F-111 Aardvark
An F-111 in camouflage.
Type	Fighter-bomber
Manufacturer	General Dynamics
Maiden flight	21 December 1964
Introduced	18 July 1967
Retired	1998 (USAF)
Status	Active with Royal Australian Air Force until 2010
Primary users	United States Air Force Royal Australian Air Force
Number built	554
Unit cost	US$9. Ground-attack aircraft are military aircraft designed to attack targets on the ground and are often deployed as Close air support for and in proximity to their own ground forces An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing building testing selling and maintaining Aircraft, Aircraft parts General Dynamics Corporation ( is a defense conglomerate formed by Mergers and Divestitures and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest Defense contractor The maiden flight of an Aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. Events 390 BC - Roman - Gaulish Wars Battle of the Allia - a Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. The Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. 8 million (FB-111A)[1]
Variants	EF-111A Raven

The General Dynamics F-111 is an American medium-range strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and tactical strike aircraft designed in the 1960s. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout General Dynamics Corporation ( is a defense conglomerate formed by Mergers and Divestitures and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest Defense contractor The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A strategic bomber is a heavy type Aircraft designed to drop large amounts of ordnance onto a distant target for the purposes of debilitating an enemy's Reconnaissance (also scouting) is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information Ground-attack aircraft are military aircraft designed to attack targets on the ground and are often deployed as Close air support for and in proximity to their own ground forces The United States Air Force (USAF) variants were officially retired by 1998. The only remaining operator of the F-111 is the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force.

The F-111 pioneered several technologies for production military aircraft, including variable geometry wings, afterburning turbofan engines, and terrain following radar for low-level, high-speed flight. A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing Aircraft that is in the current employ of a Military power A Variable-sweep wing is an Aeroplane Wing that may be swept back and then returned to its original position during flight The AfterBurner is a lighting solution for the Game Boy Advance system that was created by Triton-Labs A turbofan is a type of Jet engine, similar to a Turbojet. It essentially consists of a Ducted fan with a smaller diameter turbojet engine Terrain-following radar (TFR is an Aerospace technology that allows a very-low-flying Aircraft to automatically maintain a relatively constant altitude Its design was highly influential, particularly for Soviet engineers, and some of its advanced features have since become commonplace. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 In its inception, however, the F-111 suffered a variety of development problems, and several of its intended roles, such as naval interception, failed to materialize. An interceptor aircraft (or simply interceptor) is a type of Fighter aircraft designed specifically to intercept and destroy enemy Aircraft, particularly

In USAF service the F-111 has been effectively replaced by the F-15E Strike Eagle for medium-range precision strike missions, while the supersonic bomber role has been assumed by the B-1B Lancer. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout In 2007, Australia decided to replace its F-111s in 2010 with 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout ^[2][3]

Development

The beginnings of the F-111 were in the TFX program, an ambitious early 1960s project to combine the U.S. Air Force requirement for a fighter-bomber with the U.S. Navy's need for a long-range carrier-based Fleet Air Defense fighter to replace the F-4 Phantom II and the F-8 Crusader. Ground-attack aircraft are military aircraft designed to attack targets on the ground and are often deployed as Close air support for and in proximity to their own ground forces An aircraft carrier is a Warship designed with WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The fighter design philosophy of the day concentrated on very high speed, raw power, and air-to-air missiles. An air-to-air missile ( AAM) is a guided Missile fired from an Aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft

Air Force specifications

The USAF's Tactical Air Command (TAC) was largely concerned with the fighter-bomber and deep strike/interdiction roles, which in the early 1960s still focused on the use of nuclear weapons. Tactical Air Command (TAC it an inactive United States Air Force organization Ground-attack aircraft are military aircraft designed to attack targets on the ground and are often deployed as Close air support for and in proximity to their own ground forces A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. The aircraft would be a follow-on to the F-105 Thunderchief, which was designed to deliver nuclear weapons low, fast and far. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see Wikipe diaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Air combat would be an afterthought until encountering MiGs over Vietnam in the mid-1960s. JSC "RSK "MiG" or Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG in full (formerly Mikoyan or Mikoyan-i-Gurevich Design Bureau, Микоян In June 1960 the USAF issued a specification for a long-range interdiction/strike aircraft able to penetrate Soviet air defenses at very low altitudes and very high speeds to deliver tactical nuclear weapons against crucial Soviet targets like airfields and supply depots. A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. Included in the specification were a low-level speed of Mach 1. Mach number (\mathrm{Ma} or M (generally ˈmɑːk sometimes /ˈmɑːx/ or /ˈmæk/ is the speed of an object moving through air or any Fluid 2, a high-altitude speed of Mach 2. 5, a combat radius of 890 mi (1,430 km), good short-field performance, and a ferry range long enough to reach Europe without refuelling.

Navy requirement

Meanwhile the U. S. Navy had, since 1957, been searching for a long-range, high-endurance interceptor to defend its carrier groups against the new generation of Soviet jet bombers, which by then were being armed with large, long range anti-ship missiles. A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. Anti-ship missiles are a Missile designed for use against Ships Most anti-ship missiles are of the Sea-skimming type and use a combination of The Navy needed a Fleet Air Defense (FAD) aircraft with better loitering performance and load-carrying ability than the F-4 Phantom II, and one equipped with a powerful radar and a battery of long-range missiles to intercept both enemy bombers and their missiles.

The Navy had studied, but rejected, a subsonic, straight-winged missile carrier, the F6D Missileer. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout In December 1960, the Navy had been reconsidering variable geometry for the FAD requirement. A Variable-sweep wing is an Aeroplane Wing that may be swept back and then returned to its original position during flight The trend toward ever bigger, more powerful fighters posed a problem for the Navy: the current generation of naval fighters were already barely capable of landing on an aircraft carrier deck, and a still larger and faster fighter would pose even greater problems. An aircraft carrier is a Warship designed with An airframe optimized for high-speed — most obviously with a high-angle swept wing — is inefficient at cruising speeds, which reduces range, payload and endurance and leads to very high landing speeds. A swept-wing is a wing Planform common on high-speed Aircraft, with the wing swept back instead of being set at right angles to the Fuselage. On the other hand, an airframe with a straight or modestly swept wing, while easier to handle and able to carry heavy loads over longer distances on a minimum of fuel, has lower ultimate performance. Variable geometry, which the Navy had tried and abandoned for the XF10F Jaguar in 1953, offered the possibility of combining both in a single airframe. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

Further developments

Behind the scenes, lessons were being learned and fixes being applied in the last 1960s. Testing in 1969 had revealed that a contractor had been paying off inspectors to approve sub-standard work on structural wing components, and all aircraft had to have the component replaced at significant cost (since most F-111As had been already completed). More failures were found and corrected in the wing pivot forgings.

Design

F-111 cockpit prior to a night flight.

Although conceived as a multi-role fighter, the F-111 became a long-range attack aircraft primarily armed with air-to-surface ordnance. Ground-attack aircraft are military aircraft designed to attack targets on the ground and are often deployed as Close air support for and in proximity to their own ground forces An air-to-surface missile (also air-to-ground missile, AGM, ASM or ATGM) is a Missile designed to be launched from Military

Weapons bay

The F-111 has an internal weapons bay under the fuselage for various weapons.

