I'm in my late 20s but I used to watch this movie a few times with my late father back then and I loved to study WWII/aviation. Always liked this movie: the F-14 being a beautiful plane, the "what-if" scenario of going back in time to stop the Pearl Harbor attack, everything. Miss you Dad, we'll meet again someday.
The first minute 30 is pure pornography in all the right ways. No CGI, this movie's flight scenery is some of the finest aviation cinematography in movies.
I love the paint schemes Navy aircraft had from the 1940s through the late 1980s. Those planes were flying works of art ....with an ass kicking reputation to match. The paint schemes of today are very utilitarian, for obvious reasons of better concealment.
Which doesn't make much sense when you think about it... I mean... Radar replaced the 'Mk1 Eyeball' for spotting aircraft, so it doesn't make much sense to conceal your markings. On top of that, if both sides close to the Merge, I'd rather the other guy knew what squadron I was with. I'd rather not fight of course, so giving them one final chance to run away from seeing who they're dealing with is just the final 'get out of my airspace'. But then again, I'm just a guy on the internet, what do I know, right?
The "high visibility" paint scheme has actually made a resurgence in the last couple of decades; often squadron commander aircraft will have full-color paint jobs on their aircraft. The current iteration of the "Jolly Rogers" seen here, VFA-103, sports this same livery on their F/A-18F Super Hornets.
@@Orca19904 Yes, VFA103 has its logo on it, and VFA14 Tophatters also has its paint scheme. With the 6th gen fighter coming, we can expect some sort of tomcat related aircraft, so the future is looking pretty good for the navy.
One of the Zero/T6 Texan pilots from the film passed recently. Tom Gregory, old P47 pilot. He was a good friend of my father. When I was growing up Tom would take me up for some flight time here and there. It was a blast. Thanks Tom.
Man, I LOVE this film! Imagine you are on your boat in 1941, radial engines on planes are the usual (in-line the new hot stuff) and then TWO Tomcats just buzz you at low altitude ! :-) Loved that!
@@DEFC0NZER0 because it was litteraly obsolete by the 80s, and it was one of the worst 4th gen fighters, it was behind the MiG-29 which was also a piece of shit. There's a reason Iran uses them (and only Iran), and they can't even hold them together.
@@_r3kt_792 worst? What are you smoking? It easily could've continued in the US military today. But to keep up with the times, the military should've gone with developing the ST-21; the Super Tomcat 21. Identical to the F-14 in looks but better in every other way
This is by far the most beautifully filmed military aviation film. The HD really brings back the knock out effect of the visuals of the aircraft in flight. This movie is still my standard against which I compare aviation movies.
I love Top Gun even though it's unrealistic because the story is entertaining. But the aerial cinematography of The Final Countdown is on a whole other level.
@@FlumpFlibbus exavtly it was an excellent fighter and maybe interceptor but a bad attack aircraft, and for a plane so expensive to Operate, it should do all of these task at least to a degree
1940 to 1980, unbelievable. 1980 to 2020, not so much. We went from piston planes to 4th generation fighters in 40 years. Took another 40 to go from 4th to 5th. Hell, the US still flies the F15.
i always think, there are actually people who were alive in the 70s who were alive when friggin line battles were still a thing and where travelling around the world would take months, but then lived through combat evolving from Napoleonic style up to when precision strikes from aircraft and nukes became a thing and traveling to the other side of the world only taking 12 hours, fuckin crazy...
Right? The Tomcat was designed within a few years of the F-15 and F-16, but the Tomcat has been obsolete since the 80’s and the F-16 and F-15 remain some of the most capable aircraft in service today.
VF-101 Navy Grim Reapers did a mock exercise against the 159 AF F15s. Fourf F-14s against six F-15s. Mind you, these were the F-14Ds with the 32,000 lbs increased thrust GE-110 engines. Not the old TF-30 engines. One F-14D was "shot down" against 5 F-15s were "splashed".
This was MY movie as a kid. Watched it 100 times at least. Not only did it make the Tomcat my fave (far more than Top Gun), but also the Jolly Rogers. The old school 70s/early 80s high viz markings are gorgeous. The JR Tomcats for sure, but naval aviation in general. Flight decks looked like Nascar.
I find that scene from 2:22 to 2:45 kinda powerful. What I mean - the viewer is aware, that they appeared in a period of time, when an aeroplane with primitive piston engine, armed only with machine guns or ordinary cannons, is considered state-of-the-art... and here, they're loading guided missiles on their supersonic jets. This gives a feeling of power. And that music - especially from 2:36 onward - niiice...
Again, we never said any of that crap. Naval aviation is a very serious business with no time for the type of rock 'n' roll BS one finds in this movie or top gun. Utterly misleading BS.
+MStreppelhoff The F-15C and Strike Eagle will soldier on until at least 2035 while your beloved Tomcat was ignominiously retired en mass in 2007 and then chopped into little pieces. No other gen. 4 fighter has suffered such a dishonorable discharge! Talk to any former Tomcat driver and they will tell you that it was a dog.
+Oscar Banuelos was destroyed after it was discovered the iranians were getting parts for their F 14. no other fighter has been destroyed this way out of fear for its capabilities.
