After much searching, the best F-14 Tomcat price that I could find online was $50 million and change. The F-22 was $120million plus. Both were well outside my budget. Sigh. Susan was understandably disappointed, of course.
So, we settled on a 2023 Subaru Ascent with only 6 miles on the odometer. It came in well below the base price of the F-14, and its fuel economy will make it far more affordable in the long run, I think. Its owner manuals are almost as thick as the manuals for the F-14, but I’m sure that we can master them given a few years; we’re both retired, after all.
I think the fighters are sexy and all, but the Ascent’s Cosmic Blue body and Java color leather interior are unmatched by F-14 and its brethren. Military gear most often sacrifices luxury and comfort on the alters of efficiency and performance. So it goes.
As much as I hate to admit it, my aging, saggy ass values fuel efficiency, luxury, and comfort over speed. At age 73+, I no longer need Mach 2.
Hey, you could have gone for a 1961 Cessna. 😜
Not enough performance for me, but the price for a 1961 Cessna 172 is about the same as for the car.
I’m still going to keep a eye out for a gently-used, single-owner, F-14 Tomcat cream puff owned by some old lady from Peoria who took out only on Sundays.