range AIM-54 Phoenix missile, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat was first flown on December 21st, 1970. Made famous by the Hollywood film Top Gun, the F-14 replaced the F-4 Phantom II as the US Navy's primary maritime air superiority fighter. Its design includes a variable geometry wing that can sweep back for high speed supersonic intercepts and forward for improved positioning in air to air dogfights. Nicknamed "Bombcat," the F-14 spent much of its late career in an air-to-ground role, carrying the Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) system.

• Diecast metal construction with some plastic components.
• Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details.
• Pad printed markings and placards that won't fade or peel like decals.
• Opening canopies, revealing detailed cockpit interiors.
• Interchangeable extended/retracted landing gear.
• Authentic detachable ordnance loads complete with placards.
• Accurately detailed underside with concealed screwheads.