American General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark Aircraft GAVM 2021-59
USAF F-111 variants were retired in the 1990s with the F-111Fs retired in 1996 and EF-111s retired in 1998. In USAF service, the F-111 has been replaced by the F-15E Strike Eagle for medium-range precision strike missions, while the supersonic bomber role has been assumed by the B-1B Lancer. The RAAF was the last operator of the F-111, with its aircraft serving until December 2010. The F-111 was an all-weather attack aircraft, capable of low-level penetration of enemy defenses to deliver ordnance on the target. The F-111 featured variable geometry wings, an internal weapons bay and a cockpit with side by side seating. The cockpit was part of an escape crew capsule. The wing sweep varied between 16 degrees and degrees (full forward to full sweep). The wing included leading edge slats and double slotted flaps over its full length. The airframe was made up mostly of aluminum alloys with steel, titanium and other materials used in places. The fuselage was made of a semi-monocoque structure with stiffened panels and honeycomb sandwich panels for skin. The F-111 used a three-point landing gear arrangement with a two-wheel nose gear and two single-wheel main landing gear. The F-111 featured an internal weapons bay that could carry bombs, a removable 20 mm M61 cannon, or auxiliary fuel tanks. For bombs the bay could hold two 750 lb (340 kg) M117 conventional bombs, one nuclear bomb or practice bombs. The F-111B was to carry two AIM-54 Phoenix long-range air-to-air missiles in the bay. The cannon had a large 2,084-round ammunition tank, and its muzzle was covered by a fairing. However, it was rarely fitted on F-111s.
Size: 5449px × 4470px
Location: RAF Lossiemouth, Highland Region. Scotland. United Kingdom.
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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