About the plane:
For about two decades the F-14A Tomcat was the U.S. Navy's primary carrier-based 
fighter aircraft. It was one of the most advanced fighters of its era, featuring 
a variable geometry wing for high speed/ long endurance, a sophisticated long-
range radar and long range missiles to match. The F-14A Tomcat entered 
operational service with the U.S. Navy in 1975. The last F-14A was retired from 
U.S. Navy service in 2004, though small numbers delivered in the 'seventies 
still fly with the Iranian Air Force.
This particular aircraft is an early model F-14A, delivered to the Navy in 1977. 
 It is pictured here in the decidedly colourful 
markings of VF-84 "Jolly Rogers" during this squadron's first operational 
deployment with Tomcats in 1978 aboard USS Nimitz.

About the weapons:
The aircraft carries a pretty much standard air-to-air weapons load for 1978, 
consisting of two AIM-54 Phoenix long range radar-guided missiles under the 
fuselage and two AIM-7 Sparrow medium range missiles and two AIM-9 Sidewinder 
IR-guided short range missiles on its wing pylons. 

About the build:
Obviously the aircraft is very similar to my F-14D, which in reality is an 
upgraded version of the F-14A. Apart from the colour-scheme and weapons 
differences are limited to the visible differences between the actual aircraft. 
The most noticible differences are that the F-14D has different engines, which 
can be seen from the slightly different shape of the after burner nozzles and 
the F-14D also carries a rather large sensor pod under its nose, absent on early 
F-14As. In addition the F-14A has moving wing glove vanes which were deleted on 
the F-14D.