General Dynamics F-111

General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark
A General Dynamics F-111C of the RAAF
Type:	Fighter bomber Strategic Bomber (FB-111)
Design country:	United States
Manufacturer:	General Dynamics
First flight:	December 21, 1964
Commissioning:	July 18, 1967
Production time:	1964 to 1976
Number of pieces:	563

General Dynamics F-111B

General Dynamics F-111E

The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark was a twin-engine fighter aircraft of the time of the Cold War, from American production. It was the first mass-produced fighter aircraft with swivel wings . The name Aardvark ( English for aardvark ) was the unofficial nickname during her service, which was adopted as the official name of the US Air Force (USAF) at her retirement ceremony . The only export customer was the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), where it was nicknamed Pig .

The F-111 served as a fighter-bomber from 1967 to 1997, most recently with the F-111F series. The electronic reconnaissance variant EF-111A was retired in 1999. The RAAF flew the type from 1973 to 2010.

development

Presentation of the first F-111 on October 15, 1964

Swivel wing demonstration of the F-111

On June 14, 1960, the USAF issued a Specific Operational Requirement 183 , SOR 183, which called for a tactical fighter aircraft for nuclear combat missions. The special thing here was the requirement for a swing-wing aircraft that should build on the experience with the test aircraft Bell X-5 and the prototype Grumman XF10F . The operational capability from unpaved airfields was required, a range of 6100 km without air refueling , and a speed of Mach 1.2 should be achievable over a distance of 740 km. At the same time, Douglas developed the F6D Missileer for the US Navy as an air defense fighter, which was abandoned with the end of the Eisenhower government in December 1960. The F6D was seen more as a step backwards from the F-4 it was supposed to replace.

The new Minister of Defense of Kennedy -Regierung Robert McNamara saw an opportunity to funding through the use of the same aircraft type in Navy and Air Force to save. Three weeks after taking office, on February 14, 1961, he commissioned a feasibility study for a rating based on the needs of paper SOR 183 construction such diverse tasks such as close air support (Close Air Support CAS), air superiority should meet and Langstreckenabfangsmissionen.

In May 1961, the CAS task was split off into its own program, which eventually led to LTV Corsair II . The remaining requirements should be covered by a single draft for both branches of the armed forces (under the leadership of the Air Force), known as the Tactical Fighter Experimental (TFX). McNamara gave the go-ahead for the development of the TFX on June 7, 1961, despite previous efforts by the Air Force and Navy to dissuade him. They were also unable to agree on requirements that were suitable for both branches of the armed forces, so that McNamara himself determined the basic design data in September 1961 and started a corresponding design query in October 1961. After that, basic operational readiness (IOC) should be achieved in October.

Several manufacturers submitted offers, but in the end only General Dynamics and Boeing remained. Boeing won all of the four subsequent design competitions; Disregarding these results, McNamara commissioned General Dynamics and Grumman with the construction of the TFX, now known as the F-111, on November 24, 1962, for political reasons. The TFX was also considered as a close air support aircraft for the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps .

For the US Navy, the trend towards ever larger, stronger fighters posed a problem: the generation of naval fighters of that time was already difficult to land on the deck of an aircraft carrier , and an even larger and faster aircraft would be even more difficult. An airframe optimized for high speeds (usually with heavily swept-back wings) is less efficient at cruising speed, which reduces range, payload and endurance; furthermore, the landing speed is higher. On the other hand, an airframe with straight or moderately swept wings has a lower end performance in combat, but is easier to handle and can carry heavy loads over long distances with lower fuel consumption. These considerations led to the swing wing of the F-111. The draft resulted in an aircraft with a curb weight of 20 tons and a maximum takeoff weight of almost 50 tons, powered by two Pratt & Whitney TF-30 turbofans of the 80 kN class, with a cockpit for two crew members sitting side by side. The shoulder- wing wings were attached to two large pivot bearings, which enabled the aircraft to achieve maximum lift and minimum take-off and landing speeds with a moderate sweep of 16 degrees, a high subsonic cruise speed with a sweep of 35 degrees, or the wings up to 72.5 degrees to reach their high top speed of Mach 2.4. Despite the designation F ( fighter aircraft) in the name, the F-111 was actually a bomber.

