Hobby Master 1/72 Grumman F14A Tomcat 160395 VF33 Starfighters USS America 1992

The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a twin-engine, variable sweep wings capable of supersonic flight. target acquisition, ECM and weapons usage. The Tomcat was operated by the United States Navy and the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force only. The name “Tomcat” is said to come from the call-sign used by Vice Admiral Thomas Connolly which conformed to the USN tradition of giving Grumman aircraft feline names.

Grumman F-14A 160395 was delivered to the USN on May 17, 1977 and later that month assigned to VF-32 “Swordsmen” as AC-203. The aircraft later went to VF-41 “Black Aces” as AJ-114 and then transferred to VF-84 “Jolly Rogers”. VF-33 “Starfighters” took possession of 160395 AB-204 in 1990 and saw action in ODS. In October 1993 VF-33 was disestablished and the next squadrons to possess 160395 were 102, 142 before being sent to the National Naval Aviation Museum in Florida who later loaned the aircraft to Air Zoo Aerospace and Science Experience, Michigan as VF-84 AJ-200.