F-14 Tomcat vs Soviet Built Jets

It’s August 18th, 1981. Off the coast of Libya.
An American carrier group is in the Gulf of Sidra. International waters.... but not according to the Libyans. MiG-25's and Su-22's have been repeatedly going up against the F-14 Tomcats launched from the USS Nimitz. Up to now it's all been fun and games with the Americans seeing off the Libyans without conflict. But all that changes when two Soviet built Su-22 Fitters decide to start a fight. What happens next showed the class of the incredible F-14 Tomcat in a combat situation and became the inspiration for scenes in the film Top Gun.
Thanks to our Patreon Nicholas Richardson who appears as a cameo in this video at 01:36.
Yarnhub uses the Unreal® Engine. Unreal® is a trademark or registered trademark of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere. Unreal® Engine, Copyright 1998 - 2022, Epic Games, Inc. All rights reserved.

[@Yarnhub]

www.patreon.com/yarnhub Please Support the Channel so we can make more videos. Thanks !

[@turiipipip1920]

Cool

[@pettsonochfindusdvd4787]

Super

[@mr.miyagi881]

Great balls of fire

[@JayRey117]

Broke so I cant

[@mr.miyagi881]

@@JayRey117 rip

[@akwardsiIence]

If you guys ever make a movie, I would definitely pay to watch. Thank you guys for the quality content your team provides for free.

[@arvalfe]

@Emil Lau Larsen who hasn’t?

[@ryancastillo4938]

Same

[@__adamshrfudj]

I dont know. Their animation is kinda wack now...

[@ewyattgd5411]

@@__adamshrfudj disagree

[@Lunchbox37939]

@@__adamshrfudj the animations on the aircraft and the people are really good still

[@richardgeorge3136]

I was a jet engine mechanic with VF-41 the Black Aces at the time of that incident. Shortly after the planes returned to the Nimitz the general quarter alarm sounded because the ships radar detected incoming unidentified aircraft approaching us. It turned out to be a false alarm and the planes were from the USS Forestall that was operating with Nimitz during that time.

[@edwardgoering1237]

I was with VMFA-115 Hyd Shop I always called it my Kaddafy Weekend our Phantoms helped turn some back we went to General Quarter right after the splash Down for one day 24 hours USS Forrestal What told us something was up is when we did a U Turn at the Rock of Gilbralter

[@hicksindustries9518]

i would love to work on a carrier. when im older im joining the navy

[@richardgeorge3136]

@@hicksindustries9518 If you decide to join the Navy make sure you know what job you want. In my case the recruiter knew I wanted to work on Navy planes so in boot camp I was not a Seaman Recruit I was an Airman Recruit.

[@bane4514]

@@richardgeorge3136 I'm gonna be a pilot

[@CharlesTheSleepyCat]

underrated coment.

[@arekbaszczyk574]

SU pilot: *casually flying* F-14 pilots: we've been trying to reach you about your aircraft's extended warranty

[@jhundeeguillermo6790]

Y e s

[@century21arnoldteam]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@lucaswar7989]

@@jhundeeguillermo6790 this translates to forks

[@jhundeeguillermo6790]

@@lucaswar7989 nice

[@MoskusMoskiferus1611]

The Su-22 were the one facing head on head with F-14

[@odd-ysseusdoesstuff6347]

After watching Top Gun, I’m just smirking all the references and the scenes with clear inspiration from the film! You’ve outdone yourself Yarnhub!

[@Echo_Reyes]

I believe they called it international relations

[@M4A1BestGirl]

Glad I'm not the only one that noticed.

[@aviator1918]

Same as me here!

[@SnakeInAShoe]

My favorite must be the helmets, h a n k

[@michealknight8113]

Yah if you pay attention you can see some of the references

[@pewpewdragon4483]

Yarnhub goes to show that it's not just about the graphics, but the cinematography as a whole that dictates the enjoyability of a video/animation. Very good visual storytelling as usual, and of course audio storytelling as well!

[@Davidson134-c7q]

feels like a storytelling from our grandma.

