The Grumman F-14E Tomcat Cabriolet.
Seen here in a test flight photo, the F-14E was Grumman's final attemt to extent the production life of the F-14 line. Equipped with a retractable canopy, the "Cabcat" as it was nicknamed harkend back to the earliest days of the fighter pilot. One snide, but not very forward thinking F-18 pilot made a comment about F-14 crew wanting "the wind in their hair...and bugs in their teeth!" This lead to an unofficial project patch which showed a smiling F-14 with miniature F-18's stuck in it's teeth. While the F-14 community and the Navy's procurement offices were unified in their delight in the "coolness" factor of the project, the F-18E/F program backers were much too strong. This, combined with an unfortunate incedent with a RIO getting hit with a June bug during a test flight, lead to the final cancellation of F-14 production.
Ted
Politicians and diapers have one thing in common. They should both be changed regularly and for the same reason.
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