Exactly, the thing was still capable and them destroying all of them after they were retired shows how advanced it still was and they could not let parts get out to Iran by any means. It was retired too soon IMO. Maintenance got to be a bear on the old thing though and the air frame was beat up from years at sea so without a revamp and the Tomcat 21 I guess they did have a decent reason.
onblock7 The F-15 has flown many more hours that the Tomcat ever did. Why are they not "beat up". The F-15 had 100+ kills. How many does the Tomcat have? 4 USN + 5 Iranian Air Force
Aaf base, airshow, f14d, full afterburner, tightest turning radius for non vectored engines. 4 revolutions, level out, straight to the clouds. Simply the best!
Charles Harris Also, the threat of huge missile carrying Soviet bombers had disappeared. Now there's no US fighter capable of using the AIM-54 phoenix. At least I don't think so. Iranian F-14's can, if they still work. Big if, but....
The fact that the iranians were getting parts for their f14s in secret and also because of politics and that fuck dick Cheney , the f14 wasNT retired out of obsolescence , if the f14s would have been modernized to super tomcat 21 upgrade status , it would have served until 2025 no problem and would have been waaaay better than the fa 18 super bug,f15c and e will serve on until max 2035 , f14 gathers dust , no other gen 4 fighter had a more dishonorable retire , the f14 could have still served
Now THERE'S a true believer. I would love to see a source for the claim that the F-14P is supposedly "considered second best fighter in the world after F-22 by pentagon".
" ANYTIME, BABY!" Is a phrase we kids on Long Island N.Y. learned. It was the motto of the two-tailed F-14 TOMCAT. Built by Grumman Aerospace in Bethpage N.Y. many of our friends fathers worked on this jet fighter or the Lunar Module. When "they" gave away the contract for the Space Shuttle it was the beginning of the end of our Defense Contractor jobs....GOD BLESS OUR PILOTS WHO MADE EVERY OUNCE OF SWEAT BUILDING THESE WARPLANES A SUCCESS!
I was 14 when my father got the gig to work on the Zero's/T6. I got to go work on the film as well. A bunch of you guys gave my father a great ceremony when VF-84 inducted him into the squadron. I had the Jolly Rogers spray painted on my chest with a stencil a short time later. I was just about heart broken when the squadron was taken out of service. Still got the T-shirt with all the patches.
3:07 you have to love how they reacted when those Tomcats buzzed the yacht. Imagine what WW2 would've been like if THOSE had been in the US arsenal. x3
WW2 wouldn't have started if those were in the US arsenal and the Axis knew about it, and if they didn't know about it, WW2 would have been over in a hurry. No one in 1939 - '41 would have been able to defend against a 1979 era Nimitz class carrier's air wing. They would have been untouchable, their only limitation being how much ammo, ordinance, and jet fuel they had aboard.
Seriously? As a matter of fact, your "facts" need some work. The Me 262 didn't become operational until WW2 was in its sixth year (1944) so F-14s in the possession of the Allies in 1941 would have slightly (eye roll) changed the course of the war long before the Me 262 came along. And do you seriously think a sub-600 mph Me 262 or any WW2 era aircraft could have lasted ten seconds against a Sparrow, Sidewinder, Phoenix, and Vulcan-equipped, 1,600 mph capable F-14?
@@fistinyourface7053 The ME 262 was just about to go into production but Hitler for some reason didn't have confidence in the designer or the plane and halted production. The ones that were produced, except for the prototypes, never left the ground. The ME 262 was such a fuel guzzler that it's usefulness would have been limited. A first gen sub-sonic jet would have been no match for a Mach 2 F14 armed with the variety of ordinance it can carry! Would have been like shooting fish in a barrel!
Absolutely loved this movie growing up. Arguably had better aircraft footage than Top Gun did (although I'm still looking forward to it's sequel). The F-14 remains a classic, beautiful bird ❤️
I saw this film in 1980 or 81. I never get tired to see, especially now that on YT there are the best scenes. When studying history at school i was always imagining what could be the reaction of a roman soldier or a medieval knight if they had met a tank or a helicopter.. As well as i liked to imagine Leonardo da Vinci living in our era, what he could make having all our technology available! Well, this film made my wish coming true in the best way. When the 2 Tomcats fly over the yacht is my favourite scene, perfectly played by the actors. Also when the japanese pilot is rescued and then once on the deck of the Nimitz he looks around, stunned by such kind of never seen before aircrafts I like very much. After seeing that film i started to collect almost all planes seen in the film in 1/72 scale (A4 & A5 not showed, A6, A7, F14, F8, Sh-3D, S3A) and now that Freewing is making them in RC mode i am buying them. A6 you see at 4:33 while refuelling the two Toms i already bought and already found the decals with the black panther to change the factory applied ones. The Jolly Roger on the tail of the Tom impressed me so much that if i buy the Freewing F14 i again will change the factory supplied decals with the Jolly Roger of the 84th air wing based on Nimitz in the 80. For you guys who maybe want to display at home a huge F14 or A6 or even A4/F4, just because you like those planes, doesn't matter if you don't fly them, take a look at www.motionrc.com . Cheers from Italy :)
Just a bit of info; the Tomcats in this video without the black & yellow "Jolly Rogers" markings are their sister squadron, VF-41 "Black Aces" which were also deployed aboard the Nimitz at the time of filming.
