Grumman F-14B Tomcat – VF-143 Pukin Dogs, USS John F. Kennedy, US Navy 2002

Hobbymaster 1/72 scale HA5243: Grumman F-14B Tomcat 163220, VF-143 Pukin Dogs, USS John F. Kennedy, US Navy 2002. Production run of 600 models.

Length 10.25 inches Wingspan 10.75 inches

The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a twin-engine, variable sweep wings capable of supersonic flight. The aircraft is crewed by a Pilot and a Radar Intercept Officer who share the tasks of navigation, Navy and the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force only. The name ?Tomcat? is said to come from the call-sign used by Vice Admiral Thomas Connolly which conformed to the USN tradition of giving Grumman aircraft feline names.

In March 2002 VF-143 Pukin Dogs sailed on board the USS John F. Kennedy as part of CVW-7 with a mission to support Operation Enduring Freedom and returned home in August. Their next deployment was on board the USS George Washington in 2004 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. 2005 saw the unit transition to the new F/A-18 Super Hornet and this required a designation change to VFA-143. Pukin Dogs is believed to be a comment made when the Griffin logo was first viewed, the drooping head and open mouth, it looks like a puking dog.