[@user-cr1bs4lm9j]

Yeah but how did the F-14 Tomcats at the start crash from the weight of the balls of the pilots

[@doomdjyo5997]

The best animation ive seen in videos like this

[@UnNuclear]

The F-14 Tomcat was my first love when it comes to jets. The folding wings were just the coolest thing to me when I was 5 years old.

[@JohnVKaravitis]

Apparently doesn't take much to make your day.

[@elisski]

@@JohnVKaravitischil bro

[@theofficialintruder]

I thought you loved it because of.... Tom and Jerry

[@DanielDorn-tr7tw]

They are not folding, they are sweeping

[@jirkacrkal5563]

I cannot help myself, the carrier scenes remind me of Topgun 1. Even the coffee scene. Awesome job @Yarnhub folks!

[@gamergaming6604]

It is about f-14 so topgun the first thing ever comes in mind

[@robertlombardo8437]

Didn't you notice? The helmets of the pilots strongly resemble Cougar, Merlin, Maverick and Goose. I thought that was an awesome touch!

[@RCook_23]

This story of sort was the base for the first Topgun

[@apeaape]

Wow it's almost like it's a reference

[@Newie69MK]

The Gulf of Sydria incident was part of what inspired the events of Top Gun.

[@eizzeeefromstupidland]

this man and his team (or just himself) are capable of making weekly videos with so much effort, and to the point where if this man made a movie, people would pay.

[@Yarnhub]

We have a team.

[@Ilikemc_donalds]

@@Yarnhub Hi it would be so cool if you could make a movies and put them on KZbin and even dvd I would like to see one on the Red baron ,bloody april , and the korean war mig 15s vs f86

[@Yarnhub]

@@Ilikemc_donalds If we get enough people who are interested then maybe we can crowd fund it in furure

[@Ilikemc_donalds]

@@Yarnhub that would be brilliant I would like to see a few full length video made on ww1 aviation about bloody april 1917 and one the Red baron from 1916-1918 and one the korean war a f86 squadron against mig 15s like 90 minutes long

[@Ilikemc_donalds]

@@Yarnhub Hi Yarnhub have a merry Christmas and Happy New year

[@thelonelypigeon9554]

You guys did a great job on the F14 cockpits together with the masks and helmets. You even made the WPN selection buttons animate with the letters on it.

[@notalexzander2]

I was about to comment on it, the work is amazing. However, these (1981) F-14As have a few details wrong. The most noticeable for me was the HUD, on every tomcat until 200 it was always just projected onto the front windscreen. The Sparrowhawk (F-14B 2000s upgrade) collimating HUD was as referenced above not installed until the 2000s.

[@notalexzander2]

Another noticeable one is the PTID in the aft cockpit, I have spent far too many hours staring at the simulated fishbowl display of the F-14B (and A) in DCS to not notice this.

[@thelonelypigeon9554]

@@notalexzander2 I didn't spend much time in the RIO seat compared to pilot seat. I too understand those details. But you can't expect them to animate every detail. RAZBAM took years to make their model and these guys probably just took months. That alone is an accomplishment. 👏

[@Defender78]

apart from the British voices of the F-14 pilots this was pretty good!

[@notalexzander2]

@@thelonelypigeon9554 The 14 module was made by HB, not RB. If it was RB, it would be Mirage 2000 quality or worse.

[@mr___pixel]

Gotta love the hints to Top Gun. The quality of these videos is unparalleled.

[@shezzowicked3858]

Because the movie was based on these events.

[@Coreybug]

You guys have improved over the year tremendously

[@astro3]

hello brother

[@jakefearing6640]

I agree

[@jakefearing6640]

I agree

[@TacticalPhoenixYT]

2:00 is it just me, or do these guys bear a resemblance to maverick and goose?