The first flight was on December 21, 1964, and the introduction to active service with the USAF began in 1967. The F-111 was the first mass-produced swing-wing aircraft. Various other types followed, including the Soviet Sukhoi Su-17 (1966), Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (1967) and the Tupolev Tu-160 (1981) bomber , the American naval fighter Grumman F-14 (1970) and the Rockwell B-1 bomber (1974) and the European Panavia Tornado (1974).

A so-called dump-and-burn maneuver on an F-111

F-111F is air-fueled from a KC-135E

A special feature of the F-111 is that the outlet of the fuel dump system is located between the engines. If fuel is discharged through this and the afterburner is operated at the same time , the leaked fuel ignites and the aircraft draws a flame several meters long. This dump-and-burn effect was used in particular at air shows .

The F-111 served in the US Air Force from 1967 to 1998.

technology

Avionics

The F-111 has two radars: the AN / APQ-110 and the AN / APQ-113. The latter is responsible for the acquisition of ground and air targets. It is completely analogue and has a parabolic antenna with which it emits radar signals in the frequency range between 10 and 20 GHz. The ECCM capacities are above average for an analog radar and include a. Sidelobe suppression and frequency hopping . The APQ-113 is a pure pulse radar, so that no targets can be detected against the background of clutters . The AN / APQ-110 is a specialized terrain tracking radar for performing low-level flights at night and with poor visibility. It uses two small antennas to the left and right of the APQ-113.

An AN / APS-109 radar warning device is used to ensure a warning of enemy radar devices . The AN / ALQ-94 is used to interfere with radar systems, the antennas of which are attached to the side of both engine outlets. It can emit interference signals in the frequency range from 2 to 20 GHz, with the frequency spectrum being divided into three subsystems. It can transmit in pulse mode with up to 1 kW, in continuous wave mode with up to 100 watts. In addition to noise jamming , deception jamming techniques can also be used. An additional pod (for example of the AN / ALQ-131 type ) can be attached under the fuselage to increase the noise output . A decoy launcher of the type AN / ALE-28 or AN / ALE-40 can also emit chaff and flares to deceive enemy guided missiles.

Rescue system

Issued escape capsule of an F-111

The production versions of the F-111 did not have ejection seats . For this, the entire cockpit section (Crew Module Escape and Survival Systems) could be shot out as an escape pod. This escape capsule could be deployed at a height of 0 m and a speed of 0 knots and floated to the ground on a parachute with a diameter of 21 meters. The impact was also cushioned by six air cushions under and two over the pulpit. At the same time, a UHF emergency radio transmitter was activated. When landing in water, additional air cushions could be activated, turning the cockpit section into a lifeboat. Since the cockpit section was designed as a pressure chamber, the crew could have survived in it without pressure suits or oxygen masks . The advantage of this solution was the comfort for the crew during the flight in the spacious cockpit with more comfortable seats than the normal ejection seats. In addition to the survival equipment, bottles with oxygen were also housed in the rescue capsule.

Versions

F-111A

F-111A 1968 in the Vietnam War

The first serial F-111s were delivered on July 18, 1967 to the 428th, 429th and 430th Tactical Fighter Squadrons of the 474th Tactical Fighter Wing at Cannon Air Force Base , New Mexico . In 1968 the squadrons moved to Nellis Air Force Base . After some tests, a delegation of six aircraft was sent to Southeast Asia in March 1968 to test them in combat conditions over Vietnam. In just over a month, three planes were lost and testing was halted. It was found that all three were lost through malfunction, not enemy action. This sparked a wave of political blame, with various US Senators referring to Robert McNamara , who had enforced the procurement of the aircraft.

In the background, meanwhile, people slowly learned how to handle aircraft and found ways to remedy their weaknesses. Nevertheless, it took until July 1971 until the 474th TFW was fully operational. Reviews in 1969 revealed that a contractor had bribed inspectors into approving sub-par work on wing structural components. The affected, already completed F-111A had to be dismantled again at high costs in order to be able to replace the parts.

In 1972 the F-111 returned to Vietnam and took part in the Linebacker II air offensive against the north. F-111 missions did not require in -flight refueling or ECM assistance, and they could operate in weather conditions that forced most other aircraft to remain on the ground. Since one F-111 could carry the bomb load of four McDonnell Douglas F-4s , the value of the new aircraft was slowly becoming apparent. Over 4000 combat missions have been flown over Vietnam with the F-111A, with only six aircraft lost in combat.