I love how in the shot at 3:09, one actor already has his ears covered, and the actor playing the yacht captain is in the process of covering his ears. Its like they've done this before, and know whats coming, lol.
I agree. There were a couple of camera tricks, and the Zero that got knocked down by a missile was a model, but the vast majority of the scenes were real aircraft and real flying. If they remade it today it would probably be an exaggerated, cartoony CGI crap fest from start to finish.
Who needs a plot in this movie? As a pure Aircraft Carrier operations film, there is none better. Throw in the Zero Dogfight, and the rest of the movie is just filler.
My late father said to me " you know, this movie is about to get the dog back for that lady in the end " , I'm still laughing about his remark , but still , every time i see those Tomcats refuelling and then breaking off .... so sweet !
Its kind of interesting how they decide its best to not muddle in the past and allow history to take the known path, but i would have liked to see them sink the Carriers that attacked pearl harbor
Hectopath no,baddest. Many planes are badass- spitfire,the Century fighters (F-100,F-106,F-105,F-104) Saber,Super Saber,but they are not the baddest. Hell,even MIGs are bad ass.
Great shots and video. VFA-103 is an excellent squadron. The F15 Eagles in this video are great aircraft as well. I'm partial to the F14, but the F18 is amazing as well. These are the old F14's too, before they got rid of the afterburner. The Navy banned us from using afterburners at all altitudes on the D and B variants after several aircraft were overheating their engines and crashing.
I know this is an old post but had to correct. The tomcat did not get “rid” of the afterburners. The GE engines the B and D had afterburners as well, the difference was it didn’t need them for take off like the A model. Military power was enough
The "A" model Tomcats were powered by Crap call Pratt and Whitney Engines. Those Engines were responsible for the loss of nearly 50 Tomcats. The Tomcat was saved by the GE Engines. All fighters are equipped with Afterburning Engines. The Jolly Rogers in the Movie are those of VF-84. At the time of production, the Squadron XO was my Uncle CDR Ed "Hunyak" Andrews. He is featured as one of the Naval Aviators in the production.
He forgot to add this scene, but after the rescued Japanese pilot being escorted by armed Marines arrives on the carrier deck and sees an F-14 landing, the pilot's expression is like "Wait what? We're going up against THAT?!"
I love how the Tomcat pilot is nerding out over the Zero. You know he's a fan of old WWII planes, since I doubt they add those to the Navy's identification training.
2:48 is great...i love how the pilots will do some weird signaling, the goofy head flexing the pilot does mimicks the catapult action very closely. Good stuff.
If I remember the Navy shot so much footage for this movie, that they took all of it and made a really long promotional film of navy plane and carrier porn. They used to show it a few times daily in the Intrepid Museum. (I assume the other preserved carriers got it as well). I wish I knew its name to see if anybody dumped a copy to TH-cam. It also used the Final Countdown music.
@Deanbabylon Right on! 30 year Navy Aviation MCPO here. A magnificient carrier aircraft. And it fought till the end. VF-31 Felix (yes, the cat with the bomb from original "Fighting 8" in WWII) delivered on the last combat missions on USS Lincoln during Iraqi Freedom.
F-14A революционный самолет это из моих любимых перехватчиков. Вот чутка доработали бы амеры. Мог бы 31 мигом мог бы по конкурировать. У F-14A были не доработки по двигателю по вооружению нормально но малость бы модернизировали бы. Было бы шикарно. Фениксы были сырые первых версий.
One complaint. The radio chatter just a few seconds before the opening along with the "Have a nice day!" then the burners are lit is just classic. Too bad it's not there.
Am proud to say my father took me to the movies to see this when released in the theater (a time when everything was open). It was one of those small movie theaters that grabbed films on the tail end of their release. No technological whiz bang experience. I snagged my friend on the way and agreed to take him with us. Regardless, It remains to this day one of my few favorite films of all time.
I loved the air ops stuff in Final Countdown. Even though it was a scifi movie it showed modern carrier ops in a more true to life way than anything before or since. It'd all be ridiculous looking computer graphics if it was made these days.
It's understandable why they would though. Maintenence of the F-14 was freaking expensive and complicated compared to the other planes of its time. Also the Navy wanted to somewhat streamline their carrier air wings with a jack of all trade fighter platform, hence the Hornet and Super Hornet. They won't be ass badass as the F14 but they're still badass nonetheless and more practical.
My dad told me after I watched first Top Gun, that this movie is another alternative to Tomcat action movie and more authentic in terms of military, not the story itself. Tomcat is my first favorite military aircraft.
As a AMMO Troop from the United States Air Force, it warms my heart to see that they used live munitions in the scenes where they were getting prepped. So many movies will over look that little detail. 99% of the population won't notice the difference.
For the 99%'s benefit: Blue paint on a munition marks it as an inert training munition. The ones you see with yellow striping are loaded with high explosives.
