"The first VF-102 was established on 1 May 1952 and redesignated VA-36 on 1 July 1955. The second VF-102 in 1955, was redesignated as VFA-102."
With the disestablishment VF-33, VF-102 became America's sole F-14 unit, completing its final deployment on 24 February 1996. Upon America's decommissioning in 1996, VF-102 (and the rest of CVW-1) was assigned to USS George Washington.
In 1997, the squadron deployed aboard George Washington. A port visit to Haifa, Israel was cut short late in November as the carrier battle group was ordered to the Persian Gulf in response to Saddam Hussein's barring UN weapon inspectors from carrying out their assigned tasks. As the crisis grew George Washington joined the USS Nimitz and HMS Invincible. VF-102 returned to Norfolk on 13 March 1998.
In Autumn 1999, VF-102 deployed again to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch over southern Iraq. VF-102 carried out strikes on numerous anti-aircraft and radar sites and conducted numerous TARPS missions.
More info @ The Wikipedia page
I really enjoyed making this plane. The cockpit and the missles / rockets were a bit of a challenge, especially when attempting to dry them. As I was doing this project I felt it wouldn't hold together well when handled, since it had alot of stuff on the bottom that could come lose.
Fortunately enough I bought a little stand from Stanbridge's hobby store in Mount Lawley, Perth that elevated the model giving it more of a view of the planes undercarriage without having to "man handle" the model itself.
Compiled and written by
David "Modelling Away in Perth" Innes
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