In 1977 the remaining F-111A moved to Mountain Home Air Force Base , Idaho. 42 aircraft were converted to EF-111A Raven and some were sold to Australia. In the early 1990s, their gradual mothballing began with the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG).

F-111B

A 1968 F-111B approaching the USS Coral Sea

The F-111B was to become the Navy fighter version of the F-111. For this purpose, the bow section was shortened by 2.59 m and the wing was lengthened by 1.07 m. The first flight took place on May 18, 1965 in Calverton on Long Island with Ralph Donnel and Ernie von der Hayden. Since General Dynamics had no experience with carrier-based aircraft, they teamed up with Grumman for this variant . The F-111B was severely overweight for carrier use, underpowered, and lacking range. By October 1967, the Navy was convinced that the F-111B program could not be saved and recommended that it be abandoned, which it did in 1968.

So fundamental were the F-111B's weaknesses that when asked by the Chairman of the Senate Armed Forces Committee , Navy Vice Admiral Thomas "Tomcat" Connolly responded with his personal, unofficial opinion of the F-111B:

"There isn't enough thrust in Christendom to fix this plane."

"There isn't enough thrust in all of Christendom to get this plane out."

His comment cost him the chance of a fourth star , but made him the namesake of the F-14, which was named Tomcat in his honor . In addition, this nickname fits the tradition of the Navy, the aircraft from Grumman with feline names.

The AIM-54 Phoenix missile and AN / AWG-9 radar, which had been developed for the F-111B and the previously filed F6D missileer , were later used in the Grumman F-14.

F-111C

Cockpit of a General Dynamics F-111C

Export version for Australia (see text ).

F-111D

The F-111D was an improved F-111 with newer avionics , more powerful P-9 engines, improved air inlet geometry and an early glass cockpit . The improved air inlet, which was called "Triple Plow II", was the most important innovation because it was used to install new intake flaps. These were closed during normal operation, but opened when there was an increased demand for air so that the problem with the compressor could be rectified during take-off or at low flight speeds. The new, complicated Mark II avionics caused a lot of problems at the beginning, whereby the F-111D was not operational until 1974. The technical problems with the avionics package could never be completely resolved during the entire period of service, which is why the D variant showed the least operational readiness of all F-111 models put into service. All remaining aircraft were withdrawn from active service by December 1992 and mothballed with the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG).

F-111E

F-111E of the 20th TFW from Upper Heyford

The F-111E was a simplified F-111D that was ordered after there was no end in sight to the F-111D's teething troubles. It had the engines and air intakes of the F-111D, but not its failure-prone electronics. In the E version, the forward-facing AN / APQ-113 radar was used for the first time, with which the F-111 could also fight air targets. Since this was not part of the F-111's primary range of operations, the corresponding capacities were of little importance and were only used for self-defense. The F-111E was delivered before the D model. 94 machines were built. Most of the F-111E were stationed at the RAF Upper Heyford base in England until 1993 and participated in Operation Desert Storm from there. All F-111E were decommissioned and put into storage by May 1996.

F-111F

A US Air Force F-111F

The F-111F was the last of the F-111 variants produced for the Tactical Air Command. Paradoxically, the F-111F was the first and only version that could actually meet the original requirements of the TFX program. The F variant is based on the airframe of the D version, but received improved P-100 engines. The first machines delivered had to do without this expansion stage, but were later retrofitted with the new engines. After the technical problems with the avionics package Mark II of the F-111D, the simplified avionics from the E version were adopted for the F-111F. However, this has been further increased in its reliability. All F-111Fs, of which a total of 106 were built, were delivered between 1971 and 1976. Most of these aircraft were stationed at the 48th TFW at RAF Lakenheath in England, the rest belonged to the 57th Fighter Weapons Wing at Nellis Air Force Base .

In these aircraft, the internal weapon bay was usually occupied by an AVQ-26 Pave Tack system with FLIR and laser aiming illuminator, which the F-111F could use to target laser-guided precision weapons. The F-111F participated in Operation El Dorado Canyon against Libya in 1986 and in Operation Desert Storm against Iraq. All F-111Fs were retired from 1995 to 1996.