This reminds me of the classic star trek episode called "Tomorrow is yesterday " where the fighter pilot spots what he thinks is a ufo and gets beamed aboard the Enterprise.
Yeah. Because a time traveling aircraft carrier isnt silly at all. TG beats this ne. But both are good movies. FTR, Flight of the Intruder beats them both. And I say that as a F14 alum
You're right. Thought I saw a VA-97 18 in it, but after paying closer attention while watching this clip, I noticed there wasn't an 18 in it. That's what I get for flipping back and forth between several videos at the same time.
@3:19 The humor of that scene is we are now as far from the 1970's as the 70's were from the 40's. The technology gap that made this movie fun then has in some ways reversed. Save CVN platform, less cool, and in raw mechanical performance, less capable aircraft. Maybe a sequel to this movie when a 1980's CVN goes forward in time to have the same knockout effect as going back.
Tomcat VF-31...(.AJ's...JOLLY ROGERS,I did a cabinet install from one of those Jolly Roger pilots a couple years ago) Those A-6's Was one of my father's Squadrons
Oh man, I can't imagine how some1 from 1941 would react seeing a F-14 tomcat flying above them..
Something about shit and pants
How would someone today feel seeing a F-76 fly by at Mach 6 five thousand feet above sea level?
like the jet pilot in 1968 seeing the USS Enterprise going up into the clouds
Like seeing something from today to 1980 .
Ask it to Americans who had seen the faboulous ME262
I'm in my late 20s but I used to watch this movie a few times with my late father back then and I loved to study WWII/aviation. Always liked this movie: the F-14 being a beautiful plane, the "what-if" scenario of going back in time to stop the Pearl Harbor attack, everything. Miss you Dad, we'll meet again someday.
The first minute 30 is pure pornography in all the right ways. No CGI, this movie's flight scenery is some of the finest aviation cinematography in movies.
no seizure inducing cuts or effects ^^
Especially those TF30s lighting up. Georgous
I guess it's quite off topic but does anyone know a good place to watch new tv shows online ?
@Greyson Kingsley flixportal xD
@Ronald Rohan Thanks, I went there and it seems to work :D Appreciate it !
I love the paint schemes Navy aircraft had from the 1940s through the late 1980s. Those planes were flying works of art ....with an ass kicking reputation to match. The paint schemes of today are very utilitarian, for obvious reasons of better concealment.
Which doesn't make much sense when you think about it... I mean... Radar replaced the 'Mk1 Eyeball' for spotting aircraft, so it doesn't make much sense to conceal your markings. On top of that, if both sides close to the Merge, I'd rather the other guy knew what squadron I was with. I'd rather not fight of course, so giving them one final chance to run away from seeing who they're dealing with is just the final 'get out of my airspace'. But then again, I'm just a guy on the internet, what do I know, right?
The "high visibility" paint scheme has actually made a resurgence in the last couple of decades; often squadron commander aircraft will have full-color paint jobs on their aircraft. The current iteration of the "Jolly Rogers" seen here, VFA-103, sports this same livery on their F/A-18F Super Hornets.
@@Orca19904 In the age of stealth and low-RCS aircraft, the need for low-observable schemes may be going out of style.
@@Orca19904 Yes, VFA103 has its logo on it, and VFA14 Tophatters also has its paint scheme. With the 6th gen fighter coming, we can expect some sort of tomcat related aircraft, so the future is looking pretty good for the navy.
Those combat liveries still exist super hornets use them now
One of the Zero/T6 Texan pilots from the film passed recently. Tom Gregory, old P47 pilot. He was a good friend of my father. When I was growing up Tom would take me up for some flight time here and there. It was a blast. Thanks Tom.
R.I.P. bet he was a great pilot
The cinematography on the aerial shots is supreme. Great job!
Well, yeah. of course it is.. those are real planes on a real carrier doing real sh*t... god, I hate millennials.
Man, I LOVE this film! Imagine you are on your boat in 1941, radial engines on planes are the usual (in-line the new hot stuff) and then TWO Tomcats just buzz you at low altitude ! :-) Loved that!
TWO WHAT???? His reaction was priceless...
Yes!, I completely agree! So, it's been 6 years. How are you? Doing well in 2020?
Yeah lol
Two youts
One of the most beautiful Jets ever build.
That and the Tornado
No no no, its *the most beautiful*
The fact that they retired it is criminal
@@DEFC0NZER0 because it was litteraly obsolete by the 80s, and it was one of the worst 4th gen fighters, it was behind the MiG-29 which was also a piece of shit.
There's a reason Iran uses them (and only Iran), and they can't even hold them together.
@@_r3kt_792 worst? What are you smoking? It easily could've continued in the US military today. But to keep up with the times, the military should've gone with developing the ST-21; the Super Tomcat 21. Identical to the F-14 in looks but better in every other way
This is by far the most beautifully filmed military aviation film. The HD really brings back the knock out effect of the visuals of the aircraft in flight. This movie is still my standard against which I compare aviation movies.
I love Top Gun even though it's unrealistic because the story is entertaining. But the aerial cinematography of The Final Countdown is on a whole other level.
