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More from *RoadTripDog

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August 11, 2010
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Aug 5, 2010, 1:08:59 PM
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:iconroadtripdog:
A little teaser for some aircraft photos I have taken recently, this from a small air museum nearby. This cool nose art is on a Grumman F-14A Tomcat on display. Looks like the AIM-54 Phoenix radar air-to-air missile has a lock and is ready to set its teeth into a bad guy. B'bye!

Here's what a six-pack of Phoenix missiles looks like mounted on a Navy F-14 Tomcat: [link] (first photo is one missile, scroll down to see the six-pack).
That's six big hot steaming cans of whoopass.

The AIM-54 is 13 feet long and weighs 1,000 lbs, and the F-14 was the only fighter capable of carrying that heavy a missile. Each Phoenix costs $477,131 so the total of a six pack on that Tomcat cost the taxpayers $2,862,786 plus freight and installation. The mission profile for the Phoenix was fleet protection against enemy cruise missiles and bombers, smaller missiles were used for close in dogfights. Usually the Tomcat would carry a mixed load of missiles rather than the Phoenix six pack (scroll down the linked page further to see a mixed load on a Tomcat - also notice how large the F-14 is compared to the pilot sitting on the wing). Phoenix has been retired but interestingly the replacement missiles do not have as long a range.
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:iconpete8680:
~pete8680 Oct 26, 2012
ANY TIME BABY! Nice pic!
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:iconskoshi8:
*Skoshi8 Mar 27, 2012  Hobbyist Photographer
An odd thing about the F-14 and the Phoenix is that although the plane could take off from a carrier with six missiles, it could only LAND with four. That means that if it was sent out on a mission which turned out to be a wild goose chase, the pilot would have to jettison two of those half-million dollar AIM-54s, so in practice, four were carried at the most.
By the way, Iran still flies the F-14 with the Phoenix.
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:iconroadtripdog:
*RoadTripDog Mar 27, 2012
If you took off with six AIM-54s, you theoretically could spend $3 million taxpayer $$$ in just a few seconds. I have always wanted to hit the button to fire a broadside from the battleship Missouri. I wonder what that would cost today, although it will probably never happen again. As for Iran with F-14/AIM-54, are they properly maintained these days? Even on the black market parts must be getting scarce, although I would not want to test that theory in person.
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:iconskoshi8:
*Skoshi8 Mar 28, 2012  Hobbyist Photographer
Since Iran builds its own jet fighters and satellite launchers, I'm sure that they can repair or build the parts that they need to keep things reasonably up-to-date. It's 1960s-70s tech after all.
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:iconshockwavex2:
~ShockWaveX2 Mar 26, 2012
Sweet looking Tomcat noseart, it really gives the F-14 a badass aggressive attitude. :D :toocool:
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:iconzaku1986:
~zaku1986 Mar 6, 2012  Hobbyist Traditional Artist
I must say that this looks very... charming.
Good photo, anyway.
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:iconsoter-1:
~Soter-1 Jun 21, 2011
This is why the Tomcat rules! No other fighter could have nose art that awesome!
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:iconroadtripdog:
*RoadTripDog Jun 21, 2011
That nose art is perfect for the Tomcat but would look silly on other fighters. Although I could see a variation of it using a Warthog on an A-10's nose, with it's GAU-8/A Gatling 30mm cannon busting an enemy tank. A-10 Warthog was not handsome like the Tomcat, but it did its job of busting tanks really well.
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:iconcadillacstyle:
~cadillacstyle Feb 22, 2011
Best nose art ever, loved seeing this thanks.
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:iconroadtripdog:
*RoadTripDog Feb 22, 2011
Thank you! - I think this is the best nose art I've seen personally.
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