[@2ichie]

Years** they’ve been at this for a long time now

[@stormus65]

Amazing video as always, Yarnhub. A couple of stories you may be interested in are from the seige of Malta in WW2. One where fighter ace George Beurling of 249 squadron shot down a BF109 at a range of 800 yards while in a climbing turn. The other being that of a Bristol Beaufort crew who were shot down after attacking an Axis freighter. The crew were picked up and handed over to the Italians, who took them to Corfu and treated them well. Shortly after, the crew of the Beaufort was boarded onto a seaplane and were being flown to Taranto for interrogation. It was then that the Beaufort crew overpowered the Italians and forced the pilot to fly at gunpoint towards Sicily, and when sighting the island, made the Italian pilot turn for Malta, where they were intercepted by a patrolling Spitfire. The seaplane landed and the Beaufort crew came out, flying anything white to show to the Spitfire to not fire on the seaplane. An RAF rescue launch was sent to capture the Italian seaplane and its crew and return the Beaufort crew to Malta. A seaplane tender being used to tow the seaplane to St Paul's Bay, Malta

[@bassett_green]

Part of what makes modern air combat so idolized is that frequently all parties involved survive. It's good to hear

[@EMesch]

Maybe not all but yes its interesting to see how combat is seen when it doesn't has to end with death.

[@Defender78]

7:30 there's something interesting in this encounter that the Libyan pilots were rescued. I was sure the USA and only the USA had CSAR capabilities

[@liamweaver2944]

As Gustav Rödel said “You shoot at a machine, not a man.”

[@thunderbird1921]

I'm not sure how that second Libyan pilot managed to survive, he must have ejected before being hit or something. During a documentary on the Persian Gulf War, I saw a US pilot (of a F-15 I believe) give testimony of his encounter with two Iraqi MiG-29s, he and his wingman ended up killing one while the other went into a excessively fast dive during their dogfight and violently smashed into the ground. I have heard reports of multiple fatal dogfights in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War also. A fair number of modern pilots still die in aerial combat even with all the updated tech.

[@genrabbit9995]

It all depends on where your hit. Those missiles in video was probably with a small warhead, while others comes with proximity warheads(sending out thousands of small projectile). Then your chance to survive falls drastically if hit in the front

[@colecressend7151]

This is excellent content. It’s hard to find good recounts of aerial combat in history. Glad to see y’all do it the right way!

[@topgun5491]

The graphics have really improved overtime it really shows how far this channel has gone from the start keep up the amazing work

[@ICommentOnRandomVideosIFind]

people say i have dementia

[@cameron5802]

WOW. Beautiful animations. The facial features were incredible in this one, plus the details like the smoke on the runway. You guys are always so great at improving.

[@toasttoast9955]

Annnnnnd look now, better every animation.

[@judhajitbasak5380]

One of your earliest subscribers. I mean the improvement is enormous but time taking too. Practice makes perfect. You guys are a perfect example. Great graphics. Great storytelling.

[@AIM7Sparrow44]

MiG-25 pilots: hmm hmm hmm. F-14 pilots:say cheese its the last thing youll say

[@Waffols4Life]

Let’s take a glorious hour to appreciate how much this guy researches to bring us great history

[@alexnovak3319]

Clearly he doesnt do enough research. At 8:00 he said it was the only encounter, while there was an engagement between 2x tomcats and 2x floggers

[@Waffols4Life]

The council completely missed that

[@codenomad.]

​@@alexnovak3319 💀

[@coldcupofmilk]

when i watch videos like this with animations i tend to get a little nitpicky trying to find inaccuracies but the attention to detail in animations from this channel never disappoints

[@PhantomRaptor1]

Arguably your best video yet, and we know they'll only improve. Compliments to the team, and I'm excited to see what's in store for us next!

[@springle_pringle]

1:35 i see what you did there i saw the movie

[@ROOSTER333]

The fact that yall started thus as just a fun Hobbie is insane because you're passion and work ethic shows in your product

[@Spyro_62]

The amount of Top Gun References made me smile. Good work

[@skilled3245]

This is truly a masterpiece, those graphics are damn looking good, Plus the top gun references, the coffee scene, and Maverick and Goose's helmets. 10/10

[@ROOSTER333]

Yeah the attention to detail just shows their work ethic

[@zayyanhakim747]

Which part is the maverick and goose helmet?

[@skilled3245]

@@zayyanhakim747 6:04 here you can appreciate both (but only the helmet's color, not the name on it)

[@muhammadrafli8682]

also ice and slider helmet, and "buzzing the tower". very nice references

[@MZIH]

6:46 war thunder top tiers kill steals in a nutshell

[@thecubingguy7333]

True that

[@ibrahimfayyaz]

This was one of the best works your team has done. The story was amazing and so were the graphics. Please keep posting such content for free.

