Bring this classic Navy air superiority fighter back to life with this Mini LEGO Custom F-14 Tomcat fighter jet! This Custom Set is made from 100% real LEGO bricks. Small, but mighty this Mini F-14 is 6.5 inches long and is built by using 95 LEGO pieces, including 47 unique elements. This set arrives un-assembled and includes printed, easy to follow instructions that take you step by step through this fun build! I take great pride in designing and offering these sets using 100% new LEGO, and hope to inspire others to get building! -Thanks Matt
The F-14 Tomcat’s history began in the late 1960s as the U.S. Navy sought a carrier-based fighter to replace the F-4 Phantom and counter Soviet MiG threats during the Cold War. Born from the ashes of the troubled F-111B program—a joint Navy-Air Force venture that faltered due to weight and cost overruns—the Navy turned to Grumman Aerospace to develop a new fleet defender. The F-14’s design emphasized air superiority, featuring variable-sweep wings, twin engines, and the powerful AWG-9 radar paired with AIM-54 Phoenix missiles capable of engaging multiple targets at over 100 miles. The first F-14A took flight on December 21, 1970, at Grumman’s Calverton facility in New York, entering service with VF-1 and VF-2 squadrons aboard the USS Enterprise in 1974.
In its early years, the F-14 faced teething troubles but quickly proved its worth. Powered by Pratt & Whitney TF30 engines, the initial models struggled with compressor stalls and reliability issues, leading to several crashes and a reputation for high maintenance—sometimes requiring 50 hours of work per flight hour. Despite this, its combat debut came in 1981 when two F-14s from VF-41 shot down Libyan Su-22s over the Gulf of Sidra, showcasing its dogfighting prowess. The Tomcat’s role expanded beyond air-to-air combat with the 1987 introduction of the Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS), enabling reconnaissance missions over hotspots like Lebanon. By the late 1980s, over 500 F-14As had been delivered, equipping 22 Navy squadrons.
The 1990s marked a turning point as the F-14 evolved to meet new demands. The F-14B, introduced in 1987 with upgraded F110-GE-400 engines, addressed earlier power and reliability woes, while the F-14D Super Tomcat, first flown in 1991, brought digital avionics, improved radar (APG-71), and precision strike capabilities with bombs like the JDAM. These upgrades saw action in the Gulf War, where F-14s flew combat air patrols and TARPS missions, and later in the Balkans and Iraq, dropping laser-guided munitions. However, the Tomcat’s high operating costs—around $38 million per unit and $1 million annually per plane—drew scrutiny as the Cold War waned, with the Navy favoring the cheaper, multirole F/A-18 Hornet. Production ended in 1991 after 712 units, including exports to Iran, the only foreign buyer.
By the early 2000s, the F-14’s days were numbered. The last combat missions came during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, where F-14Ds supported ground troops with precision strikes. Facing obsolescence and budget cuts, the Navy retired the Tomcat in September 2006, with the final flight from NAS Oceana, Virginia, ending its 32-year career. Replaced by the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, the F-14 left a cultural legacy, immortalized in Top Gun (1986), which cemented its image as a sleek, swaggering icon. As of 2025, most U.S. F-14s have been scrapped to prevent parts from reaching Iran’s still-operational fleet, but its record—over 160,000 flight hours and a pivotal role in naval aviation—endures as a testament to its engineering ambition and combat versatility.
Guarantee: All sets come with a 100% money back guarantee. If you are not satisfied for any reason- just ship it back for a 100% refund. -Thanks Matt
Shipping Info:
You will get an email with USPS tracking info once it ships. These sets ship securely in a white, sturdy, corrugated cardboard BLOCKJets mailer box. The box will then be sealed in a white poly mailer bag to protect your set and the printed color instructions from the elements during transit and delivery.
DISCLAIMER: This is not a LEGO® Product. These are new LEGO elements that have been repackaged. LEGO is a trademark of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this product. The LEGO Group and BLOCK Jets are not liable for any loss, injury or damage arising from the use or misuse of this product.