• Cannon: All tactical combat versions (that is, not the EF-111A or FB-111A/F-111G) could carry a single M61 Vulcan 20 mm cannon with a very large (2,084 round) ammunition tank, covered by an eyelid shutter when not in use. The M61 Vulcan is a 20 mm Hydraulically or Pneumatically driven six- barreled air-cooled Although carried by some USAF aircraft, the cannon was never actually used in combat, and was removed by the early 1980s; provision for the cannon has also been deleted from Australian F-111Cs.
• Bombs: The bay can alternately hold two conventional bombs, usually the Mk 117 type of nominal 750 lb/340 kg weight, although weapons up to the Mk 118 (3,000 lb/1,400 kg) were cleared.
• Nuclear weapons: All F-111 models except the EF-111A and the Australian F-111C were equipped to carry various free-fall nuclear weapons: tactical models generally carried the B43, B57, or B61. A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. The B43 was a United States air-dropped Nuclear weapon used by a wide variety of Fighter bomber and Bomber aircraft. The B57 Nuclear bomb was a Tactical nuclear weapon developed by the United States during the Cold War. The B61 Nuclear bomb is the primary Thermonuclear weapon in the U The FB-111A was a dedicated nuclear bomber for most of its life, and carried all of those weapons just mentioned, as well as the B83 and the AGM-69 Short Range Attack Missile. The B83 Nuclear weapon is a variable-yield Gravity bomb developed by the United States in the late 1970s entering service in 1983 The FB-111A could carry one or two AGM-69 SRAM nuclear missiles in its weapons bay and up to four SRAMs on external wing pylons. The Boeing AGM-69 SRAM (Short-range attack missile was a nuclear Air-to-surface missile designed to replace the older AGM-28 Hound Dog
• Sensor pod: The F-111C and F-111F were equipped to carry the AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack targeting system on a rotating carriage that kept the pod protected within the weapons bay when not in use. The Ford Aerospace AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack is an electro-optical targeting pod developed by the United States Air Force (USAF for military Attack aircraft. Pave Tack is a FLIR and laser rangefinder/designator that allows the F-111 to designate and drop laser-guided bombs. A forward looking infrared (FLIR is an imaging device that senses infrared radiation A laser-guided bomb (LGB is a Precision-guided munition (PGM that uses semi-active Laser homing to strike a designated target with greater accuracy than a free-fall
• Reconnaissance pallet: Australian RF-111Cs carry a package of reconnaissance sensors and cameras for tactical recce missions. Reconnaissance (also scouting) is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information A camera is a device used to capture images either as still Photographs or as sequences of moving images ( Movies or Videos. It contains two video cameras, a Honeywell AN/AAD-5 infrared linescan (recorded on video or film), a Fairchild KA-56E low-altitude and KA-93A4 high-altitude panoramic cameras, and a pair of CAI KS-87C split vertical cameras. Infrared ( IR) radiation is Electromagnetic radiation whose Wavelength is longer than that of Visible light, but shorter than that of Fairchild was an aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company based at various times in Farmingdale New York, Hagerstown Maryland and San Antonio Texas It can also record photographs of the attack radar's display.
• Missiles: The F-111B was intended to be capable of carrying two AIM-54 Phoenix air-to-air missiles in the bay. The AIM-54 Phoenix is a radar-guided long-range air-to-air Missile, carried in clusters of up to six missiles — formerly on the U An air-to-air missile ( AAM) is a guided Missile fired from an Aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft General Dynamics proposed an arrangement that would allow two AIM-9 Sidewinders to be carried on a trapeze mounting in the bay (at the expense of the M61 cannon), along with a single (usually nuclear) bomb. The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range Air-to-air missile carried by Fighter aircraft and recently certain gunship helicopters This was not adopted, with the USAF and RAAF opting for the cannon instead. The AIM-7 Sparrow or AIM-4 Falcon, standard on the F-4 Phantom II, was never fitted, though later F-111 models had radars equipped to guide the Sparrow. The AIM-7 Sparrow is a medium-range Semi-active radar homing Air-to-air missile operated by the United States Air Force, United States Navy The Hughes AIM-4 Falcon was the first operational guided Air-to-air missile of the United States Air Force.
• Other equipment: Auxiliary fuel tanks and baggage pods were sometimes carried.

External ordnance

F-111F aircraft releasing its load of Mark 82 high-drag bombs over the Bardenas Reales range.

The design of the F-111's fuselage prevents the carriage of external weapons under the fuselage (although there are two small stations, one on the weapon bay, the other on the rear fuselage between the engines, for ECM pods and/or datalink pods for guided weapons). Electronic Countermeasures ( ECM') are a subsection of Electronic warfare which includes any sort of electrical or electronic device designed to trick In Telecommunication a data link is the means of connecting one location to another for the purpose of transmitting and receiving digital information All aircraft, except the FB-111A have provision for eight underwing pylons, four under each wing, with a capacity of 6,000 lb (2,700 kg) each. The inner pylons (3, 4, 5 and 6) pivot with the wing, but only one on each side can be loaded at maximum sweep. The outer pylons (1, 2, 7 and 8) are fixed, and can be loaded only if the wings are spread at less than 26°, causing drag at takeoff angle. The outermost pylons (1 and 8) have never been used operationally, and the second pair of fixed pylons (2 and 7) are fitted only rarely, for the carriage of fuel tanks. FB-111/F-111G models have provision to jettison their empty pylons in flight, reducing drag.

The limited number of fully swiveling pylons restricts the F-111's maximum practical weapons load, since the aircraft cannot use all pylons with the wings fully swept. By contrast, aircraft such as the F-14 and Tornado can carry their maximum bomb loads with fully swept wings.

An F-111 carrying BLU-107 Durandals.

The primary external armament of USAF tactical F-111s included:

• Free-fall GP bombs:
  • Mk 82 (500 lb/227 kg)
  • Mk 83 (1,000 lb/454 kg)
  • Mk 84 (2,000 lb/907 kg)
  • Mk 117 (750 lb/340 kg)
• Cluster bombs
• BLU-109 (2,000 lb/907 kg) hardened penetration bomb
• Paveway laser-guided bombs, including:
  • GBU-10 (2,000 lb/907 kg)
  • GBU-12 (500 lb/227 kg)
  • GBU-28, a very specialized 4,800 lb (2,200 kg) penetration bomb
• BLU-107 Durandal runway-cratering bomb
• GBU-15 electro-optical bomb
• AGM-130 stand-off bomb, with a range of 40 miles (64 km). A general-purpose bomb is an air-dropped Bomb intended as a compromise between blast damage penetration and fragmentation in explosive effect The Mark 82 (Mk 82 is an unguided low- drag General-purpose bomb ( Dumb bomb) part of the U The Mark 83 is part of the Mark 80 series of low- drag General-purpose bombs in United States service The Mark 84 is an American General-purpose bomb, the largest of the Mark 80 series of weapons Cluster munitions or cluster bombs are air-dropped or ground-launched munitions that eject a number of smaller submunitions a cluster of bomblets See also Paveway JDAM Paveway is a trademark of Raytheon Company which identifies its variants of Laser Guided Bombs (LGB A laser-guided bomb (LGB is a Precision-guided munition (PGM that uses semi-active Laser homing to strike a designated target with greater accuracy than a free-fall A runway ( RWY) is a strip of land on an Airport, on which Aircraft can take off and land.

Although all F-111s can carry laser-guided munitions, only those with Pave Tack (i. The Ford Aerospace AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack is an electro-optical targeting pod developed by the United States Air Force (USAF for military Attack aircraft. e. , F-111F and Australian F-111C) are capable of self-designation. Others can drop laser-guided weapons only with the aid of another ground or air designator.

From the early 1980s onward, tactical F-111s were fitted with shoulder rails on the sides of the outboard swiveling pylon (designated stations 3A and 6A) for two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles for self-defense. An air-to-air missile ( AAM) is a guided Missile fired from an Aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft The standard Sidewinder fit was the AIM-9P, rather than the more modern AIM-9L or AIM-9M, whose larger fins were not compatible with the shoulder rail. The RAAF has considered replacing the Sidewinder with ASRAAM. The AIM-132 Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile is a British Infrared homing ("heat seeking" Air-to-air missile.