FB-111

Formation flight of two FB-111A in December 1983

The FB-111 was a strategic bomber version of the F-111, which was supposed to bridge the gap between the Convair B-58 and early models of the Boeing B-52 and the Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft , which was still in the design phase . The Air Force was concerned that age-related failures in the B-52 fleet would cause the strategic bomber fleet to shrink dangerously below nominal strength. Although 263 aircraft were originally planned, only 76 were built; the first series aircraft were delivered in 1968.

The FB-111A differed from the F-111A in that additional fuel was housed in the 65 cm longer fuselage and the wingspan was increased by 2.10 m (also used on the F-111B) to increase the range as well as the To increase the load capacity. This also required a reinforced substructure and the electronics had been adapted to the state of the art.

The armament for the role of strategic bomber consisted of the Boeing AGM-69A SRAM with nuclear warhead, two of which could be carried in the internal weapon bay and two more under the inner wing pylons. The remaining four suspensions were occupied with external tanks, with which the range of the aircraft was increased.

Conventional bombs (24 × 340 kg) or free-falling nuclear weapons could also be carried. In 1990, the SRAM was taken out of service due to concerns about the integrity of the nuclear warhead in the event of fire. As a result, only unpowered bombs were available.

The FB-111 became obsolete after the introduction of the Rockwell B-1 and some FB-111 were converted into a tactical configuration and renamed the F-111G. The FB-111s did not stay in service long and were decommissioned from 1990; the last flight in service with Strategic Air Command was on July 10, 1991, but some were sold to Australia.

EF-111A Raven

An EF-111A Raven 1987

→ Main article : Grumman EF-111

The EF-111A Raven ( called Spark Vark by the pilots ) was a variant of the F-111 for electronic warfare . It was designed to replace the obsolete EB-66 in the USAF arsenal. For this purpose, the AN / ALQ-99E jammer subsystem was installed in the weapon bay of the F-111A, the transmitters were located in a 5 m long dome under the fuselage, and the receivers were placed in a container similar to the EA-6B mounted on the vertical stabilizer. A total of 42 machines were converted between 1981 and 1985. The machines were in service until 1998 and were used in particular in the second Gulf War.

Operation El Dorado Canyon

→ Main article : Operation El Dorado Canyon

Preparations for take-off of an F-111F of the 48th TFW in Lakenheath prior to deployment

A US Air Force fighter aircraft of the type F-111F Aardvark ( mission code : Karma 52) was shot down by a Libyan S-200 anti-aircraft missile during the bombing of Libyan cities on April 15, 1986 , according to other sources, by an anti-aircraft gun. The pilot Major Fernando L. Ribas-Dominicci (born 1952 in Puerto Rico) and the weapons system officer Captain Paul F. Lorence perished. The body of the pilot Ribas-Dominicci was found by Libyan security forces. The remains were transferred to the USA in 1989 through the mediation of the Vatican. Another F-111F Aardvark fighter aircraft had to land at the Rota air base in Spain due to technical problems following the attacks on Libya . The crew was flown to the British base at Lakenheath within two hours. Of the 18 F-111F combat aircraft in use, only four successfully dropped their bombs over their targets in and around Tripoli . The other planes abandoned their attacks or missed their targets to avoid collateral damage .

The Azziziya barracks in Tripoli were hit . A bomb fell near the residence of Muammar al-Gaddafi and injured the dictator and two of his sons in the shoulder . Allegedly, a 15-month-old adopted daughter of Gaddafi named Hanna was killed in the attack. According to Libyan information, 36 other Libyans fell victim to the bombing, and property damage was also caused to the embassies of Austria, Switzerland, Finland, France and Iran. Another destination of the F-111 was the Tripoli airport, which was fought with drop-delay bombs of the type BSU-49 and cluster bombs of the type CBU Rockeye Mk 20 . Three Ilyushin Il-76 Candid cargo planes were destroyed and three others damaged. A Libyan Boeing 727 passenger aircraft and a Fiat G.222 military transport aircraft were also hit on the ground.

