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General Dynamics F-111A Aardvark
The F-111A was the first production Aardvark, a two-seat tactical fighter-bomber with variable-geometry wings. Two Pratt and Whitney TF30-P-3 engines of 18,500 pounds of thrust each gave a maximum speed of 1,452 mph and a cruising speed of 685 mph. The span is 63 ft (19.2 m) with the wings extended and 32 ft (9.8 m) swept back. It is 73 ft 6 in (22.4 m) long and 17 ft (5.2 m) tall, with a ceiling of 57,000 ft. It carried one 20 mm cannon and up to 24 conventional or nuclear weapons, at up to 92,657 pounds.
- Cruise speed
- 595 knots (1,100 km/h)
- Engines
- Two Pratt and Whitney TF30-P-3 turbofans in the fuselage
- Max takeoff weight
- 92,700 lb (42,030 kg)
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Specifications
| Length | 73 ft 6 in (22.40 m) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 63 ft 0 in (19.20 m) |
| Height | 17 ft 0 in (5.18 m) |
| Ceiling | 57,000 ft (17,400 m) |
| First flight | December 1964 |
| Number built | 159 built |
| Status | Retired in 1996 |
| Type codes | ICAO F111 |
Who flew it
- US Air Force
Service branches, from the services' own fact sheets. No flight data is shown for military aircraft.
History
In 1960 the Defense Department combined an Air Force need for a tactical fighter-bomber with a Navy need for an air superiority fighter. The Air Force's F-111A first flew in December 1964 and the first production models reached the Air Force in 1967, while the Navy's F-111B was canceled. Of 566 F-111s built in all, 159 were F-111As. In spring 1968 the Air Force tested the F-111A in Southeast Asia with mixed success. In 1972, after early problems were fixed, it returned for Operation Linebacker II and flew night strikes on North Vietnamese targets. The Air Force says the F-111 was retired in 1996.
Last operators
- US Air Force