I luv how the F-14's look like 2 birds of prey stalking their next meal at 5:10
The F-14 is such a beautiful bird. such a shame they retired it
The F-14 is big and clumsy compared to the current generation of F/A aircraft.
It was a beautiful fighter, however it was a pain in the ass to maintain because it was just so damn wide.
It is a shame, but it was expensive and a bit lackluster at some vital roles.
@@FlumpFlibbus exavtly it was an excellent fighter and maybe interceptor but a bad attack aircraft, and for a plane so expensive to Operate, it should do all of these task at least to a degree
And very fast as well
What an awesomely amazing aircraft the F-14 was. When I was stationed at NOB Norfolk I never tired of watching them fly from NAS Oceana.
One of my favorite movies, very underrated film
Amazing how aircrafts have evolved in a relative short period.
1940 to 1980, unbelievable. 1980 to 2020, not so much. We went from piston planes to 4th generation fighters in 40 years. Took another 40 to go from 4th to 5th. Hell, the US still flies the F15.
Inly shDJs how good the f15 is
i always think, there are actually people who were alive in the 70s who were alive when friggin line battles were still a thing and where travelling around the world would take months, but then lived through combat evolving from Napoleonic style up to when precision strikes from aircraft and nukes became a thing and traveling to the other side of the world only taking 12 hours, fuckin crazy...
Right? The Tomcat was designed within a few years of the F-15 and F-16, but the Tomcat has been obsolete since the 80’s and the F-16 and F-15 remain some of the most capable aircraft in service today.
VF-101 Navy Grim Reapers did a mock exercise against the 159 AF F15s. Fourf F-14s against six F-15s. Mind you, these were the F-14Ds with the 32,000 lbs increased thrust GE-110 engines. Not the old TF-30 engines. One F-14D was "shot down" against 5 F-15s were "splashed".
This was MY movie as a kid. Watched it 100 times at least.
Not only did it make the Tomcat my fave (far more than Top Gun), but also the Jolly Rogers.
The old school 70s/early 80s high viz markings are gorgeous. The JR Tomcats for sure, but naval aviation in general.
Flight decks looked like Nascar.
One of the most impressive scenes in Sci-Fi concept terms I've ever seen.
I find that scene from 2:22 to 2:45 kinda powerful. What I mean - the viewer is aware, that they appeared in a period of time, when an aeroplane with primitive piston engine, armed only with machine guns or ordinary cannons, is considered state-of-the-art... and here, they're loading guided missiles on their supersonic jets. This gives a feeling of power. And that music - especially from 2:36 onward - niiice...
" Fill her up, check the oil and clean the windshield over'"... One of the best lines in the movie.
You know Lasky You're becoming to be a real pain in the ass.
Who are you people?
yeah, that tanker was from VA-35 Black Panthers...I was in that squadron in the early to mid 1970's. On the Nimitz in '75
Again, we never said any of that crap. Naval aviation is a very serious business with no time for the type of rock 'n' roll BS one finds in this movie or top gun. Utterly misleading BS.
It STILL IS..... one of my Favorite movies.... OF ALL TIME!!!
USN Vet
84 - 05
They should still fly this baby. My all time favorite Jet Fighter ! I love it ! :)
+MStreppelhoff The F-15C and Strike Eagle will soldier on until at least 2035 while your beloved Tomcat was ignominiously retired en mass in 2007 and then chopped into little pieces. No other gen. 4 fighter has suffered such a dishonorable discharge! Talk to any former Tomcat driver and they will tell you that it was a dog.
+Oscar Banuelos was destroyed after it was discovered the iranians were getting parts for their F 14. no other fighter has been destroyed this way out of fear for its capabilities.
Exactly, the thing was still capable and them destroying all of them after they were retired shows how advanced it still was and they could not let parts get out to Iran by any means. It was retired too soon IMO. Maintenance got to be a bear on the old thing though and the air frame was beat up from years at sea so without a revamp and the Tomcat 21 I guess they did have a decent reason.
onblock7 The F-15 has flown many more hours that the Tomcat ever did. Why are they not "beat up". The F-15 had 100+ kills. How many does the Tomcat have? 4 USN + 5 Iranian Air Force
onblock7 The Tomcat was so bad that he USN had to replace her at a cost of $50 billion with the Super Hornet - just another gen.4 fighter.
Aaf base, airshow, f14d, full afterburner, tightest turning radius for non vectored engines. 4 revolutions, level out, straight to the clouds. Simply the best!
Clearly, you are yet another wanna-be. Keep wishing, jack-slap.
Gotta love those VF-1 Valkyries. :D
Loved that movie!
The Tomcat was not retired because of obsolescence. It is a kick -ass fighter!
It simply was way to expensive to fly!
Charles Harris Also, the threat of huge missile carrying Soviet bombers had disappeared. Now there's no US fighter capable of using the AIM-54 phoenix. At least I don't think so. Iranian F-14's can, if they still work. Big if, but....
Correct. The mission for which it was built is no longer. To take on mass Soviet aircraft.
Seem like it was a matter of choice. It can't be more expensive than the raptor.