Exports

 Australia

Australian F-111C 2006

In 1963 the Australian government ordered 24 F-111s to replace their existing tactical bombers. Originally the aircraft should be identical to the F-111A, but they were ultimately delivered as F-111C and represented a middle ground between F-111A and FB-111A. From the latter they had the longer wings, eight external load stations and the reinforced substructure.

Although the first aircraft was officially handed over in 1968, structural integrity problems found in the USAF fleet delayed the commissioning of the Australian F-111 until 1973. Four aircraft were converted into reconnaissance models RF-111C , but retained their ground attack capabilities.

Some formerly American aircraft were brought to Australia to compensate for losses and to enlarge the fleet. Four F-111A, which had been converted to the status of the F-111C, were delivered in 1982, and 15 F-111Gs were purchased in 1992 and were delivered in 1994. Another eleven ex-USAF hulls were used as spare parts stores in Arizona .

The Australian F-111 fleet has been kept state-of-the-art with several improvements, but in 2004 the RAAF decided to replace the remaining machines with 24 F / A-18F Super Hornets by 2010 . The machines were stationed at RAAF Base Amberley until they were retired on December 3, 2010 . In its 37 years of service, the RAAF lost eight aircraft in accidents, in which five crews were killed.

 United Kingdom

After the BAC TSR.2 project was canceled , the British government ordered 50 F-111K aircraft in 1967. However, the order was canceled almost a year later; The reason given was the getting out of hand costs.

production

Acceptance of the F-111 by the USAF:

version	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	TOTAL	price
F-111A	1	6th	10	20th	65	56								158	$ 8.2 million
FB-111A				1	2	7th	42	24						76	$ 9.8 million
F-111B US Navy			5		1	1								7th	$ 8.7 million
F-111C Australia					1	23								24	$ 10.2 million
F-111D							1	6th	73	16				96	$ 8.5 million
F-111E						31	53	10						94	$ 9.2 million
F-111F								28	42	12	7th	8th	9	106	$ 10.3 million
TOTAL	1	6th	15th	21st	69	118	96	68	115	28	7th	8th	9	563

Technical specifications

Parameter	F-111A data	F-111F data	FB-111A data
Type	Fighter bomber		Strategic bomber
crew	Pilot and weapons systems officer
length	23.03 m
span	swung out: 19.20 m swiveled in: 9.75 m		swung out: 21.34 m swiveled in: 10.36 m
height	5.22 m
Wing area	61.07 m² spread, 48.77 m² swiveled		k. A.
Wing extension	swiveled out: 7.56 swiveled in: 1.95		k. A.
Wing loading	minimum (empty weight): 429 kg / m² maximum (max. take-off weight): 920 kg / m²		k. A.
Empty mass	20,943 kg		21,763 kg
Max. Takeoff mass	44,883 kg		54.091 kg
Tank capacity	internal: 19,089 l external: 4 additional tanks of 2,271 l each		internal: 18,964 l external: 6 additional tanks of 2,271 l each
Top speed	at optimal altitude: 2,338 km / h at sea level: 1,470 km / h	2,655 km / h (at optimal altitude)	at optimal altitude: 2,338 km / h at sea level: 1,348 km / h
Service ceiling	17,678 m	17,266 m	15,320 m
Rate of climb	130 m / s		119 m / s
Use radius	2,140 km	k. A.	4,023 km
Range	5,093 km (with additional tanks)	5,848 km (with additional tanks)	7,702 km (with additional tanks)
Engine	two Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-3	two Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-100	two Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-7
Thrust	without afterburner: 2 × 53.4 kN with afterburner: 2 × 82.32 kN	without afterburner: 2 × 79.6 kN with afterburner: 2 × 111.69 kN	without afterburner: 2 × 55.6 kN with afterburner: 2 × 90.56 kN
Thrust-to-weight ratio	maximum (empty weight): 0.8 minimum (max.start mass): 0.37	maximum (empty weight): 1.09 minimum (max. starting mass): 0.51	maximum (empty weight): 0.85 minimum (max.start mass): 0.34
Max. Gun load	13,608 kg	14,288 kg	17,010 kg

Armament

F-111A when dropping Mark-82 - unguided bomb

Externally mounted BLU-107 Durandal bombs

A special feature of the F-111 is the relatively large selection of armament options. These resulted, among other things, from the long service life of almost 30 years, during which the selection was gradually increased, but also from the high payload of up to 14,288 kg for the F-111F (17,010 kg for the FB-111) turned out to be very high if the Soviet counterpart, the Su-24 Fencer , is used as a comparison . Despite the wide range of options, the Mk.82 and M117 free-fall bombs represented the primary armament of the F-111, which could be carried in large quantities on the four external BRU-41 bomb carrier racks.

