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This Man Restored an F-14D Tomcat Nearly by Himself, He Deserves Our Respect

The last time we saw Felix 101, the last Grumman F-14D Tomcat to fly with the U.S. Navy, it had just arrived at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, New York. After 14 years parked outside a facility formerly owned by Grumman Aircraft, the plane was in certified barn find status.
Richard Kalen F-14D Felix 101 61 photos
Photo: Benny Kirk/ autoevolution
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Almost five months have passed since then, enough time for America's final Tomcat to undergo a profound cosmetic transformation. A whole crew of volunteers and staff put their hearts and souls into restoring this timelessly beautiful jet fighter.

But one man's done more work to this airplane than any other. He just so happens to be one of Grumman's more colorful retirees. Say hello to Richard Kalen, a man who spent 41 years of his life working  on some of Grumman's most important aerospace projects.

But these days, Kalen spends his time bringing life back into the very airplanes he helped bring to life. We caught up with Richard as he finished final preparations to get Cradle's newest exhibit ready for display sometime early next year.

He was gracious enough to explain just how important Grumman used to be back when the company still called Long Island home. "Growing up around here, I was surrounded by people who were involved with Grumman during their time building the Lunar Module," Kalen said with a look of obvious delightful nostalgia.

Richard Kalen F\-14 Tomcat
Photo: Benny Kirk/autoevolution
"I worked on most of the major projects Grumman took on after the Apollo missions. I worked on the F-14, of course, but I was also part of a team of Grumman engineers who helped design the wings for the Space Shuttle. Now that I'm retired, I can fix up these old machines all I like."

That's some fairly phenomenal credentials right there. But you won't find an iota of a desire to show off when talking to Richard. He's still a volunteer, after all. He took on the task of restoring this F-14D because these airplanes are his passion, his life's work, a permanent indicator of his contribution to something far greater than any one human being.

Of course, a host of other volunteers also contributed greatly over the last five months to get this airplane in the condition you see it in right now. But none of them have worked quite as hard as Richard Kalen to get everything looking as amazing as it does right now. It took a heck of a lot of work to make it happen.

"I spent most of the first couple of months not doing much else other than pulling bird nests out of this airplane," Kalen said as he shined a flashlight into one of the countless narrow gaps and crevices throughout this airframe. "Now that everything's looking nice, I'm installing some wire mesh and plexiglass cutouts to hopefully keep the birds out for good."

Richard Kalen F\-14 Tomcat
Photo: Benny Kirk/autoevolution
Watching Richard measure, fabricate, and then mount these glass panels and lengths of wire showcases a meticulous nature befitting someone who very literally did rocket science for a living. As we casually watched Richard work that afternoon, we couldn't help but notice how gorgeous the fresh coat of paint looked on this old bird.

Fresh decals installed and refurbishments to the iconic Felix the Cat holding a lit bomb help to make for a timeless look that's bound to excite when the exhibit is ready. With refurbished, de-engined Aim-7 Sparrow and Aim-9 Sidewinder missiles ready to be installed for aesthetic purposes, Richard and his team deserve nothing but praise for a job well done.

"I remember hearing that the Felix 101 might be getting moved to Florida some time ago. I couldn't help but think what a shame that would've been. I'm so glad they decided to keep it close to where it was built all those years ago." Kalen said as he chatted with us. "It was such a joy to get it to the condition it's in right now.

Expect the new exhibit to be ready sometime in the winter or spring of 2023. By which point, the plane will serve as a gate guard outside the museum for everybody to marvel at. This time, Richard ensured birds wouldn't be building nests in it anymore.

Richard Kalen F\-14 Tomcat
Photo: Benny Kirk/autoevolution
For that gift and so much more, we owe Richard and everyone else at the Cradle of Aviation our deepest thanks. Check out the gallery above if you want to see more. It's like chicken soup for the soul.

Check back soon for more fighter jet profiles here on autoevolution.  
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