My next project was going to be a British aircraft, but a dear friend persuaded me to try something different. I’d always wanted to try an F-14…
A 1/48th scale kit helped me create a drawing of two F-14 Tomcats. I put this on Facebook and magic happened! I got such a response from the F-14 community, and a new friendship with the RIO in the main aircraft. Bruce suggested I might like to show a certain incident at Oceana Naval Air Station.
The US Navy had been losing so many F-14s & crews while out at sea, for unknown reasons. In fact the type was about to be grounded. On this occasion (June 24 1975) F-14A 159432 of VF-143 ‘Famous Pukin’ Dogs‘ had just taken off from Oceana. While still in the circuit, an engine ‘blew’. With superb skill Pilot Leon Phelps got his RIO Ric Morrow and their aircraft back down to the runway. Amazingly the safety wire was grabbed and the aircrew VERY narrowly escaped (after Ric manhandled Leon from his seat) from the front of the aircraft. The fire services were quickly on the scene and extinguished the fires. Having an intact aircraft enabled the cause of the accidents to be ascertained – turbine blades were shearing and cutting through the aircraft systems.
This painting is the result, created with recollections from both aircrew – their response to the finished painting made the effort well worth it!