Although the F-111 was never put into service as a fighter, the abandoned F-111B also influenced the armament of the other variants. The weapon bay in all versions, the pylons of which have a total load capacity of 2268 kg, can be traced back to the B variant, which was given this for use with the AIM-54 Phoenix. However, the Phoenix was never used on the F-111, the weapon bay was instead primarily used for additional containers and fuel tanks. The D-version radar system was also designed for use with the AIM-7 Sparrow, but this radar-controlled guided missile was never installed in an F-111. Ultimately, two AIM-9 Sidewinder were the only air-to-air missiles the F-111 could carry for self-defense. General Dynamics also tried to carry the Sidewinder in the internal weapon bay, but this was not adopted by the Air Force.

The M61 Vulcan gun is also based on the F-111B. This was not permanently installed as with many other models, but could optionally be carried in the weapon bay. Since this was then not available for other equipment options, this was seldom the case, as the M61 was not a primary part of the range of applications. The Australian F-111C and the FB-111A are the only two variants for which the M61 Vulcan were not available.

Loading options

Ordnance in the internal weapon bay

• 1 × 20 mm Gatling revolver cannon M61A1 "Vulcan" with 2084 rounds of ammunition (only installed in F-111A, -B, -D, -E, -F)

Air-to-air guided missile

• 2 × Raytheon AIM-54A "Phoenix" (radar-controlled air-to-air guided missile; intended for the F-111B, but never installed)
• 2 × Raytheon AIM-7G "Sparrow" (radar-controlled air-to-air guided missile; intended for the F-111D, but never installed)
• 2 × LAU-7 / A start rails on the side of the external load station for 1 × AIM-9P-3 / L / M "Sidewinder" each (infrared-controlled, self-targeting for short distances)

Air-to-surface guided missile

• 6 × Boeing AGM-69 "SRAM" (supersonic tactical nuclear guided missile, inertial navigation guided with a nuclear 170 kt warhead; only for the FB-111A)
• 2 × Boeing AGM-84A "Harpoon" (radar-guided anti-ship missile ) (F-111C only)
• 2 × LAU-118 launch rails for 1 × Texas Instruments AGM-88A / B "HARM" (self-targeting anti-radar missile) each
• 2 × Rafael / Lockheed Martin AGM-142E "Popeye / Have Nap" (inertial navigation system / radio remote controlled)
• 2 × AGM-130A (electro-optically guided 1323 kg missile)

Guided bombs

• 4 × BRU-42 TER (Triple Ejection Rack) with 2 × 2 and 2 × 3 (total 10) GBU-12 "Paveway II" (laser-guided glide bomb 227 kg / 500 lb)
• 4 × Lockheed-Martin GBU-10E / B "Paveway II" (laser-guided glide bomb 945 kg / 2055 lb, based on a Mk.84 explosive bomb with front control and rear steering set)
• 2 × Raytheon GBU-24A / B "Paveway III" (laser-guided glide bomb 1100 kg / 2055 lb, based on a BLU-109 penetration bomb or Mk.84 explosive bomb with front control and rear steering set)
• 2 × Raytheon GBU-28 / B "Paveway III" (laser-guided glide bomb 2268 kg / 5000 lb, based on a BLU-113 / B penetration bomb with front control and rear steering set)
• 2 × GBU-15 "Hobos" (electro-optically guided glide bomb 1140 kg)

Unguided bombs (on up to four BRU-41 MULTIPLE EJECTOR RACK (MER) bomb carrier racks)

