This was the fifth prototype Tomcat, used to demonstrate systems compatibility, spending its entire operational career from 1971 as a flight testing aircraft, evaluating different systems and configurations under the control of Grumman. In 1974 it joined the PMTC for weapons system integration work and in 1990 became the first F-14 to go on public display, initially painted in VF-21 marks

This was the fifth F-14 to be produced and was one of the prototypes allocated for flight and systems testing. Now on display outside the wonderful National naval Aviation Museum, indeed when mounted on this pedestal she became the first ever Tomcat to go on public display