F-111 Top Speed - The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark was a true multi-role warplane - developed to meet the bold mandate of the US Department of Defense (DoD) for a multi-role aircraft capable of meeting the future maneuverability requirements of all military services of the United States. , the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark, despite a rocky start, was a huge success. Production versions of the F-111 were used in roles that included ground attack/interdiction; strategic bombs and nuclear weapons; detective; and electronic warfare. It was a long-range, all-weather aircraft capable of flying at low levels and destroying targets inside enemy territory.

It was truly a modern multi-role aircraft, including the first variable-geometry wing aircraft and also had a ground-based radar for low-level and high-speed flight.

F-111 Top Speed

F-111 Top Speed

The F-111 Aardvark was designed in the early 1960s to combine the United States' needs for a fighter-bomber with the US Navy's need for an air superiority fighter. While the Navy canceled its program, the Air Force moved forward.

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The F-111 was a big step forward,  but it needed new engines, wings and radar to allow it to accomplish its mission of dropping 8,000 pounds of bombs on a target 1,500 miles away—without refueling.

It was the first aircraft to use an afterburner turbofan engine, which gave it the ability to fly supersonic to Europe without refueling. An F-111 set the record for longest low-level flight (172 miles at an altitude of less than 1,000 feet) on November 9, 1966.

The F-111 entered the US Air Force in 1967 and was used primarily as a bomber.

However, it could fly like no other bomber of the era - flying low to the ground until the bombs were cut off, but soaring to a very high altitude to fly home.

General Dynamics–grumman Ef 111a Raven

It had a swept wing that could be adjusted in flight and could vary from sixteen to 72.5 degrees, with side-by-side seats for the pilot and weapons systems officer.

The wings of the F-111 were straight for takeoff, landing, or low-speed takeoff; but by retracting its wings, it can double the speed of sound (Mach 2).

Advanced avionics allowed for night/close-to-ground flight. The aircraft's radar system can allow the F-111 to fly within 200 feet of variable terrain without pilot intervention. The system allowed the pilot to switch planes while tracking the radar.

F-111 Top Speed

Avionics also helped locate and bomb targets at night and in bad weather, while the F-111 was also able to take off and land on runways up to 3,000 feet.

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During the Vietnam War, the Aardvark carried twice as many weapons as the F-4 Phantom, but could carry two and a half times the weapon load.

The F-111F variant is also equipped with an AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack infrared weather detector/reader carried in a turret mounted under the fuselage.

Eighteen aircraft, including four EF-111A Raven electronic warfare types, were used during the "Operation El Dorado Canyon" airstrike against Libya on April 14, 1986. Taking off from Royal Air Force Lykenheath and Royal Air Force Heyford in England and back to Libya - a distance of 6,400 miles and 13 hours - was the longest combat mission in history.

F-111s suffered four times the fuel load in mid-air because of the limitations of the 3,500-mile flight. While the plane was approaching Libya, two USS Coral Sea (CV-43) and USS America (CV-66) aircraft, fourteen A-6E aircraft and twelve F/A-18 and A-7 were fired. . aircraft support. Although the mission was considered a success, it was not without controversy. The US Navy later claimed that the entire operation could be completed using Marine assets. In addition, the F-111 was lost in Libya and crashed in the Mediterranean Sea.

Italeri 1/72 F 111a Aardvark

Just five years later, the F-111F was one of the most effective Allied aircraft in Operation Desert Storm in 1991, flying more than 2,400 sorties against Iraqi strategic locations, transport structures, and hardened bunkers.

In total, 566 F-111s of all series were built; 106 of them were production F-111Fs. The U.S. Air Force retired the last F-111F in 1996, when it was replaced by the F-15E Strike Eagle for the medium-range precision strike mission, while the B-1B Lancer assumed the role of emergency bomber.

Now editor-in-chief at 1945, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer who has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites. He writes frequently about military equipment and is the author of several books on military hats, including the Military Clothing Gallery, available on Amazon.com. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes.