FB-111As could carry the same conventional ordnance as their tactical brothers, but their wing pylons were more commonly used for either fuel tanks or strategic nuclear gravity bombs. Until the weapon was withdrawn in 1990, they could carry up to four AGM-69 SRAM nuclear missiles on the wing pylons, although two was the more normal fit. The Boeing AGM-69 SRAM (Short-range attack missile was a nuclear Air-to-surface missile designed to replace the older AGM-28 Hound Dog

Australian F-111Cs have been equipped to launch the AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile, AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missile, and the AGM-142 Popeye stand-off missile. The Harpoon is an all-weather over-the-horizon, Anti-ship missile system developed and manufactured by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing Integrated Anti-ship missiles are a Missile designed for use against Ships Most anti-ship missiles are of the Sea-skimming type and use a combination of Gulf War Friendly Fire Incident During the Gulf War, the HARM was involved in a friendly fire incident when the pilot of an F-4G Wild Weasel escorting An anti-radiation missile (ARM is a Missile which is designed to detect and home in on an enemy radio emission source The AGM-142 Have Nap is an air to ground missile developed in Israel and the United States.

Similar swing wing aircraft

The F-111 was the first production variable-geometry aircraft. The earlier subsonic Navy XF10F Jaguar had been cancelled in 1953. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout It inspired a number of aircraft throughout the 1980s, and even fictional aircraft on the Thunderbirds, but swing wings are extinct in newer designs due to higher cost, and the extra weight imposed by the swing wing mechanism. Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of Puppetry A Variable-sweep wing is an Aeroplane Wing that may be swept back and then returned to its original position during flight Nevertheless, several other types have followed, including the Soviet Sukhoi Su-17 "Fitter" (1966), Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 "Flogger" (1967), Tupolev Tu-22M "Backfire" (1969) and Tupolev Tu-160 "Blackjack" (1981), the U. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout S. F-14 Tomcat naval fighter ( 1970) and B-1 Lancer bomber (1974), and the European Panavia Tornado (1974). WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Panavia Aircraft GmbH is a multinational company established by the three partner nations of the Tornado Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA project Germany WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Sukhoi Su-24 "Fencer" (1970), which resembles the F-111, also has side-by-side seating. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

Operational history

United States

Combat Lancer F-111As over South-East Asia in 1968

The first production F-111s were delivered on 18 July 1967 to the 428th, 429th and 430th Tactical Fighter Squadrons of the 474th Tactical Fighter Wing based at first out of Cannon AFB, New Mexico, which relocated in 1968 to Nellis AFB. Events 390 BC - Roman - Gaulish Wars Battle of the Allia - a Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. The 428th Fighter Squadron ( 428 FS) was most recently part of the 27th Fighter Wing at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. The 474th Tactical Fighter Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit Cannon Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Curry County, New Mexico, near the city of Clovis. New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America. Nellis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Clark County, Nevada.

After early testing a detachment of six aircraft were sent in March 1968 to Southeast Asia for Combat Lancer testing in real combat conditions in Vietnam. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia In little over a month, three aircraft were lost and the combat tests were halted. It turned out that all three had been lost through malfunction (primarily with the terrain-following radar), not by enemy action. This caused a storm of political recrimination, with U. S. senators denouncing Secretary of Defense McNamara's judgment in procuring the aircraft. Robert Strange McNamara (born June 9 1916 in Oakland, California) is an American business executive and former United States Secretary of Defense It was not until July 1971 that the 474 TFW was fully operational.

September 1972 saw the F-111 back in Southeast Asia, participating in the final month of Operation Linebacker and later the Operation Linebacker II aerial offensive against the North. For the December 1972 military operation see Operation Linebacker II. Operation Linebacker II was a US Seventh Air Force and US Navy Task Force 77 aerial bombardment campaign conducted against targets in the F-111 missions did not require tankers or ECM support, and they could operate in weather that grounded most other aircraft. One F-111 could carry the bomb load of four F-4 Phantom IIs. The worth of the new aircraft was beginning to show, and over 4,000 combat F-111A missions were flown over Vietnam with only six combat losses.

In 1977, the remaining F-111As were transferred to the 366 TFW based at Mountain Home AFB, equipping the 389th, 390th, and 391st TFS. The 366th Fighter Wing (366 FW is a composite unit of the United States Air Force headquartered at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. Mountain Home Air Force Base is a US Air Force base located west of the city of Mountain Home in Elmore County, Idaho, United States The 389th Fighter Squadron ( 389 FS) is part of the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. The 390th Fighter Squadron ( 390 FS) is part of the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. The 391st Fighter Squadron ( 391 FS) is part of the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.

On 14 April 1986, 18 F-111s and approximately 25 Navy aircraft executed Operation El Dorado Canyon by conducting air strikes against Libya. Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) The United States bombing of Libya (code-named Operation El Dorado Canyon) comprised the joint United States Air Force, Navy and Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab The 18 F-111s belonging to the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing flew what turned out to be the longest fighter combat mission in history. The round-trip flight between RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom and Libya of 6,400 miles (10,300 km) spanned 13 hours. RAF Lakenheath is a Royal Air Force airfield located near Lakenheath in Suffolk, England The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located One F-111 was shot down over Libya. ^[4]

In Desert Storm, F-111Fs completed 3. 2 successful strike missions for every unsuccessful one, making it 47% more capable than the next leading strike aircraft. ^[5] The small 66-plane F-111F force was credited with 1,500 kills of Iraqi tanks and other mechanized vehicles. The F-111F was the only Desert Storm aircraft to deliver the GBU-15 and the 5,000-pound laser-guided, penetrating GBU-28.

The F-111 was in service with the USAF from 1967 through 1998. The Strategic Air Command had FB-111s in service from 1969 through 1990. The Strategic Air Command (SAC was both a major command and a "specified command" in the U

At a ceremony marking the F-111's USAF retirement, on 27 July 1996, it was officially named Aardvark, its long-standing unofficial nickname. Events 1214 - Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) The Aardvark ( Orycteropus afer) ("Digging foot" is a medium-sized burrowing nocturnal Mammal native to Africa. Aardvark literally means "earth pig" in Dutch/Afrikaans, consequently, in Australia, the F-111 is often known by the affectionate nickname "Pig". Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Afrikaans is an Indo-European language, derived from 17th century Dutch and classified as Low Franconian Germanic, mainly spoken in For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The USAF retired the EF-111 variant in 1998.

Australia

Four Australian F-111s in 2006.

The Australian government ordered 24 F-111C aircraft in 1963 to replace the RAAF's English Electric Canberra in the bombing and tactical strike role. The Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout While the first aircraft was officially handed over in 1968, structural integrity problems found in the USAF fleet delayed the service entry of the F-111C until 1973, USAF F-4 Phantom IIs being leased as an interim measure. Four aircraft were modified to RF-111C reconnaissance configuration, retaining their strike capability.

A number of ex-USAF aircraft have been delivered to Australia, as attrition replacements and to enlarge the fleet. Four aircraft modified to F-111C status were delivered in 1982, while 18 F-111G aircraft were purchased in 1992 and delivered in 1994. Additional stored USAF airframes are reserved as a spares source.

Since their introduction Australia's F-111s have been operated by No. 1 Squadron RAAF in the strike role with No. 6 Squadron RAAF operating the aircraft as an operational conversion unit. No 1 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF squadron Based at RAAF Amberley, it currently operates the F-111 bomber No 6 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force training and bomber squadron An Operational Conversion Unit (OCU is a unit within an Air force whose role is to support preparation for the operational missions of a specific aircraft type by providing A temporary flight designated the Washington Flying Unit ferried Australia's first 12 aircraft from the United States in 1973 and F-111s have been loaned to the RAAF's Aircraft Research and Development Unit. The RAAF Washington Flying Unit was a temporary Royal Australian Air Force unit formed to ferry Australia's first twelve F-111 aircraft from the United States to Australia The Royal Australian Air Force's Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU was responsible for the test and evaluation of aircraft and weapons used by the RAAF The aircraft will be retired in 2010 with No. 1 and No. 6 Squadrons being reequipped with F/A-18F Block II Super Hornets. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

While the F-111 has not seen combat in Australian service, it is known that F-111 aircraft were placed on high alert during the initial phase of the Australian-lead intervention (INTERFET) into East Timor in 1999. The International Force for East Timor (INTERFET was a multinational Peacekeeping taskforce mandated by the United Nations to address the humanitarian and security East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste (officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste) is a country in Southeast Asia. During the first Gulf War in 1991, the United States Government asked Australia to deploy RF-111 aircraft to the Persian Gulf. This request was denied as the Australian government judged that these aircraft were too important to Australia's security to risk in a distant war.

