Viggen 644 Posted April 4, 2009 Alright, Tomcat Bye-Bye, Baby! did a number on me so now I need to know. What are the best books about the F-14? I really have no specific thing I'm looking for. I'll read a book on it whether it be the history or the combat service or about the Persian Cats....or a NATOPS manuel. So, what are the best books about the Cat? I'm hoping to get some replies to this. I have April/Spring vacation in two weeks and I'll need some books to read to keep me occupied. I'm sure other members wouldn't mind having names of more Tomcat books either, so they could pick them up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Caesar 305 Posted April 4, 2009 (edited) Depends on what you want to do with it: If you're looking for to fix it or fly it, NAVAIR NATOPS 01-F14AAA-1 (/AAP/AAD-1) and -1-1 are what you're looking for. If you're looking for pictures, look for "The Cutting Edge" by C.J. "Heater" Heatley If you're looking for aerodynamics and unique Tomcat capabilities, "Grumman F-14" by James P. Stevenson is a good one. ADM Paul Gilchrist has another book out on the Tomcat as well that I haven't checked out yet, but has gotten rave reviews. Book name is: Tomcat! The Grumman F-14 Story. Then there's F-14 Shipborne Superfighter which is very expensive (the time to buy was back in 1996) but has loads of data and great pictures on the Tomcat. (Current lowest Amazon.com price is $250) Hard to say which is best. EDIT: If you want to get into some of the real down-n'-dirty ACM/BFM stuff the Tomcat could do, one of the best places to look is a website, rather than a book: tomcat-sunset.org, under the heading "The Hoser Chronicles and the Evolution of Air Combat" - over 100 pages of both stuff Hoser pulled, and ACM with the F-14 and NAVAIR in general, spoken by the man himself and various others he flew with including "Turk" Pentecost. Also, just thought of "Roger Ball" about Monroe "Hawk" Smith and his relation with the Tomcat/community. Just ordered it, will let you know how it is; the excerpts of it that I've read are pretty intense. Edited April 4, 2009 by Caesar Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gbnavy61 1 Posted April 4, 2009 (edited) I'd love to get my hands on an F-14 NATOPS, but I don't know how likely that is. Um, some good ones I've read... Tomcat!: The Grumman F-14 Story by Paul Gillcrist - Lots of history and a bunch of anecdotes from RADM Gillcrist. F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Enduring Freedom by Tony Holmes F-14 Tomcat Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom by Tony Holmes Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units in Combat by Tom Cooper - The first two are good for stories and photos of the Tomcat's last contributions to military operations - most focuses on air-to-ground as the Tomcat didn't see much air action late in its life, due to a variety of factors. For good air-to-air tales, the Iranian Tomcats book is a great read. The Iranian Tomcat crews got to use the jet to its fighter potential like only a handful of Naval Aviators got the chance to do in combat. All are good, but the Iranian Tomcats book was probably the most interesting - I knew virtually nothing about the Iran-Iraq war and the fall of the Shah before I read that one. Jane's How to Fly and Fight in the F-14 Tomcat by David Rockwell - Has a good amount of information, though most of it is basic, and it's presented over the course of several fictional missions. A good read. Edited April 4, 2009 by gbnavy61 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gbnavy61 1 Posted April 4, 2009 Holy s**t, Caesar! Thanks for posting that site. I was reading some of the Hoser Chronicles yesterday. Good Lord, I was laughing my ass off. I think my favorite so far was Magic's corrected story about the two-ship coming back home at five bills. Not so much the "It's ok...I got a note from my Mom" part, as Hoser's reaction to the FNG RIO telling approach that they were doing 500 knots. I can see it in my mind, Hoser shaking his head and pounding on the canopy. I think I was laughing nearly as hard as Magic did at the time! The F-8 "flew up my own asshole" story was also good. Awesome stuff there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Caesar 305 Posted April 4, 2009 It really is a great site, GB. That particular thread is good not only for knowledge about the Tomcat's ACM/BFM performance, but ACM/BFM in general; a lot of stuff within the past few days was posted on rolling scissors and dissimilar dogfighting from some real gonzo sticks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Viggen 644 Posted April 4, 2009 On there for five minutes and Hoser's stuff is already giving me a good laugh! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DWCAce 19 Posted April 6, 2009 JA, be sure to register for the F-14 Forum (not that you have to, but its FREE :) ). Once you do, don't be afraid to say hello and introduce yourself. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Viggen 644 Posted April 6, 2009 While I would certainly love to register there, I'd feel out of place among all the legendary Tomcat pilots and Tomcat know-it-alls. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Caesar 305 Posted April 6, 2009 (edited) What, are you kidding? It's a fantastic community that involves not only pilots/ROs/designers/fixers but also a helluva lot of civie and non-Tomcat military fanatics too! I'm certain you'd fit right in. EDIT: I think I know of 5 CA guys over there, including myself, dwcace, column5, flying toaster and ToS are there. There might be more with different usernames or that I haven't seen yet. Edited April 7, 2009 by Caesar Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
