To Indiana Museum of Military History as N4619N in 1984. Reregistered N14835 in 1985. Converted to an air tanker and lost while firebombing at Reserve, New Mexico on June 27, 1998.

The Cutlass was cutting edge technology. This airframe spent the summer of 1955 at NACA Ames for testing. Photo from: NASA

At the Avalon Airshow 2007

A Black Lions F-14D during its landing at the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Persian Gulf (or Arabian Sea). Fighter Squadron (VF) 213 was busy at that time with their final cruise with the F-14 Tomcat.

Lockheed's experimental VTOL project. Two were built, but the design never managed vertical take-off. The project was cancelled in 1955, leaving the second aircraft (138658) incomplete without an engine. The flying prototype 138657 was donated to Hiller Aircraft for further VTOL testing, but its fate is unclear. Reliable sources say that only parts (engine and props) of this aircraft survived these tests, others say it is the aircraft that went on display in Florida in the mid 1990s, and that for reasons unknown it was painted as 138658...
Note: this design is often quoted as "XFV-1 Salmon", but it was in fact unnamed. Salmon was the name of Lockheed's test pilot for the project. Photo from: Library of Congress

A VF-31 Tomcat being prepared for another Operation Iraqi Freedom mission. The radar received some maintenance and bombs put ready to attached underneath the fuselage.

A fine study of a resting F-14D on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt during operating Iraqi Freedom.

Touch down of a VF-213 F-14D during the Tomcat sunset cruise. The squadron embarked the USS Theodore Roosevelt together with VF-31 Tomcatters for this memorable deployment.

Destroyed on the ground at Andersen AFB, Guam, 1992-08-27 by typhoon "Omar".

Sold as N4206L

145221 displayed as '143492' in VF-13 markings.

Scrapped 1982

This F-14A of Fighter Squadron (VF) 191 Satan's Kittens was seen during an enthusiastic landing at NAS Miramar. VF-191 and sister squadron VF-194 Red Lightnings were the two shortest lived F-14 squadrons in history and thus are rarely photographed. VF-191 was established on 4 Dec'86. Its pilots were trained by VF-124 and being prepared for a deployment onboard the USS Independence as part of CVW-10. After the FRS training, the squadron received its first Tomcats (mid '87). The squadron was disbanded before the cruise could ever take place, on 30 April 1988.

One of my favorite F-14 Tomcat pictures. AJ-105 of Fighting Squadron (VF) 31 grabs the cable on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) during the final cruise of the F-14. VF-213 Black Lions and VF-31 Tomcatters had the honours to bring the Tomcat to war (Operation Iraqi Freedom) and to home for the final time. Awesome!

An unmarked Fleet Logistic Support Squadron (VR) 61 Islanders C-40A Clipper during its landing at NAS Fallon (NV). The last C-40As delivered to the US Navy are Boeing 737-700 airframes with winglets and the wings and landing gear from the larger and heavier 737-800.

Scrapped 1981

Sold as N5597V in 1980.

Kevin Kerle photo.