RAAF F-111 performing a dump-and-burn fuel dump, a procedure where the fuel is intentionally ignited using the aircraft's afterburner. The Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. Fuel dumping from an Aircraft is used to lighten the aircraft's weight in certain emergency situations Fuel dumping from an Aircraft is used to lighten the aircraft's weight in certain emergency situations The AfterBurner is a lighting solution for the Game Boy Advance system that was created by Triton-Labs

The Royal Australian Air Force's F-111 fleet has at times been controversial. Controversies surrounding the F-111 include:

• The long delay to the delivery of the aircraft was a significant political issue in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This occurred around the same time that massive delays and cost blowouts to the Sydney Opera House were making headlines, prompting some commentators to dub the F-111 the "Flying Opera House. The Sydney Opera House is located in Sydney New South Wales, Australia "^[6]
• Their use by the Hawke federal government to take surveillance photos of the Franklin Dam project in Tasmania. Robert James Lee (Bob Hawke, AC (born 9 December 1929 was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia and longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister The Franklin Dam or Gordon-below-Franklin Dam project was a proposed dam on the Gordon River in Tasmania, Australia that was never Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass The use of an RAAF aircraft to "spy" on its own territory led to the minister responsible, Senator Gareth Evans earning the nickname "Biggles" (after the famous pilot-hero of a number of books by Captain W.E. Johns). Gareth John Evans, AO, QC (born 5 September 1944) Australian politician served as Attorney-General and Foreign Minister James Bigglesworth, better known in flying circles as " Biggles " is a fictional pilot and adventurer created by W William Earl Johns ( 5 February 1893 - 21 June 1968) was an English pilot and writer of adventure stories usually written under the ^[7][8]
• Poor work conditions for F-111 ground crew involved in sealing/de-sealing F-111 fuel tanks resulted in permanent brain damage to a number of ground crew before conditions were improved.

In Australian military and aviation circles, the F-111 Aardvark is affectionately known as the "Pig", due to its Terrain Following ability, unique at the time of its introduction, that gives it the ability to "hunt amongst the weeds. Terrain-following radar (TFR is an Aerospace technology that allows a very-low-flying Aircraft to automatically maintain a relatively constant altitude " Another, less generous explanation of the source of the nickname refers to the colloquialism "Pigs Might Fly. " A third origin can be posited from the word aardvark, which translates into English as "Earth Pig. The Aardvark ( Orycteropus afer) ("Digging foot" is a medium-sized burrowing nocturnal Mammal native to Africa. "

In 2007 Australia decided to retire its F-111s in 2010 and signed a contract to acquire 24 F/A-18Fs as an interim replacement. ^[2] In March 2008 after a review, the new Labor government confirmed its purchase of the Super Hornets. ^[3] The drawdown of the RAAF's F-111 fleet has begun with the retirement of the F-111G models operated by No. 6 Squadron RAAF in late 2007. No 6 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force training and bomber squadron

United Kingdom

The British government cancelled the BAC TSR-2 in 1965, citing the lower costs of the TFX and ordered 50 F-111K aircraft in 1967. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The F-111K was based on the F-111A, modified for British equipment and weapons. This included weapons bay changes, compatibility with the Martel anti-shipping missile, the addition of a retractable refuelling probe and the use of FB-111A landing gear for a higher gross take off weight. The Martel is an Anglo - French Anti-radiation missile (ARM The name Martel is a contraction of Missile Anti-Radiation Television, referring Prototypes of both the strike and TF-111K trainer aircraft were started and were in the final stages of build when the order was cancelled just over a year later. Updated estimates of performance indicated that range and speed at altitude would be worse than expected and fall short of the specification. Cost increase together with devaluation of the pound meant that the cost would be around £3 million each and this was the reason cited for cancellation. Devaluation is a reduction in the value of a Currency with respect to other monetary units ^[9] As a substitute, Blackburn Buccaneers and F-4 Phantom IIs were purchased instead for the RAF. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout These would eventually be replaced by the Panavia Tornado which also employs swing-wings like the F-111. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

Variants

F-111A

An F-111A dropping 24 Mark 82 low-drag bombs in-flight over a bombing range. The Mark 82 (Mk 82 is an unguided low- drag General-purpose bomb ( Dumb bomb) part of the U

The F-111A was the initial production version of the F-111. It had TF30-P-3 engines with 12,000 lbf (53 kN) dry and 18,500 lbf (82 kN) afterburning thrust and "Triple Plow I" variable intakes, providing a maximum speed of Mach 2. 2 (1,450 mph / 2,300 km/h) at altitude.

The -A's Mark I avionics suite included the General Electric AN/APQ-113 attack radar mated to a separate Texas Instruments AN/APQ-110 terrain-following radar under the nose and a Litton AJQ-20 inertial navigation and nav/attack system. Avionics means "aviation electronics" It comprises electronic systems for use on aircraft artificial satellites and spacecraft comprising Communications Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships Texas Instruments ( better known in the electronics industry (and popularly as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, USA Terrain-following radar (TFR is an Aerospace technology that allows a very-low-flying Aircraft to automatically maintain a relatively constant altitude Named after inventor Charles Litton Sr, Litton Industries was a large defense contractor in the United States, bought by the Northrop Grumman Corporation An Inertial Navigation System (INS is a Navigation aid that uses a Computer and motion sensors to continuously track the position orientation and Velocity

Total production of the F-111A was 158, including 17 preproduction aircraft that were later brought up to production standards. In 1982, four surviving F-111As were converted to F-111C standard and provided to Australia as attrition replacements. They were fitted with the longer-span wings and reinforced landing gear of the -C, and subsequently were almost indistinguishable from new-build F-111Cs. Some of the -As delivered to the RAAF were Vietnam veterans, purportedly still bearing the scars of anti-aircraft fire.

A total of 42 F-111As were converted as the EF-111A Raven for an electronic warfare tactical electronic jamming role. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Electronic warfare ( EW) is the use of the Electromagnetic spectrum to effectively deny the use of this medium by an adversary while optimizing its use by friendly They can be distinguished from other -As by the equipment bulge atop their tails, a featuring leading to the nickname "Fat Tail. "

Three pre-production aircraft were provided to NASA for various testing duties. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program One was fitted with a variable-camber wing as part of the Advanced Fighter Technology Integration program in the 1980s; it was retired to the United States Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson AFB in 1989. The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official National Museum of the United States Air Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Greene and Montgomery counties eight miles (13 km) northeast of

Most of the unconverted surviving F-111As were retired in 1991 and mothballed at AMARC, Davis Monthan AFB. Davis-Monthan Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base adjacent to Tucson, Arizona.