[@randallshughart]

Amazing job correctly rendering the F14 cockpit on the RIO and pilot side. As always, getting better and better.

[@captain_commenter8796]

Tomcats: “lmao we scared them easy” Libyans: *“We are not done yet”*

[@AlreadyTakenTag]

Tomcats: *shoot them down* "Now you are"

[@wing19816]

@@AlreadyTakenTag they are just ground attack aircraft, and old ones at that

[@Leadblast]

@@AlreadyTakenTag I don't think you're thinking what Captain_Commenter is thinking.

[@augustuslunasol10thapostle]

@@wing19816it’s a retort not a superiority thing

[@SilverSpoon_]

6:33 i lol'd hard, but well, the missile knew where it was by knowing where it wasn't.

[@kobet7341]

You guys never stop improving. It’s amazing!

[@n8ivspat3n56]

6:54 god Damn This little shot shows how much the animations have improved. Keep up the great work these videos are quite interesting

[@kubertcious]

The graphics are amazing compared to some older videos. Love your content, keep on making good vids!

[@mikesschool7094]

the helmet at time 2:42 is the desighn for maverick!

[@Bestplayer-mx6yb]

Been watching this channel since the Spared B-17, it’s nice to see how far this channel is coming. Keep going!

[@bremeska]

This is my favorite video of yours. Keep up the good work man.

[@ATGM_Main]

We have come so far, from 2D animations to amazing, clear and clean 3D animation, and I (with many others) have been watching since the start

[@tokko4585]

"In reality, The Americans have no intention of War or Bloodshed." -As a person served in the Marine for 22years, I can assure you he isnt lying.

[@aluminium1035]

the amount of Top Gun 1 references in this vid and especially that Iceman teeth bite on 2:03

[@Yarnhub]

You’re the first to comment on that !

[@traindudesink1804]

I think this is easily my new favorite video from you guys

[@PolarbearMatt]

So many subtle top gun references. Amazing

[@robertlombardo8437]

The helmets were a helluva nice touch.

[@yoshibutkagekira7899]

0:53 "Watch the Birdie"

[@Fit_Philosopher]

that was amazing. loved it. loved the animation, the accurate subtitles, the script, and historical context

[@michinomiya8179]

Yarnhub animations are just getting better and better overtime. Keep it up Yarnhub!

[@dong7474]

After watching top gun maverick last week this is almost feels like I’m watching it again. 04:11 was such a nice touch with the wings actually sweeping back. This video was AMAZING!! All hail the flying dorito!

[@rayhatton7683]

With respects to the movie. You mean the F-14. All hail the F-14. The carrier aircraft that is still all business to kick ass and take names. None since have given such national pride and respect. Gone the days of national pride in a aircraft that even in head on parked this aircraft had that attitude saying please mess with me. We are you going? No one wants to have a fight? I'm going to miss this aircraft.

[@dong7474]

@@rayhatton7683 …what?

[@rayhatton7683]

@@dong7474 The F-14 is bout the attitude of the nation it was built from. Ground up it says this warplane is going to kick but. This plane didn't lie even on the drawing boards. Promised to give a very serious jet fighter for the Navy. Look at the head on veiw of this plane. It wins hands down. None since has a aircraft extrude national pride.

[@Leadblast]

@@rayhatton7683 all that blahblah and you failed to notice how bad the Tomcat was. Stop overrating the F-14 so badly, your comment looks cringey right now. When it comes to US jet fighters the true pride of USA was and still is the F-15. Nothing retires the bird, not even time itself.

[@rayhatton7683]

@@Leadblast For the Navy fighters tell me what has better performance and the capability. F-15 is air force. This is Navy. So why bring up something that is at it's core true. Even in book form this fighter is still the gold standard for the Navy. The F-15 isn't for the sea. The F-14 was straight from the gate intended to fight in this element. Cringe really was this story bout that plane. Let's ask the comments?

[@hchand02]

Man !!!!!!! what a clear cut crisp animation , this is clearly an ERA of animation 2022 onwards !!!!