F-111 Top Speed

Professional Profile: Editor-in-Chief 1945, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer who has contributed more than 3,000 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites in a twenty-year journalism career. He writes regularly on military equipment, weapons history, cyber security, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. The Geral Dynamics F-111C (nicknamed "Pig") is a variant of the F-111 Aardvark medium-range stealth aircraft developed by Geral Dynamics to meet Australian requirements. The design was based on the F-111A model, but included longer wings and a more powerful undercarriage. The Australian government ordered 24 F-111Cs for the Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1963, but due to long-term technical problems, the aircraft were not delivered until 1973. During 1979 and 1980, four of these aircraft were converted to reconnaissance variant of the RF-111S. Four former United States Air Force (USF) aircraft were purchased by Australia and converted to the F-111C standard in 1982, so that the F-111C could be destroyed in a crash. Australia also operated 15 F-111Gs between 1993 and 2007, mainly for conversion training. The RAAF retired its remaining F-111Cs in December 2010. In Australian military and aviation circles, the F-111 Aardvark was affectionately known as "The Pig" due to its long nose and ground tracking capabilities.

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The aircraft underwent modernization programs in the 1980s and 1990s, and the RAAF received improved weapons to maintain their ability to destroy hostile airspace. However, by the 2000s, the F-111Cs were aging and stretched to maintain, which led to their retirement in 2010, instead of 2020 as originally planned. The F-111s were replaced by 24 Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets to replace the F-35 Lightning II that was under development.

The US Navy has begun a program to develop a new anti-aircraft aircraft for use in carrying its large aircraft.

On February 14, 1961, US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara officially ordered that the services explore the development of an aircraft that would meet both requirements.

In October 1961, a request for proposals (RFP) for TFX was issued to industry. After four rounds of proposals, Geral Dynamics (GD) was chosen over Boeing; GD signed the TFX contract in December 1962.

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The USAF F-111A and Navy F-111B versions used the same airframe structural elements and TF30-P-1 turbofan engines. They showed the side crew sitting on the escape pod, as required by the Navy. Because of a dispute between the Air Force and the Navy, whose demands came first, McNamara intervened in 1961, arguing that the Air Force's demands overrode the Navy's recommendations.

As development of the F-111 progressed, stalling problems occurred during certain parts of the flight routine; These were addressed by changing the cotton input in 1965–66 with the Jembe Tatu I and Jembe Tatu II designs.

Improved F-111E, F-111D, F-111F models were later developed for the USAF. The FB-111A strategic bomber and EF-111 electronic warfare versions were also developed for the USAF.

F-111 Top Speed

RAAF Canberra Mk.20 of No. 2 Squadron on a strike from Pan Rang Air Base, Vietnam, March 1970

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The Mzies government first publicly discussed the need to replace the Canberra with an electric vehicle in 1954, just a year after the RAAF began fielding the bomber.

The Canberra, which did not make much noise, lacked radar and electronic measures, all shortcomings that were due to the experience of the Korean War. The RAAF believes it needs a new strategic bomber to fulfill the country's commitments to the Commonwealth Strategic Reserves in Malaysia, ANZUS and SEATO. Air Force Requirements 36 that year ordered an all-weather attack aircraft by 1959 capable of carrying a variety of bombs and missiles. Research suggested one of the British V bombers, but Prime Minister Robert Mies, Defense Minister Frederick Shedd decided in 1956 that they would cost £1 million each.

In April 1960, Air Marshal Walton Hancock, Chief of the Air Staff, said that Australia needed a replacement for Canberra.

Although in mid-1962 the Mzies government again decided not to replace Canberra, increasing Indonesian claims against Malaysia made Australia reconsider this decision.

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The Sydney Morning Herald wrote in October 1962 that Tu-16 bombers of the Indonesian Air Force could reach Sydney or any Australian city with a load of light bombs, while Canberras could not fly in any weather and had a range of 900 miles. 1,400 kilometers), not enough to reach Jakarta.

The opposition Labor Party led by

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