F-111B

An F-111B approaching the USS Coral Sea in July 1968

The F-111B was to be a fleet air defense (FAD) fighter for the U. Early Milestones The ship promptly began a series of career milestones when on 27 April 1948, two P2V-2 Neptunes piloted by Commander Thomas D S. Navy, fulfilling a long-standing naval requirement for a fighter capable of carrying heavy, long-range missiles to defend carriers and their battle groups from Soviet bombers and fighter-bombers equipped with anti-ship missiles. Anti-ship missiles are a Missile designed for use against Ships Most anti-ship missiles are of the Sea-skimming type and use a combination of The Navy had just cancelled the F6D Missileer, a concept for a slow, straight-winged jet with the advanced Hughes AN/AWG-9 pulse-Doppler radar, which could detect low flying targets among ground clutter, and lift eight new AIM-54 Phoenix long range, air-to-air missiles, which could attack multiple aircraft simultaneously at ranges out to 100 miles (160 km). WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The AN/AWG-9 and AN/APG-71 radars are all-weather multi-mode radar systems designed by Hughes Aircraft (now Raytheon) for the F-14 Tomcat fighter/interceptor Pulse-Doppler is a Radar system capable of not only detecting target location (bearing range and altitude but also measuring its radial velocity (range-rate The AIM-54 Phoenix is a radar-guided long-range air-to-air Missile, carried in clusters of up to six missiles — formerly on the U The concept was soon cancelled, but the F-111 offered a platform with the range, payload, and Mach 2 performance of a fighter to intercept targets quickly, but with swing wings and turbofan engines, it could also loiter on station for long periods. The F-111B would carry six Phoenix missiles, but have no gun or other short range armament. General Dynamics, having no experience with carrier-based aviation, partnered with Grumman for this version. The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a leading 20th century U

The F-111B was a compromise that attempted to reconcile the Navy's very different needs with an aircraft whose basic configuration was largely set by the USAF need for a supersonic strike aircraft. These compromises would harm both USAF and USN versions. The side-by-side seating was preferred by the Navy from the Missileer. The F-111B was shorter than the F-111A, in order to enable it to fit on aircraft carrier deck edge elevators between the flight deck and the hangar deck. The F-111B also had a longer wingspan than its USAF counterpart (70 ft/21. 3 m compared to 63 ft/19. 2 m) for increased range and cruising endurance. Although the Navy had wanted a 48-inch (122 cm) radar dish for long range, they were forced to accept a 36-inch (91. 4 cm) dish for compatibility. The Navy had requested a maximum takeoff weight of 50,000 lb (22,686 kg), but then-Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara forced the Navy to compromise at 55,000 lb (24,955 kg). Robert Strange McNamara (born June 9 1916 in Oakland, California) is an American business executive and former United States Secretary of Defense This weight goal proved to be overly optimistic.

Catapult launch of F-111B BuNo 151974 from the USS Coral Sea

Excessive weight plagued the F-111B throughout its development. Not only were prototypes far over the 55,000 lb (24,955 kg) limit, efforts to redesign the airframe only made matters worse. The excessive weight made the aircraft seriously underpowered. In landing configuration at carrier weights, the F-111B could not maintain level flight on one engine, which would be a major problem once committed to the approach. Worse, its visibility for carrier approach and landing were abysmal.

Requirements for the F-111B had been formulated before air combat over Vietnam in 1965 showed the Navy still had a need for an aircraft which could engage MiG fighters at close range. The Navy desired a fighter with more performance than the F-4 Phantom II, yet in trials, the maneuverability and performance of the F-111B, especially in the crucial medium-altitude regimen, was decidedly inferior to the Phantom. During the congressional hearings for the aircraft, Vice Admiral Thomas "Tom Cat" Connolly, then Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Air Warfare, famously responded to a question from Senator John C. Stennis as to whether a more powerful engine would cure the aircraft's woes, to which Connolly responded, "There isn't enough power in all Christendom to make that airplane what we want!"^[10]

By October 1967, the Navy was finally convinced that the F-111B program was a lost cause and recommended its cancellation, which occurred in 1968 after seven had been delivered,^[11] two of which had crashed. John Cornelius Stennis ( August 3, 1901 – April 23, 1995) was a U The swing-wing configuration, TF-30 engines, Phoenix missiles and radar developed for this aircraft (and the earlier, canceled F6D Missileer) were used on its replacement, the F-14 Tomcat, also designed by Grumman. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a leading 20th century U The Tomcat would be large enough to carry the AWG-9 and Phoenix weapons system while exceeding the agility and speed of the F-4 Phantom.

F-111C

An Australian F-111C in 2006.

The F-111C was an export version for Australia, combining F-111A/E avionics with the long-span wings and heavier landing gear originally designed for the F-111B. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Twenty-four were originally ordered in 1963, although development delays and structural problems kept them from entering service until 1973.

Four aircraft were modified to RF-111C reconnaissance configuration, retaining their strike capability. The RF-111C carries a reconnaissance pack with four cameras and an infrared linescan unit.

F-111C aircraft have been equipped to carry Pave Tack FLIR/laser pods, and later underwent an extensive Avionics Upgrade Program, with AN/APQ-169 attack radar replacing the elderly AN/APQ-113, Texas Instruments AN/APQ-171 terrain-following radar, twin Honeywell H423 ring-laser gyro INS, GPS receiver, modern digital databus, mission computer, and stores-management system, and cockpit multi-function displays (MFDs). The Ford Aerospace AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack is an electro-optical targeting pod developed by the United States Air Force (USAF for military Attack aircraft. An Inertial Navigation System (INS is a Navigation aid that uses a Computer and motion sensors to continuously track the position orientation and Velocity Basic concept of GPS operation A GPS receiver calculates its position by carefully timing the signals sent by the constellation of GPS Satellites high above the Earth Their engines were updated to TF30-P-108/109RA standard, with 21,000 lbf (93 kN) thrust. Four ex-USAF F-111As were refitted to F-111C standard and delivered to Australia as attrition replacements.

In late 2001, wing fatigue problems were discovered with one of the F-111C fleet. As a result a decision was made in May 2002 to replace the wings with spares taken from ex-USAF F-111Fs stored at the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center. The short span wings underwent a refurbishment in Australia which included extending the span in effect making the wings the same as the F-111C and F-111G models. ^[12]

F-111D

The F-111D was an upgraded F-111A equipped with newer Mark II avionics, more powerful engines, improved intake geometry, and an early glass cockpit. A glass cockpit is an Aircraft cockpit that features electronic instrument displays. First ordered in 1967, extensive development problems delayed service entry until 1974, and only 96 were built.

The F-111D used the new Triple Plow 2 intakes, which were located four inches (100 mm) further away from the airframe to prevent engine ingestion of the sluggish boundary layer air that was known to cause stalls in the TF30 turbofans. In Physics and Fluid mechanics, a boundary layer is that layer of Fluid in the immediate vicinity of a bounding surface It had more powerful TF30-P-3 engines with 12,000 lbf (53 kN) dry and 18,500 lbf (82 kN) afterburning thrust.

More significant and problematic were the Mark II avionics. These were digitally integrated microprocessor systems, some of the first used by the USAF, offering tremendous capability, but substantial problems during introduction. The main radar was the General Electric AN/APQ-114, with Doppler beam-sharpening, moving target indicator (MTI), and continuous wave mode for guiding semi-active radar homing missiles (which the standard AN/APQ-113 set lacked). Semi-active radar homing, or SARH, is a common type of Missile guidance system perhaps the most common type for longer range air-to-air and Surface-to-air This was matched with an Autonetics inertial navigation/attack radar system, Marconi Doppler radar for navigation, a horizontal situation display, an IBM processor, and a Norden integrated systems display, with modern multi-function displays (MFDs). An Inertial Navigation System (INS is a Navigation aid that uses a Computer and motion sensors to continuously track the position orientation and Velocity The Marconi Company Ltd was founded by Guglielmo Marconi in 1897 as The Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company (sometimes presented as Wireless International Business Machines Corporation abbreviated IBM and nicknamed "Big Blue", is a multinational Computer Technology The Norden bombsight was a Bombsight used by the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, and the United States Air Force in the These last proved to be a major source of trouble, serving to multiply the development problems experienced with the individual systems. Considerable acrimony between the contractors resulted, and it took years before the problems were solved. F-111 crews considered the -D the most capable (and user-friendly) version of the aircraft when everything functioned, but that was rare before the 1980s.

Incidentally, the F-111D was never equipped to carry what proved to be the "Aardvark's" most useful sensor system, the AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack pod. The Ford Aerospace AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack is an electro-optical targeting pod developed by the United States Air Force (USAF for military Attack aircraft.

