From TFX to Design 303 - from kitten to 'Cat

So how did the Tomcat come to be?

I suppose it's fair to say that it grew out of conflicting demands by competing services, namely the US Air Force and US Navy.

In the late 1950's, the Air Force wanted a fast, low-level, two-man strike bomber, while the Navy wanted a fleet defense fighter, able to engage Soviet Bombers at long-range with a powerful radar and missile combination.

A two man, twin-engine and swing-wing concept seemed to be the way forward. The Air Force got what would come to be known as the F-111A while the Navy got the -B model (pictured here).

But the Navy wasn't happy with the B version, and that the design (better for low level strike) wasn't up to the task as an interceptor.

 

Grumman took up the challenge for the Navy and with a heritage in powerful, naval fleet defense fighters seemed like the right choice. The two-man, twin-engine, swing wing combination stayed, as did the long-range radar and missiles (which would become the Phoenix) and engines.

 

But the design was markedly different from the F-111B and Design 303 would become Grumman's blueprint for what would eventually be the F-14 Tomcat.

You can read much more about the history and development behind the F-14 by visiting this page on Wikipedia and the excellent M.A.T.S website hosted by all-round F-14 expert Torsten Anft.

Modelling-wise, there is an ancient Revell Monogram kit of the TFX F-111B and while it needs a fair bit of work, it can make a fairly decent kit of the unsuccessful test version.

As for the F-14 prototype, again this needs a bit of converting of an early F-14 kit to account for earlier differences but is probably resonably doable.

Would make for an interesting side by side build of these two prototype fighters. But maybe for another time and build!

 

Thanks for looking and enjoy your modelling!

 

Dermot