[@Alex2K]

Congrats Yarnhub, I love the way your are teaching History to the younger generations and all crew deserve at least a round of beers

[@zsombortoth7167]

This channel is sky rocketing so fast, I remember when you guys had like 20k subscribers, It's a really lovely feeling to be a subscriber at the moment, well done bois

[@benyes3607]

This is one of my favourite episodes yet! Well done Yarnhub!

[@moonboyproductionsyt]

Anyone noticed the references to Top Gun?? Yarnhub, fantastic job.

[@LancelotChan]

Great story! Great expressions on the characters too, besides excellent aerial combat scenes!

[@crunchybro123]

I loved that top gun reference with the coffee guy

[@panzerv5]

This quality of video, never have been achieved with a small group. Yarnhub, you've done it.

[@miriamjulian2350]

THAT LOOKS SO HYPER REALISTIC LIKE VRCHAT

[@gunternug5121]

I was convinced that I was watching a movie instead of a history lesson, seriously you guys are great.

[@pigtnt6610]

I love your animations, the graphics, models, lighting, and narration is spot-on. 100% 5 star review for every video.

[@xdeepxfreezex2621]

Good lord man, this animation quality. It puts Hollywood to shame. Great work

[@Leadblast]

Some MiG-28 also put Hollywood and Wolfman to shame

[@shirothehero0609]

1:14 - "Radar Intercept Officer", not Radio. I know, nitpicky and pedantic, but just for sake of correctness. Great video.👌

[@ajay-ek5du]

The quality of videos have gone leaps and bounds. Especially the shots. The jerking effect of camera at 4:17 gives goosebumps. Kudoos to the team. Keep getting better!

[@harlech2]

I remember this day. Within 48 hours there were bumper stickers all over town: USA: 2 - Libya: 0

[@ewyattgd5411]

this is high quality content i would never want to miss

[@ageanpolluxdelarosa5421]

Dude the Top gun 1 and 2 reference is just cool, thanks for adding it 😊

[@GuyPipili]

Interesting Easter egg (1:30) in reference to the original Top Gun. Nice job!

[@miromarkkula2078]

This is some hollywood movie quality! Incredible

[@matydrum]

Wow the clouds in this video! They looked amazing! You've come such a long way it's incredible! Well done Yarnhub!

[@theextinctairplane7616]

These animations are getting extremely good, well done!

[@JustARandomHuman]

6:18 had the same vibe as "dew it, dew it now"

[@DoglinsShadow]

The production quality here is legendary! Thank you !

[@gian8769]

At 2:35 i like the helmet design, they should use it in a movie

[@FunnyFog]

yeah, one with the best pilots as well

[@Mets2015WorldSeries]

@@FunnyFogyeah and maybe they should name it after the navy’s top flight school. Maybe “top gun?”

[@ricochettheprotogen4928]

Beautiful,simply beautiful you guys have improved so much

[@tkthegk_1394]

This is simply amazing, the best one of its kind. You guys provide this excellent piece of art for free! You guys really made my day

[@minifigsnbrixproductions17]

What an improvement in animation from the last video, really love your content, keep it up! Love the many Top Gun references

[@nanjithenovgrofph]

This is why I love this channel.

[@frankdrevinpolicesquad2930]

The F 14 was one hell of a fighter but it's avionics and electrical system were a maintenance nightmare, especially on a sea going ship. Not surprised they had several failures during that episode

[@yulutube]

I really like the modern videos and the graphics look very nice Good job as always 👍🏽

[@abandonedaccount123]

this is my favorite yarnhub video yet, the animation and the flow is just SO GOOD!

[@itsrockyiv8209]

Quite a fine production from Yarnhub as per usual, keep it up fellas.

[@Henry-fh6gf]

Thanks so much for making this. Kinda gives me a lot of Top Gun nostalgia :)

[@jeremiahderosas9355]

My gosh I was surprised how the tone of this change with the music and the quality of the animation! Edit: The references to Top Gun are awesome! This event was dubbed as the Real Top Gun

[@TheOneNamedNoah]

This is the best history channel!!!

[@captain_commenter8796]

I love this more modern war story! I hope Yarnhub does more 1980+ stories!