The F-111D was withdrawn from service in 1992 for mothballing at AMARC.

F-111E

The F-111E was a simplified, interim model ordered after the prolonged teething troubles of the F-111D. It used the -D's Triple Plow 2 intakes and more powerful TF30-P-3 engines, but retained the -A's Mark I avionics.

Although conceived after the -D, the F-111E was actually delivered before it. The first flight of an -E was 20 August 1969. Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A total of 94 were built.

Some F-111Es were based with the 20th Fighter Wing at RAF Upper Heyford in Oxfordshire (United Kingdom) until 1993, and the type saw service in Operation Desert Storm. The 20th Fighter Wing ( 20 FW) is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Shaw Air Force Base South Carolina RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford Oxfordshire, England. History See also History of Oxfordshire The county of Oxfordshire was formed in the early years of the 10th century and is broadly situated in the All F-111Es were withdrawn to storage in 1993 and 1994.

F-111F

Ground crew prepares a 48th Tactical Fighter Wing F-111F aircraft for a retaliatory air strike on Libya.

The F-111F was the final F-111 variant produced for Tactical Air Command, with more modern and advanced Mark IIB avionics that were more capable than the F-111E and much more reliable than the F-111D. Tactical Air Command (TAC it an inactive United States Air Force organization A total of 106 were produced between 1971 and 1976. The aircraft were initially assigned to the 366 TFW at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. The 366th Fighter Wing (366 FW is a composite unit of the United States Air Force headquartered at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. Mountain Home Air Force Base is a US Air Force base located west of the city of Mountain Home in Elmore County, Idaho, United States The State of Idaho ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. In 1978, the F-111Fs were reassigned to the 48 TFW based at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom, with some assigned to the 57th Fighter Weapons Wing at Nellis AFB. The 48th Fighter Wing ( 48 FW) is part of the United States Air Force Third Air Force, assigned to HQ Air Command Europe, and is based at RAF Lakenheath is a Royal Air Force airfield located near Lakenheath in Suffolk, England The 57th Wing ( 57 WG) is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas, Nevada.

The F-111F's Mark IIB avionics suite used a simplified version of the FB-111A's radar, the AN/APQ-144, lacking some of the strategic bomber's operating modes but adding a new 2. 5 mi (4. 0 km) display ring. Although it was tested with digital moving-target indicator (MTI) capacity, it was not used in production sets. It used Texas Instruments AN/APQ-146 terrain-following radar, Litton inertial navigation, and the F-111E's Weapon Control Panel. Texas Instruments ( better known in the electronics industry (and popularly as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, USA The internal weapons bay was normally occupied by an AVQ-26 Pave Tack FLIR and laser designator system for the delivery of precision laser-guided munitions. The Ford Aerospace AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack is an electro-optical targeting pod developed by the United States Air Force (USAF for military Attack aircraft. A laser designator is a Laser light source which is used to illuminate a target The radar was subsequently upgraded to AN/APQ-161, with the AN/APQ-171 terrain-following set. The later Pacer Strike avionics update program added new digital electronics and databus.

The -F also used the Triple Plow 2 intakes, along with the substantially more powerful TF30-100 turbofan with 25,100 lbf (112 kN) afterburning thrust. This substantially improves the -F's performance, allowing a top speed of Mach 2. 5 at altitude and enabling an unloaded F-111F to supercruise (fly at supersonic speeds without afterburner). A supercruising Aircraft is able to maintain Supersonic speeds in level flight without the use of Afterburners and with a cargo/weapons load In 1985-86, engines were upgraded to the TF30-P-111 turbofan.

The F-111F made its combat debut in Operation El Dorado Canyon against Libya in 1986, and was used in Operation Desert Storm against Iraq in an anti-armor ("tank-plinking") role. The United States bombing of Libya (code-named Operation El Dorado Canyon) comprised the joint United States Air Force, Navy and Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Tank Plinking is a term that was given by pilots during the Gulf War to the practice of using guided munitions to destroy Artillery, Armored personnel

Various plans to upgrade the F-111F, including the adoption of the General Electric F110 engine (used in the F-14D Tomcat), were proposed, but not implemented because they might have interfered with the USAF's political efforts to build the F-22 Raptor. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout As a result, the last USAF F-111s were withdrawn from service on 27 July 1996, replaced by the F-15E Strike Eagle. Events 1214 - Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

FB-111A/F-111G

An air-to-air front overhead view of two FB-111 aircraft in formation.

The FB-111A was a strategic bomber version of the F-111 developed as an interim aircraft for the Strategic Air Command to replace the elegant but troublesome supersonic B-58 Hustler and early models of the B-52 Stratofortress. A strategic bomber is a heavy type Aircraft designed to drop large amounts of ordnance onto a distant target for the purposes of debilitating an enemy's The Strategic Air Command (SAC was both a major command and a "specified command" in the U WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The planned replacement program, the Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft, was proceeding slowly, and the Air Force was concerned that fatigue failures in the B-52 fleet would leave the strategic bomber fleet dangerously under strength. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Although 263 airframes were planned originally, the total was finally cut to just 76. The first production aircraft was delivered in 1968. The FB-111A never had an official popular name, but it was commonly called the "Switchblade. "

The FB-111A was 2 ft 1. 5 in (650 mm) longer than the F-111A, allowing carriage of about 585 gallons (2,214 L) extra fuel, and was fitted with the longer wings of the abortive F-111B and F-111K for greater range and load-carrying ability. A stronger undercarriage and landing gear compensated for the higher take-off weights (gross weight rose to 119,250 lb/54,105 kg). In Aviation, the undercarriage or landing gear is the structure (usually wheels that supports an Aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi All but the first aircraft had the Triple Plow 2 intakes and the TF30-P-7 with 12,500 lbf (56 kN) dry and 20,350 lbf (90 kN) afterburning thrust.

The FB-111A had new electronics, known as the SAC Mk IIB suite. The Mk IIB retained the F-111A's Texas Instruments AN/ANPQ-134 terrain-following radar and Honeywell AN/APN-167 radar altimeter. Radar was the General Electric AN/APQ-114, with a new north-oriented display, a beacon tracking mode, and a photo recording mode. To those components, the FB-111A added a Rockwell AN/AJN-16 inertial navigation system, Singer-Kearfott AN/APN-185 Doppler radar, and the Litton AN/ASQ-119 Astrotracker astrocompass, which allowed navigation by stellar positioning (a similar system had been used on the SR-71 Blackbird). Kearfott was a defense equipment manufacturer founded in 1917 An astrocompass is a navigational tool for determining the direction of North through the positions of various Astronomical bodies WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout A Horizontal Situation Display was added along with the AN/AYK-6 cockpit display. A unique feature of the FB-111A was that the TFR was integrated into the automatic flight control system, allowing "hands-off" flight at high speeds and low levels (down to 200 feet), even in adverse weather.

Armament for the strategic bombing role was the Boeing AGM-69 SRAM (short-range attack missile) which had Mach 3 speed and 110-mile (180 km) range. The Boeing AGM-69 SRAM (Short-range attack missile was a nuclear Air-to-surface missile designed to replace the older AGM-28 Hound Dog Two could be carried in the internal weapons bay and four more on the inner underwing pylons. Nuclear gravity bombs were also typical FB armament. Fuel tanks were often carried on the third non-swivelling pylon of each wing. Promotional photos showed a conventional bombload to a theoretical total of 50, 750 lb (340 kg) M117 weapons on eight pylons and bomb bay, but it was never used in a conventional role. In 1990, the SRAM was withdrawn from service amid concerns about the integrity of its nuclear warhead in the case of fire, and subsequently only unpowered bombs were available.

The FB-111 became surplus to SAC's needs after the introduction of the Rockwell B-1B Lancer, and the remaining FB-111s were retired from Plattsburgh AFB, NY and Pease AFB NH, and subsequently converted to a tactical configuration and renamed the F-111G. They were used primarily for training.