• 36 × Mk.82 General Purpose bombs (227 kg / 500 lb free-fall bomb)
• 26 × Mk.82 SE "SnakeEye" (227 kg / 500 lb, with four air brakes)
• 26 × Mk.20 "Rockeye II" (222 kg / 490 lb anti-tank cluster bomb with 247 Mk.118 bomblets)
• 26 × M117A1 (372 kg / 820 lb free fall bomb )
• 6 × Mk.83 LDGP (454 kg / 1000 lb free-fall bomb)
• 6 × Mk.84 LDGP (907 kg / 2000 lb free fall bomb)
• 4 × M118 (1400 kg free fall bomb)
• 16 × BLU-107 "Durandal" (rocket-propelled 219 kg anti-runway bomb)
• 6 × B28EX / RE (nuclear free-fall bomb with 1.45 MT explosive device)
• 6 × B43 (nuclear free-fall bomb with 1 MT explosive device)
• 6 × B57 (nuclear free-fall bomb with 20 kT explosive device)
• 6 × B61-2 / 5 (nuclear free-fall bomb with 0.3–170 kT explosive device)
• 6 × B83 (nuclear free-fall bomb with 1.2 MT explosive device)

Self defense

Active measures

• 4 × Tracor AN / ALE-29A decoys with 30 decoys each (36 mm diameter e.g. RR-129 chaff cartridges or MJU-8 / B heat flares ) or eight Tracor AN / ALE-40 decoys with 30 decoys each. They are installed in the stern.
• 1 × Sanders / Varian ALQ-94 jammer

Passive action in the Dalmo Victor ALR-62 warning system

• 6 × Loral AN / ALR-31/39/41-ESM gondolas, each with a radar warning sensor
• 1 × AN / AAR-34 infrared missile approach warning sensor

Additional container

• 1 × AN / AVQ-26 "Pave Tack" (electro-optical target lighting container with FLIR for laser-guided bombs in the bomb bay)
• 1 × AN / AAD-5 IR scanner
• 1 × KA-56E low-level reconnaissance camera
• 1 × KA-93A4 high-altitude reconnaissance camera
• 2 × KS-87C reconnaissance camera
• 1 × AN / AXQ-14 data link container
• 6 × additional fuel tanks for 2271 liters of kerosene
• 1 × CNU-188 / A luggage container
• 1 × Westinghouse AN / ALQ-131 (V) -EKF malfunction container
• 2 × QRC 80-01 (V) -4-EKF-disturbance container

Others

James Rosenquist's painting “F-111” is an important work of Pop Art .

The sound of an F-111 flying by is one of the sound recordings on the Voyager Golden Record .

See also

• List of aircraft types
• Fighter bomber

literature

• Marcelle Size Knaack: Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems. Volume I, Post-World War II Fighters 1945–1973. Washington, DC 1978, ISBN 0-912799-19-6 , pp. 222-263.
• Rick Stephens: The 'Earth Pig'. In: World Air Power, Vol. 14, 1993

Web links

Commons : F-111 Aardvark  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

• Articles in FAS (English)
• Page about the function of the escape pod (English) Page about the function of the escape pod (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/f-111.htm
2. ↑ Vectorsite ( Memento from December 27, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
3. ↑ Air Power Australia - STRIKE - RAAF STYLE
4. ↑ Robert Mcg. Thomas Jr: Thomas Connolly, 86, Top-Gun Admiral, Dies , New York Times , June 9, 1996, accessed July 8, 2017.
5. ↑ George Marrett: Flight of the Phoenix. Airpower, Volume 36, No. July 7, 2006.
6. ↑ http://www.waffenhq.de/index1280.html
7. ^ Warren E. Thompson: Swing-Wing Predator - The last of SAC's FB-111s. In: AIR Enthusiast, No.98, March / April 2002, p. 8
8. ↑ http://www.fliegerweb.com/militaer/news/artikel.php?show=news-6973
9. ↑ Statistical Digest of the USAF 1964, pp. 58 f .; 1965, pp. 60 f .; 1966, p. 115 f .; 1967, p. 122 f .; 1968, p. 132 f .; 1969, p. 111 f .; 1970, p. 107 f .; 1971, p. 102 f .; 1972, p. 154 f .; 1973, p. 52 f .; 1974, p. 48 f .; 1975, p. 52 f .; 1976, p. 80 f .; Marcelle Size Knaack: Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems. Volume 1, Washington DC, 1978, p. 223 ff.
10. ↑ F-111 Flyby-Sounds from Earth @ voyager.jpl.nasa.gov, accessed October 18, 2010

This version was added to the list of articles worth reading on August 11, 2005 .