The fact that the iranians were getting parts for their f14s in secret and also because of politics and that fuck dick Cheney , the f14 wasNT retired out of obsolescence , if the f14s would have been modernized to super tomcat 21 upgrade status , it would have served until 2025 no problem and would have been waaaay better than the fa 18 super bug,f15c and e will serve on until max 2035 , f14 gathers dust , no other gen 4 fighter had a more dishonorable retire , the f14 could have still served
Now THERE'S a true believer.
I would love to see a source for the claim that the F-14P is supposedly "considered second best fighter in the world after F-22 by pentagon".
" ANYTIME, BABY!" Is a phrase we kids on Long Island N.Y. learned. It was the motto of the two-tailed F-14 TOMCAT. Built by Grumman Aerospace in Bethpage N.Y. many of our friends fathers worked on this jet fighter or the Lunar Module. When "they" gave away the contract for the Space Shuttle it was the beginning of the end of our Defense Contractor jobs....GOD BLESS OUR PILOTS WHO MADE EVERY OUNCE OF SWEAT BUILDING THESE WARPLANES A SUCCESS!
I can't believe how good this looks!
I was in VF-84 when this movie was made and had a blast. Loved that squadron. Hated to see them go.
I was 14 when my father got the gig to work on the Zero's/T6. I got to go work on the film as well. A bunch of you guys gave my father a great ceremony when VF-84 inducted him into the squadron. I had the Jolly Rogers spray painted on my chest with a stencil a short time later. I was just about heart broken when the squadron was taken out of service. Still got the T-shirt with all the patches.
Then you know my Uncle from VF-84. CDR Ed "Hunyak" Andrews, he was the Squadron XO at the time.
3:07 you have to love how they reacted when those Tomcats buzzed the yacht. Imagine what WW2 would've been like if THOSE had been in the US arsenal. x3
WW2 wouldn't have started if those were in the US arsenal and the Axis knew about it, and if they didn't know about it, WW2 would have been over in a hurry. No one in 1939 - '41 would have been able to defend against a 1979 era Nimitz class carrier's air wing. They would have been untouchable, their only limitation being how much ammo, ordinance, and jet fuel they had aboard.
But what if a German had an even BIGGER penis??!!!!
As a matter of fact, Germans had their jets already in WW2...So i don't know how it would look like.
Seriously? As a matter of fact, your "facts" need some work. The Me 262 didn't become operational until WW2 was in its sixth year (1944) so F-14s in the possession of the Allies in 1941 would have slightly (eye roll) changed the course of the war long before the Me 262 came along. And do you seriously think a sub-600 mph Me 262 or any WW2 era aircraft could have lasted ten seconds against a Sparrow, Sidewinder, Phoenix, and Vulcan-equipped, 1,600 mph capable F-14?
@@fistinyourface7053 The ME 262 was just about to go into production but Hitler for some reason didn't have confidence in the designer or the plane and halted production. The ones that were produced, except for the prototypes, never left the ground. The ME 262 was such a fuel guzzler that it's usefulness would have been limited. A first gen sub-sonic jet would have been no match for a Mach 2 F14 armed with the variety of ordinance it can carry! Would have been like shooting fish in a barrel!
God listen to those engines at takeoff.... That thing was beautiful, RIP F-14 you were the icon of a generation.
Such an awesome movie, I have the blu-ray 2 disc special edition. Would love to see them redo this movie with today’s technology.
Absolutely loved this movie growing up.
Arguably had better aircraft footage than Top Gun did (although I'm still looking forward to it's sequel).
The F-14 remains a classic, beautiful bird ❤️
Pearl Tower, Tomcat 200 ready for departure.
Tomcat 200, cleared for takeoff, SH 3 approaching from the right.
Have a nice day.
4:50 Two Japanese zeros sir.... TWO WHAT???? Two trophy’s class Mitsubishi A6Ms in original condition
4:16 "You asked for more refueling and we're giving it to you!"
4:45 "No, stay, I'll cook breakfast!"
I saw this film in 1980 or 81. I never get tired to see, especially now that on YT there are the best scenes. When studying history at school i was always imagining what could be the reaction of a roman soldier or a medieval knight if they had met a tank or a helicopter.. As well as i liked to imagine Leonardo da Vinci living in our era, what he could make having all our technology available! Well, this film made my wish coming true in the best way. When the 2 Tomcats fly over the yacht is my favourite scene, perfectly played by the actors. Also when the japanese pilot is rescued and then once on the deck of the Nimitz he looks around, stunned by such kind of never seen before aircrafts I like very much. After seeing that film i started to collect almost all planes seen in the film in 1/72 scale (A4 & A5 not showed, A6, A7, F14, F8, Sh-3D, S3A) and now that Freewing is making them in RC mode i am buying them. A6 you see at 4:33 while refuelling the two Toms i already bought and already found the decals with the black panther to change the factory applied ones. The Jolly Roger on the tail of the Tom impressed me so much that if i buy the Freewing F14 i again will change the factory supplied decals with the Jolly Roger of the 84th air wing based on Nimitz in the 80. For you guys who maybe want to display at home a huge F14 or A6 or even A4/F4, just because you like those planes, doesn't matter if you don't fly them, take a look at www.motionrc.com . Cheers from Italy :)
Just a bit of info; the Tomcats in this video without the black & yellow "Jolly Rogers" markings are their sister squadron, VF-41 "Black Aces" which were also deployed aboard the Nimitz at the time of filming.
