F-14 Paint Schemes |
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| From 1970 until the early 1980's the F-14s were painted on the top surfaces with a
light gull gray (FS 16440) and on all underside and control surfaces with white
(FS 17875). These were the days of high-visibility colours in the US Navy and squadron
insignias were bright as were the national insignias (insignia red (FS 11136), insignia blue
(FS 15044). Anti-glare panels were black (FS 37038), non-skid walkways dark
gull gray (FS 36231), some radome and rain erosion coatings were painted with radome tan
(FS 33613). Bare metal areas without any paint were the leading edges of wings, stabilizers,
fins and edge of intake ducts (lower portion) as well as the blast shield in front of the gun
port, the engine area and the engine nozzles. |
| The F-14 prototypes and NASA Tomcats were painted in the gray over white colours, too and
several surfaces of the wings and tail were painted with bright red-orange colours. Furthermore,
a green/light brown/dark brown over white colour scheme was applied to the 80 F-14s
delivered to the Iran (see above picture). |
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| Thereafter the colours began to vanish from Navy aircraft, the white surfaces were toned
down and the squadron colours became gray and dull. In the mid-1980's the F-14s were
painted in an overall light gull gray (FS 16440). US national insignias were either bright and
colourful or also dark gull gray. Bare metal areas remained the same as on earlier Tomcats. |
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| In the late 1980's until today, the Navy adopted the low-visibility colour schemes as shown below.
National insignias are nearly invisible due to the smudgy gray-colours. Also, the former
red and yellow rescue arrows and warning areas became dark grey. But after several years of
gray-only F-14s the squadrons rediscovered their bright-coloured insignia and today a number of
F-14s appear in a combination of low-visibility paint scheme and high-visibility squadron
insignia. |
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| Additionally, in the late 1970's a few F-14s (VX-4, VF-1 and VF-2) were temporarily
painted in the so-called Keith Ferris camouflage scheme (see below). For this deceptive
paint system three gray colours were applied in a serrated scheme (matt dark gray (FS 36118,
dark gull gray (FS 36231) and light gull gray (FS 36440)). |
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| And sometimes, when an exercise was on schedule, some squadrons painted their F-14s with
water-soluble dark green and brown colours. Today there fly a few special coloured F-14s at
the Navy Fighter Weapons School, wearing the colours of Soviet Sukhoi Su-27s for adversary air
combat training. |
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