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VF-14 Tophatters F-14A (1988) Model, 1/42 (18″) Scale, Mahogany, Navy, Fighter

$319.00

1 in stock (can be backordered)

Description

VF-14 Tophatters F-14A (1988) Model

A beautifully carved solid 18 inch wood model of the VF-14 Tophatters F-14A!  Each model is carefully carved and painted to provide the utmost craftsmanship to display proudly. The wings on the F-14 are movable too! Collect all your squadrons with truly artistic craftsmanship that represent the Navy’s aircraft.

Model has wings that move. It is made of solid wood.

Length – 18 inches

Wingspan – 18.5 inches

1990s

F-14 Tomcats from VF-14 overfly Foch (R 99) during 1990 dual carrier operations near Puerto Rico.On 10 August 1990, eight days after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the John F. Kennedy was ordered to emergency deploy to the Red Sea aboard the Kennedy to take part in Operation Desert Shield. During the months leading up to the war, the Tophatters played an integral role in enforcing the Iraqi embargo flying Combat Air Patrol and standing alert duty continuously. On the morning of 17 January 1991, the Tophatters once again flew into combat when they joined United Nations forces in the air assault on Iraq. VF-14 and VF-32 flew Combat Air Patrol and Fighter Escort missions for CVW-3 strike and support aircraft throughout Desert Storm operating in Western and Central Iraq initially and then conducting long range barrier CAP missions in eastern Iraq near the Iranian border.with other Tomcat squadrons from the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf that lasted an unprecedented 7–8 hours. After combat operations ended, the Kennedy remained briefly in the Red Sea stopping off the coast of Egypt for a portcall before returning to NAS Oceana after eight months at sea.In December 1991, VF-14 became one of the first squadrons to begin training for the Tomcat’s new air-to-ground mission. After low altitude flight training and several strike-related schools, the Tophatters put their new skills to the test during Air Wing work-ups in Fallon, Nevada.In October 1992, the Tophatters again headed east for a Mediterranean deployment. Once past the Rock of Gibraltar, VF-14 began flying air superiority and reconnaissance missions in the Adriatic Sea in support of UN policies in the former Yugoslavia. During this deployment, the Tophatters also participated in several highly successful exercises with Egypt, Morocco and Turkey, while continuing to support operations off the coast of the former Yugoslavia and Operation Provide Comfort in Iraq.In 1995, the Tophatters were the test bed for the Tomcat air-to-ground rockets program. The Tophatters, which like to call themselves the “Oldest and the Boldest,” were awarded the Fighter Fling Banner Blaster award for their superior performance in the air-to-air gunnery arena.In late 1995, the squadron was detached from CVW-3 when the Navy began reducing the number of Tomcat squadrons to carrier air wings from two to one and retaining the TARPS capable squadrons. As a non-TARPS squadron, VF-14 was originally slated for disestablishment and temporarily assigned to Fighter Wing One at NAS Oceana. The following year saw much uncertainty for many Tomcat squadrons, but a grassroots campaign to continue the lineage of the Navy’s oldest squadron was successful in saving the Tophatters from extinction and the squadron was assigned to Carrier Air Wing 8, which was losing VF-84, with sister squadron VF-41.In January 1996, the Tophatters once again rejoined the John F. Kennedy. In March, the squadron deployed on the John C. Stennis. June took the Tophatters on a 40-day cruise aboard the Kennedy to Ireland and England. Next, VF-14 visited the Mediterranean and other areas.During March 1998, VF-14 changed its home to the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier the Theodore Roosevelt. In 1999, the Tophatters were involved in NATO’s Operation Allied Force and in Operation Southern Watch.

Additional information

Weight 4 lbs
Dimensions 18 in

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