F14A Tomcat # 159611 Interior 3-Green-Green
For years there were rumors of a ghost F-14, one that had been written off by the U.S. government years ago. Locating this F-14 became MotoArt owner Dave Hall’s ultimate goal. Presenting the F-14A Tomcat PlaneTags.
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a carrier-based, supersonic fighter designed for fleet air defense, ground attack, and reconnaissance. They served with the U.S. Navy from 1972 to 2006 and were pivotal to the nation’s defense. Only 712 were built and 79 of them were bought by Iran before their 1979 revolution. In the years that followed, surplus F-14 parts were being sold to Iran, who had since become our adversary. The “Stop Arming Iran Act” made the chances of finding an F-14 very slim.
Earlier this year, Hall’s quest to locate the rumored F-14 was fulfilled when a colleague invited him to check out some old planes he had in storage. As he showed Hall his collection of cockpits - a few of which were used in films and television - one tucked away in the very back caught Hall’s eye. Could this be the F-14 that had eluded him for years?
After weeks of researching the plane’s history, the team confirmed that Hall had in fact located the elusive F-14. The research revealed that BuNo 159611 had been delivered to the U.S. Navy on September 7,1975, served most of its career with the Navy’s Pacific Fleet Replacement Squadron and acted as VF-24’s Commanding Officer Richard Vance’s F-14 before being struck off charge April 30,1994 at Point Mugu. Although retired from the Navy, BuNo 159611 found another calling in Hollywood. It was used in Surface to Air (1998), JAG (1995–2005), and most recently used by Paramount Pictures for the filming of Top Gun: Maverick
Caution: Not recommended for children under 8 years of age. This product contains chemical-based paint which may cause respiratory irritation if ingested or inhaled in large quantities. Keep out of mouth.