I use to watch this movie when I was a kid and pretend I was a fighter pilot. This brings back memories thanks for posting
I love how in the shot at 3:09, one actor already has his ears covered, and the actor playing the yacht captain is in the process of covering his ears. Its like they've done this before, and know whats coming, lol.
I was pretty impressed by the fact that this movie had almost no special effects (other than the portal). Great Movie.
know anything about the cast?
ɷɷ I Havee Watched Thisss Movie Leakeddd Versionnn Heree : - t.co/NdLgwVlw7a
I agree. There were a couple of camera tricks, and the Zero that got knocked down by a missile was a model, but the vast majority of the scenes were real aircraft and real flying. If they remade it today it would probably be an exaggerated, cartoony CGI crap fest from start to finish.
Who needs a plot in this movie?
As a pure Aircraft Carrier operations film, there is none better.
Throw in the Zero Dogfight, and the rest of the movie is just filler.
My late father said to me " you know, this movie is about to get the dog back for that lady in the end " , I'm still laughing about his remark , but still , every time i see those Tomcats refuelling and then breaking off .... so sweet !
Its kind of interesting how they decide its best to not muddle in the past and allow history to take the known path, but i would have liked to see them sink the Carriers that attacked pearl harbor
A movie should always have a plot. (I was a film major)
The TOMCAT is by far the sexiest and down right the top three baddest jet aircraft ever designed.
You mean badass?
Hectopath no,baddest. Many planes are badass- spitfire,the Century fighters (F-100,F-106,F-105,F-104) Saber,Super Saber,but they are not the baddest. Hell,even MIGs are bad ass.
@@Hectopath2006 if your ass is bad, get a good one
Great shots and video. VFA-103 is an excellent squadron. The F15 Eagles in this video are great aircraft as well. I'm partial to the F14, but the F18 is amazing as well. These are the old F14's too, before they got rid of the afterburner. The Navy banned us from using afterburners at all altitudes on the D and B variants after several aircraft were overheating their engines and crashing.
I know this is an old post but had to correct. The tomcat did not get “rid” of the afterburners. The GE engines the B and D had afterburners as well, the difference was it didn’t need them for take off like the A model. Military power was enough
The "A" model Tomcats were powered by Crap call Pratt and Whitney Engines. Those Engines were responsible for the loss of nearly 50 Tomcats. The Tomcat was saved by the GE Engines. All fighters are equipped with Afterburning Engines. The Jolly Rogers in the Movie are those of VF-84. At the time of production, the Squadron XO was my Uncle CDR Ed "Hunyak" Andrews. He is featured as one of the Naval Aviators in the production.
There were no F-15's or F-18's in this movie.
That afterburner effect though 😍
Literally ANYTIME BABY!
The Jolly Roger.
I still see the Veritech Fighter in the Tomcat "Skull Leader"
My squadron used the ready room of the jolly Rogers when I was in the Navy on the USS Nimitz.
Woah
saquist yep, that is what happened when I was in. :)
*salutes*
Thanks :)
The amount of effort to capture these scenes on film.
F-14 and Jolly Rogers ! Beautiful
Oh My! Six years before Top Gun. Jolly Rogers Tomcats was amazing!
"In the port catwalk, get below. We still have aircraft to land." Most authentic movie ever!
He forgot to add this scene, but after the rescued Japanese pilot being escorted by armed Marines arrives on the carrier deck and sees an F-14 landing, the pilot's expression is like "Wait what? We're going up against THAT?!"
Love this movie,just imagine,one super carrier back in 41
I love this movie. The Tomcats are going to fast for the Zero's that they have to weave so as to not overtake them.
This movie is finally getting the 4k treatment! Looking forward to April 27th!
I love how the Tomcat pilot is nerding out over the Zero. You know he's a fan of old WWII planes, since I doubt they add those to the Navy's identification training.
2:48 is great...i love how the pilots will do some weird signaling, the goofy head flexing the pilot does mimicks the catapult action very closely. Good stuff.
When you like and it turns from 4K to 4.1K
Amazing vid by the way!
To see that takeoff at the beginning gives you chills! What a way to start the video!!!!!!
this video is so good that i think someone with an HD camera jumped back 30 years ago.
Great video, thanks for editing and posting it!
4:22 "mmmmmm contact"
Yeah, that's what she said when I checked her oil with my measuring stick. Hahahaha hahaha
What you got?..... - 2 Japanese Zero sir!.... - Twooo what? XD
If I remember the Navy shot so much footage for this movie, that they took all of it and made a really long promotional film of navy plane and carrier porn. They used to show it a few times daily in the Intrepid Museum. (I assume the other preserved carriers got it as well). I wish I knew its name to see if anybody dumped a copy to TH-cam. It also used the Final Countdown music.
Those Cats had to be close to stalling speed trying to stay behind those Zeroes wouldn't they?
So much better than the usual run of the mill superhero and zombie sci-fi movies.
