Hobby Master 1/72 HA5236 Grumman F-14A Tomcat 3-6020, 82nd TFS, IRIAF, Khatami AB, Iran, 1987

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.

On May 15, 1981 F-14 3-6020 was the first F-14 to fire at a MiG-25. The Iranian F-14 fired an AIM-54 at a MiG-25RB making the pilot turn around and accelerate to 1,750 mph to evade the missile. This F-14 was one of the most successful during the war with Iraq by scoring approximately a dozen victories. In 1986 this F-14 was used in Iranian Bombcat trials with Mk-83 bombs in place of the AIM-54. After this war 3-6020 was the first F-14A to receive the new IRIAF camouflage colors and a major overhaul.