[@specopstdog3057]

You guys improved so much I remember watching old vids like the night witches and thinking how cool the animations are you guys who work on these vids are truly awesome

[@enrikitou2147]

I legit LOVE the animations, they've gotten so MUCH better. Also, the song is just so beautifully on SPOT!

[@Crabslammer]

Awesome timing on this upload! I'm working on a youth event with a local aviation museum that has one of the last Tomcats to fly in the US, and we're trying to make it a little bit Top Gun themed. Spectacular video too, as always.

[@herodvinceseniel1042]

the animation gets better and better

[@2020Max1]

Love your animations but that account of the second shootdown seems a little over sensationalized. There is NO WAY an AIM-9L is going to track straight and then make a near 360 deg turn and then fly past the plane that fired it and hit its target. That is a feat that even the much more modern AIM-9x would have a hard time accomplishing.

[@yayeetmeoffacliff4708]

Orrrrr... maybe the other F-14 fired his 2nd missile?

[@2020Max1]

@@yayeetmeoffacliff4708 Except in reality that did not happen... this is supposed to be an info doc about the Gulf of Sidra incident where each pilot was credited with a kill. With that I'll leave you with a few words of wisdom >>> "When you get Yeeted OffaCliff, it's not the fall that kills you... it's the sudden stop at the bottom."

[@yayeetmeoffacliff4708]

@@2020Max1 lmao

[@varunprakash6207]

F- 14 Tomcat vs Soviet Built Jets wow Amazing animation 👌 by Yarn Hub team 👏👏 improving animation + Quality semma super

[@bullreeves1109]

I feel the need… The need for jet engines to generate forward thrust to creat differential pressure under the wings and achieve high velocity! - Top Gun…Probably.

[@mr.miyagi881]

Lol

[@msredfox]

A truly spectacular animation, Yarnhub have outdone themselves with this one

[@waterlicker8635]

If I got a nickel for every time Yarnhub made a video of a pilot waving at their enemy, I would have two nickels, which isn’t much, but it’s weird that it happened

[@milliondollarsooner]

Nice phineas and ferb reference

[@KermeqProductions634]

I have never seen you making videos of the modern era! Nice to see those jets in the sky here! Well done yarnhub

[@Asmith-1111]

My uncle was on one of the escorting ships that escorted the USS Enterprise on October 14th 1973. The thing that is special about this date is it was the first mission that the f-14 was deployed on a carrier group.

[@dr.bright6160]

Can we all agree the F-14 is the most beautiful and armed plane?

[@Leadblast]

No. The coolest fighter is the F-15 by far. But this is a cool Yarnhub video regardless

[@Vanshv52]

My fav part was when an f14 buzzed tower and the guy spilled his coffee just like top gun

[@drewmingo]

0:48 *snap* "yep, thats going into my cringe collection"

[@zulu2049]

Regular Navy ms3 Caruthers in 1981, I was there in the Persian Gulf on the Uss Goldsborough DDg20 the flagship. Although it was a bloodless battle the tensions were high. When the F-14s took out the Libyan fighters the recruits onboard showed some trepidation about going to war, I calmly said "At least then we`ll get our money tax free."

[@americanhat3766]

I found your guys' channel just 1 or 2 episodes after you did your first 3d videos and I have to say that the quality has only gone up since then, keep these awsome stories up you guys. Also a video suggestion; the USS Texas at D-Day and how the ship leaned at a 35 ° (I believe that's how much it was) angle to fire further inland.

[@bfrobin446]

2 degrees. The guns could elevate 15 degrees above the deck, and they heeled the ship another two degrees to fire at 17 above the horizontal.

[@FirstNameLastName-qx8ii]

Awesome cinematography and narration.

[@JohnDoe-pv2iu]

I wish America hadn't sold any F 14s to Iran, when relations were friendly. If we hadn't, we could give some mothballed F 14s to Ukraine (FYI, We can't give any away because their parts are considered to be 'Confidential & Protected'. Iran desperately wants parts to keep those 70s era F 14s they have flying). With it's 'stand-off' capabilities, a dozen pairs in the air (flown by Ukrainian pilots) could establish a near nationwide 'No fly zone' for them. That beautiful bird could fire and forget a half dozen 'contacts' at 20 miles+! Great Video! Ya'll Take Care, John