@Deanbabylon Right on! 30 year Navy Aviation MCPO here. A magnificient carrier aircraft. And it fought till the end. VF-31 Felix (yes, the cat with the bomb from original "Fighting 8" in WWII) delivered on the last combat missions on USS Lincoln during Iraqi Freedom.
Класс! Трудяга Ф-14...Да и фильм, что надо:). Спасибо.
F-14A революционный самолет это из моих любимых перехватчиков. Вот чутка доработали бы амеры. Мог бы 31 мигом мог бы по конкурировать. У F-14A были не доработки по двигателю по вооружению нормально но малость бы модернизировали бы. Было бы шикарно. Фениксы были сырые первых версий.
One complaint. The radio chatter just a few seconds before the opening along with the "Have a nice day!" then the burners are lit is just classic. Too bad it's not there.
Am proud to say my father took me to the movies to see this when released in the theater (a time when everything was open). It was one of those small movie theaters that grabbed films on the tail end of their release. No technological whiz bang experience. I snagged my friend on the way and agreed to take him with us. Regardless, It remains to this day one of my few favorite films of all time.
Those tomcats are some mean kittys
Definitely among the most beautiful plane ever designed.
I loved the air ops stuff in Final Countdown. Even though it was a scifi movie it showed modern carrier ops in a more true to life way than anything before or since. It'd all be ridiculous looking computer graphics if it was made these days.
They never should have retired the Tomcat. Greatest fighter jet ever built. Never lost in combat
It's understandable why they would though. Maintenence of the F-14 was freaking expensive and complicated compared to the other planes of its time. Also the Navy wanted to somewhat streamline their carrier air wings with a jack of all trade fighter platform, hence the Hornet and Super Hornet. They won't be ass badass as the F14 but they're still badass nonetheless and more practical.
The sound is just awesome
Just thinking. With all the "ALIENS" we are seeing today. Could it be that they are OURS and they traveled through a time warp? Like in this scene?
I just watched this movie for the first time, it looked interesting and I have to say I was pretty entertained. 1980!
now it all makes sense!! thank you!!
My dad told me after I watched first Top Gun, that this movie is another alternative to Tomcat action movie and more authentic in terms of military, not the story itself. Tomcat is my first favorite military aircraft.
It is, no denying that the jet is stunning!!!!!!!!!
As a AMMO Troop from the United States Air Force, it warms my heart to see that they used live munitions in the scenes where they were getting prepped. So many movies will over look that little detail. 99% of the population won't notice the difference.
For the 99%'s benefit: Blue paint on a munition marks it as an inert training munition. The ones you see with yellow striping are loaded with high explosives.
You gotta love those "Rocket planes"..
great movie
This reminds me of the classic star trek episode called "Tomorrow is yesterday " where the fighter pilot spots what he thinks is a ufo and gets beamed aboard the Enterprise.
4,12-4,26. Mmmmmhhh, contact !!!😂😂😂
4:22
*M M M* c o n t a c t
Definitely a movie I loved when I was so young.
great post ty :) love this film :)
The Final Countdown is better than Top Gun The best jet plane movie
Easily!
Top Gun blows dead goats, twice on Sunday, compared to this movie.
The fighter scenes and story line alone bury Top Gun.
Yeah. Because a time traveling aircraft carrier isnt silly at all.
TG beats this ne. But both are good movies.
FTR, Flight of the Intruder beats them both. And I say that as a F14 alum
Definitely it is, but you should also check "Stargate Continuum F-15 montage" ;-)
Good movie, True. But Flight of the Intruder is the best movie featuring tactical aircraft.
You're right. Thought I saw a VA-97 18 in it, but after paying closer attention while watching this clip, I noticed there wasn't an 18 in it. That's what I get for flipping back and forth between several videos at the same time.
Gran avión de combate,,, que no pudo demostrar su verdadero potencial destructivo, todo un TOPCAT
Ah Yes the venerable Jolly Rogers.
The AirBoss jumping on some ones ass from the tower at 2:08 is gold!!!
@3:19 The humor of that scene is we are now as far from the 1970's as the 70's were from the 40's. The technology gap that made this movie fun then has in some ways reversed. Save CVN platform, less cool, and in raw mechanical performance, less capable aircraft. Maybe a sequel to this movie when a 1980's CVN goes forward in time to have the same knockout effect as going back.
Don't deny it! You too would stool yourself if your saw 2 flying planes/machines from the future going past you at ballistic speeds . :)
The 114 landed there, could be Maverick and Goose
why didn't they ever make a remake of this great movie
Love those Tomcats
Because it would be done with F35's and suck.
Noooooo on the remake. All CGI, social agenda, political agenda. Please no.
VF-84 "Jolly Rogers"
And their shipmates, VF-41 "Black Aces".
Skull Squadron.
Such a great film great cast too.
Tomcat
VF-31...(.AJ's...JOLLY ROGERS,I did a cabinet install from one of those Jolly Roger pilots a couple years ago)
Those A-6's
Was one of my father's Squadrons
Tomcat requirements when being built...
Maneuverable
Fast
Firepower
And it better look damn good at best.