I knew a guy who worked for a sub contractor in Indy at least as late as 1995. They made all the heat exchangers for the F-14. At that time all tooling for the F-14 was to be kept in storage for future use if not currently being used in production. This applied to all production equipment for the aircraft. If the sub wouldnt store it, Northrop would buy it.
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Goldi-Lox posted on #4
So what does the government do with a TOTAL WINNER like the Tomcat...pays several million dollars to destroy the tooling so they can never be built again! Thank Dick Chaney personally for that one
also see reply 22
What a dumb thing to do . In the 50s the experts said. Don’t put guns on . And then in the 60s Had geakboy screwing every thing up. And this “ one for all “ Thing has been tryed. No one ever learns.
Plus the F-14 has two people on board. One to bend the craft around the sky. And one to tweak the knobs. I don’t care how fancy the computer & HUD are. One guy can’t do it all ! The Pilot & Reo are two different personalities. Can a F- 15,16,18 be looked out the front & back at the same time. the F-14 can.
The F/A-18s a good aircraft but it was a replacement for the A-4 & 7 not the F-14.
Now for the weekend everyone go out and get. Flight of the Intruder, Top Gun, The Final Countdown and Bridges at Toko Re. And round the night off with Dr. Strangelove, Fail-safe. & Strategic Air Command. ( there also a good 60s F-104 move can’t remember what it is )