The F-111G did undergo an avionics upgrade program that added a digital computer, dual AN/ASN-41 ring-laser gyro INS, AN/APN-218 Doppler navigation, and an updated terrain-following radar. The astrocompass system was deleted.

The G model did not remain in USAF service for long, being mothballed in 1993, but 15 were bought by Australia to supplement its F-111Cs.

Several "stretched" FB-111 variants (the FB-111B, with F101 engines and a longer fuselage, and the greatly enlarged FB-111H, intended as a possible replacement for the B-1A after that project's cancellation) were proposed in the late 1970s, but none were ever built.

EF-111A Raven

Main article: EF-111A Raven

To replace the elderly and obsolescent Douglas EB-66, in 1972 the USAF contracted Grumman to convert some existing F-111As into electronic warfare/ECM aircraft. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Electronic warfare ( EW) is the use of the Electromagnetic spectrum to effectively deny the use of this medium by an adversary while optimizing its use by friendly In May 1998, the USAF withdrew the final EF-111As from service, placing them in storage at AMARC. In the short term, EA-6B Prowlers are fulfilling this function for both the U. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout S. Navy and USAF.

Survivors

F-111A

• 63-9766 - Air Force Flight Test Center Museum, Edwards AFB, CA (first F-111)
• 63-9767 - Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum (former Chanute AFB), IL
• 63-9768 - used as a ground trainer, RAAF Amberley, Australia
• 63-9771 - Cannon AFB, Clovis, NM
• 63-9773 - Sheppard AFB Air Park, Sheppard AFB, TX
• 63-9775 - United States Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL
• 63-9776 - Mountain Home AFB, ID (only RF-111A, marked as 66-0022)
• 63-9778 - Air Force Flight Test Center Museum, Edwards AFB, CA (TACT/AFTI F-111)
• 63-9782 - former Griffis AFB, NY
• 66-0012 - American Airpower Museum, Long Island, NY
• 67-0046 - Brownwood Regional Airport, Brownwood, TX
• 67-0047 - Sheppard AFB Air Park, Sheppard AFB, TX
• 67-0051 - Historic Aviation Memorial Museum, Tyler Pounds Regional Airport, TX (marked as 67-0050)
• 67-0057 - Dyess Air Force Base Linear Air Park, Abilene, TX
• 67-0058 - Mountain Home AFB, ID
• 67-0067 - National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
• 67-0069 - Southern Museum of Flight, Birmingham, AL
• 67-0100 - Nellis AFB, Nevada (gate guard)

F-111B

• 151972 - Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, CA (possibly scrapped)
• 152715 - Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, CA (last complete F-111B)

EF-111A

• 66-0016 - Cannon AFB, Clovis, NM
• 66-0047 - In a scrapyard in the Mojave Desert near the airport
• 66-0049 - Mountain Home AFB, ID (first EF-111A prototype)
• 66-0057 - National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH

F-111D

• 68-0092 - Yanks Air Museum, Chino, CA
• 68-0140 - Cannon AFB, Clovis, NM (F-111 'Vark' Memorial Park)

F-111E

• 67-0120 - American Air Museum, Imperial War Museum Duxford, RAF Duxford. Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County and Los Angeles County California in the Antelope The Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum, the largest Aviation museum in Illinois, occupies part of the grounds of the decommissioned Chanute Air Force Base Chanute Air Force Base (1917-1993 is a former United States Air Force base located south of and adjacent to Rantoul Illinois, about south of Chicago Cannon Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Curry County, New Mexico, near the city of Clovis. Sheppard Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located five miles (8 km) north of the Central business district of Wichita Falls The US Space & Rocket Center is located in Huntsville Alabama. Mountain Home Air Force Base is a US Air Force base located west of the city of Mountain Home in Elmore County, Idaho, United States Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County and Los Angeles County California in the Antelope Sheppard Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located five miles (8 km) north of the Central business district of Wichita Falls Tyler Pounds Regional Airport is an Airport located six miles west of Tyler, Texas ( USA) Dyess Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located five miles (8 km) southwest of the Central business district of Abilene, Mountain Home Air Force Base is a US Air Force base located west of the city of Mountain Home in Elmore County, Idaho, United States The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official National Museum of the United States Air Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Greene and Montgomery counties eight miles (13 km) northeast of The Southern Museum of Flight is an Aviation museum located on the property of the Birmingham International Airport in Birmingham Alabama. Nellis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Clark County, Nevada. Cannon Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Curry County, New Mexico, near the city of Clovis. Mountain Home Air Force Base is a US Air Force base located west of the city of Mountain Home in Elmore County, Idaho, United States The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official National Museum of the United States Air Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Greene and Montgomery counties eight miles (13 km) northeast of The Yanks Air Museum is a non-profit organization focused on American aviation located at the Chino Airport in Chino California. Cannon Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Curry County, New Mexico, near the city of Clovis. The Imperial War Museum Duxford in Cambridgeshire, England, commonly referred to simply as 'Duxford', houses the Imperial War Museum 's Duxford Aerodrome is located 8 Nautical miles (148 km south of Cambridge in the village of Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England UK
• 68-0009 - Undergoing restoration by the OV-10 Bronco Association, TX
• 68-0011 - RAF Lakenheath, UK (gate guard, marked as 48th TFW F-111F)
• 68-0020 - Hill Aerospace Museum, Hill AFB, UT (nicknamed "My Lucky Blonde")
• 68-0027 - Confederate Air Force, Midland/Odessa, TX
• 68-0033 - Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, AZ
• 68-0055 - Museum of Aviation, Robins AFB, GA (nicknamed "Heartbreaker")
• 68-0058 - USAF Armament Museum, Eglin AFB, FL

FB-111A

• 67-0159 - Aerospace Museum of California (FB-111A development aircraft)
• 68-0239 - former K.I. Sawyer AFB, MI (nicknamed "Rough Night")
• 68-0245 - March Field Air Museum, March ARB, Riverside, CA (nicknamed "Ready Teddy")
• 68-0248 - South Dakota Air and Space Museum, Ellsworth AFB, SD (nicknamed "Free For All")
• 68-0259 - set aside for parts, RAAF Amberley, Australia
• 68-0267 - Strategic Air and Space Museum (adjacent to Offutt AFB), Ashland, NE (nicknamed "Black Widow")
• 68-0275 - Kelly Field Heritage Museum, Lackland AFB / Kelly Field (former Kelly AFB), TX (painted in tactical scheme)
• 68-0284 - Eighth Air Force Museum, Barksdale AFB, LA
• 68-0286 - Clyde Lewis Airpark (adjacent to former Plattsburg AFB), Plattsburgh, NY (nicknamed "SAC Time")
• 68-0287 - Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, former Lowry AFB, Denver, Colorado^[13]
• 69-6507 - Castle Air Museum, former Castle AFB, Atwater, CA (nicknamed "Madam Queen")
• 69-6509 - Whiteman AFB, MO (gate guard) (nicknamed "The Spirit of the Seacoast")

F-111F

• 70-2364 - In the median of US70, south of Portales, NM
• 70-2390 - National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
• 70-2408 - Santa Fe Airport, NM
• 74-0177 - National Cold War Exhibition, Royal Air Force Museum, Cosford, UK

