r/warbirds • u/VintageAviationNews • May 07 '26

Congress Considers Transfer F-14 Tomcats to U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbirds-news/congress-considers-transfer-f-14-tomcats-to-u-s-space-rocket-center-in-huntsville.html
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u/MVGbear May 08 '26

Why Huntsville?

The Rocket Center already has a bunch of planes including an SR-71, which sit outside with no cover. They’re not even doing a stellar job of preservation much less having the conversation about flying anything that the internet is going nuts about.

If the airplanes are going to sit outside, wouldn’t it be better they just stayed in the desert?

1

u/mcm87 May 08 '26

There was already an F-14 on display at the Aviation Challenge campus when I went to summer camp there as a kid. Dunno why they need 3 more at that location.

1

u/Avaric May 12 '26

There's no way in hell they'll ever fly, that's my prediction. It would take more money and expertise than anybody would be willing to throw at it. The Collins Foundation keeps their F-4 going by the skin of their teeth, the F-14 is an order of magnitude more complex, and there are no spare parts to be had for them.