F-14 Tomcat (World Fighter Aircraft Collection)

For many people the F-14 Tomcat will always be the quintessentialUS Navy jet fighter, made most famous by its starring role in theTom Cruise movie "Top Gun".

In this photo a Tomcat in a retro 1970s color scheme does a low-level pass immediately after takeoff with afterburners at full-power, during the F-14's farewell show at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia, in 2005.

In addition to the Tomcat's own remarkable capabilities, the F-14's popularity owes almost as much to the reverence felt for its manufacturer, the same Grumman Corporation which made World War Two naval fighters like the F3F, F4F, F6F, F7F and F8F, as well as a line of post-war jet fighters including the Panther and Cougar.

Whether viewed from the side, the front or the rear, the Tomcat has some very strange looking bumps and curves, which earned it the affectionate nickname "The Turkey."   All of those unusual shapes are there for a reason, and it's a surprise for many people to learn that the plane's wings provide only half of the total lift, the rest being generated by the fuselage itself and the "tunnel" between the engines, which not only creates 40% of the lift but also helps to reduce the plane's radar signature by shielding the ordnance hanging beneath the fuselage.