(F-111C and F-111G aircraft that are still in service with the Royal Australian Air Force are not listed above). WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout RAF Lakenheath is a Royal Air Force airfield located near Lakenheath in Suffolk, England Hill Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force base located in northern Utah, south of the city of Ogden, adjacent to the cities of Clearfield The Museum of Aviation the second largest DOD Aerospace museum in the United States Air Force. Robins Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force base located in Houston County, Georgia, United States. Eglin Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located southwest of Valparaiso in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States The Aerospace Museum of California is an aviation museum located on the former McClellan Air Force Base, which closed in 2001 K I Sawyer Air Force Base is a decommissioned US Air Force base in Marquette County, Michigan, south of the city of Marquette. The March Field Air Museum is an air museum in Riverside, California, adjacent to March Air Reserve Base. For the history and uses of this facility prior to 1993 see March Air Force Base March Joint Air Reserve Base is located in Riverside County Ellsworth Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base near Rapid City in Meade County, South Dakota, United States. RAAF Base Amberley is a Royal Australian Air Force base located 8 km southwest of Ipswich Queensland and 50 km southwest of Brisbane Queensland. Strategic Air and Space Museum is a museum focusing on United States Air Force military aircraft and Nuclear missiles located near Ashland Nebraska, along Lackland Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force operated by the Air Education and Training Command ( AETC) Kelly Field Annex (Formerly Kelly Air Force Base is a United States Air Force facility located in San Antonio Texas. Barksdale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located three Nautical miles (6 km) east of the Central business district of The Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum (WOR is located on the former grounds of Lowry Air Force Base in Denver Colorado. Lowry Air Force Base (1938–1994 is a former United States Air Force base located in the cities of Aurora and Denver Colorado. The City and County of Denver (pronounced /ˈdɛnvɚ/ is the Capital and the most populous city of Colorado, in the United States Castle Air Force Base (1941-1995 is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base located northeast of Atwater, northwest of Merced Whiteman Air Force Base ( Whiteman AFB) is a base of the United States Air Force in Johnson County, Missouri, United States The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official National Museum of the United States Air Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Greene and Montgomery counties eight miles (13 km) northeast of The Royal Air Force Museum ( RAF Museum) is a Museum dedicated to the history of Aviation, and the British Royal Air Force in particular

See also Aviation Enthusiast's List of F-111 Survivors for details.

Popular culture

American artist James Rosenquist immortalized the aircraft in his acclaimed 1965 room-sized pop art painting entitled F-111 that features an early natural-finish example of the aircraft in USAF markings. James Rosenquist (born November 29, 1933) is an acclaimed American Artist and one of the protagonists in the Pop-art Pop Art is a visual Art movement that emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain and in parallel in the late 1950s in the United States. The painting hangs in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, USA, on 53rd Street between Fifth

The Australian band Cold Chisel recorded a song called "F-111". This article is about the Australian rock band For the cutting tool see The "cold chisel" section of the article "Chisel". ^[14] British pop-cyberpunk band Sigue Sigue Sputnik had a world hit in 1986 with the song "Love Missile F1-11". Sigue Sigue Sputnik is a British pop - Cyberpunk influenced band led by former Generation X bassist Tony James. " Love Missile F1-11 " is a song by British pop- cyberpunk band Sigue Sigue Sputnik released 1986

F-111 Records was an electronic music imprint within Warner Bros. Records that ran from 1995–2001. Warner Bros Records Inc is an American Record label that operates as a wholly owned Subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The F-111 is also the 'star' aircraft in Chains of Command by former F-111 crewmember Dale Brown. Dale Brown (born November 2 1956) is an American author most famous for his military-action-aviation techno-thrillers with thirteen New

Specifications (F-111D)

Data from Quest for Performance^[15]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2 (pilot and weapons system operator)
• Length: 73. 5 ft (22. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit 4 m)
• Wingspan:
  
  • Spread: 63 ft 0 in (19. The wingspan (or just span) of an airplane or a Bird, is the distance from the left wingtip to the right wingtip Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. 2 m)
  • Swept: 32 ft 0 in (9. 8 m) (9. 75 m)
• Height: 17. 13 ft (5. 22 m)
• Wing area:
  
  • Spread: 657. 4 ft² (61. 07 m²)
  • Swept: 525 ft² (48. 77 m²)
• Airfoil: NACA 64-210.68 root, NACA 64-209. An airfoil (in American English) or aerofoil (in British English) is the shape of a Wing or blade (of a Propeller, rotor The NACA airfoils are Airfoil shapes for aircraft wings developed by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA 80 tip
• Empty weight: 47,481 lb (21,537 kg)
• Loaded weight: 82,843 lb (37,577 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 98,979 lb (44,896 kg)
• Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-100 turbofans
  • Dry thrust: 17,900 lbf (79. The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States #) is a unit of Mass The Maximum Takeoff Weight or Maximum Takeoff Mass of an Aircraft is the maximum weight at which the pilot of the aircraft is allowed to attempt to take off WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout A turbofan is a type of Jet engine, similar to a Turbojet. It essentially consists of a Ducted fan with a smaller diameter turbojet engine This article deals with the unit of force For the unit of mass see Pound (mass. 6 kN) each
  • Thrust with afterburner: 25,100 lb_f (112 kN) each
• Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0. The AfterBurner is a lighting solution for the Game Boy Advance system that was created by Triton-Labs This article deals with the unit of force For the unit of mass see Pound (mass. In Aerodynamics, the zero-lift drag coefficient C_{D0} is a dimensionless parameter which relates an aircraft's zero-lift drag Force to its 0186
• Drag area: 9. In Aerodynamics, the zero-lift drag coefficient C_{D0} is a dimensionless parameter which relates an aircraft's zero-lift drag Force to its 36 ft² (0. 87 m²)
• Aspect ratio:
  • Spread: 7. In Aerodynamics, the aspect ratio of a wing is defined as the square of the wing span divided by the wing area 56
  • Swept: 1. 95

Performance

• Maximum speed: Mach 2. In Aviation, V-speeds or Velocity-speeds are standard terms used to define Airspeeds important or useful to the operation of Aircraft, such Mach number (\mathrm{Ma} or M (generally ˈmɑːk sometimes /ˈmɑːx/ or /ˈmæk/ is the speed of an object moving through air or any Fluid 5 (1,650 mph, 2,655 km/h)
• Combat radius: 1,330 mi (1,160 NM, 2,140 km)
• Ferry range: 3,220 mi (2,800 NM, 5,190 km)
• Service ceiling 56,650 ft (17,270 m)
• Rate of climb: 25,890 ft/min (131. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States A nautical mile or sea mile is a unit of Length. It corresponds approximately to one minute of Latitude along any meridian. For Aircraft, ferry range means the maximum range the aircraft can fly In Aeronautics, a ceiling is the maximum Density altitude an aircraft can reach under a set of conditions In Aerodynamics, the rate of climb RoC is the speed at which an Aircraft increases its Altitude. 5 m/s)
• Wing loading:
  
• Spread: 126. In Aerodynamics, wing loading is the loaded weight of the aircraft divided by the area of the wing 0 lb/ft² (615. 2 kg/m²)
• Swept: 158 lb/ft² (771 kg/m²)
• Thrust/weight: 0. Thrust-to-weight ratio is as its name suggests the ratio of instantaneous Thrust to Weight (where weight means weight at the Earth ’s surface 61
• Lift-to-drag ratio: 15. In Aerodynamics, the lift-to-drag ratio, or L/D ratio ("ell-over-dee" in the US "ell-dee" in the UK is the amount of lift generated 8

Armament

• Guns: 1× M61 Vulcan 20 mm (0. The M61 Vulcan is a 20 mm Hydraulically or Pneumatically driven six- barreled air-cooled 787 in) gatling cannon (seldom fitted)
• Bombs: 31,500 lb (14,300 kg)

See also

Related development

• EF-111A Raven
  

Comparable aircraft

• F-14 Tomcat
• BAC TSR-2
• Sukhoi Su-24
• Panavia Tornado
  

Related lists

• List of bomber aircraft
• List of military aircraft of the United States
  

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

• Royal Australian Air Force F-111 page
• F-111 profile on Aerospaceweb.org
• F-111.net
• F-111 on ausairpower.net
• F-111 page on GlobalSecurity.org
• Are the F-111's Really Stuffed? by Don Middleton ADA Defender Summer 2006/07
• Report of the RAAF Evaluation Team for a replacement Strike/Reconnaissance Aircraft for Air Staff Requirement (ASR) 36 from the National Archives of Australia
• F-111 page on USAF National Museum web site