Hobby Master 1/72 HA5205 Grumman F-14AM Tomcat 160347 IRIAF 2014

The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a twin-engine, variable sweep wings capable of supersonic flight. The aircraft is crewed by a Pilot and a Radar Intercept Officer who share the tasks of navigation, 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.

The first 2 of 79 Grumman F-14 Tomcats were delivered to Iran in January 1976. Along with the aircraft Iran also received 284 AIM-54A Phoenix missiles. In 1980 an eight year war broke out between Iraq and Iran where the F-18s played a major role in Iran winning the air war. Iran's top F-14 pilot scored 11 victories. Later in an effort to extend the life of the F-14 aircraft under went a modernization program (MA) and 3-6049 / 160347 (cn H-49) was the first aircraft to receive the improvements.