Warplanes of the USA: General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark and EF-111A Raven

General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark

(USAF Photo)

494th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 48th Tactical Fighter Wing F-111F aircraft releasing its load of Mark 82 high-drag bombs over the Bardenas Reales range. The 494th TFS has been deployed to Zaragoza Air Base for training.

(USAF Photo)

The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark is a retired supersonic, medium-range, multirole combat aircraft. Production models of the F-111 had roles that included attack (e.g. interdiction), strategic bombing (including nuclear weapons capabilities), reconnaissance and electronic warfare. Aardvark comes from a South African animal that has a long nose and hugs the terrain. It is an Afrikaans word that translates literally as "earth pig" — hence the aircraft's "Pig" nickname during its Australian service.

Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics under Robert McNamara's TFX Program, the F-111 pioneered variable-sweep wings, afterburning turbofan engines, and automated terrain-following radar for low-level, high-speed flight. Its design influenced later variable-sweep wing aircraft, and some of its advanced features have become commonplace. The F-111 suffered problems during initial development, largely related to the engines. A fighter variant intended for the United States Navy, the F-111B, was canceled before production; it was intended for aircraft carrier-based roles, including long-range interception. Several specialized models, such as the FB-111A strategic bomber and the EF-111A electronic warfare aircraft, were also developed.

The F-111 entered service in 1967 with the United States Air Force (USAF). The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) also ordered the F-111 and began operating the F-111C in 1973. As early as March 1968, the USAF were deploying F-111s into active combat situations; the type saw heavy use during the latter half of the Vietnam War to conduct low-level ground-attack missions, flying in excess of 4,000 combat missions while incurring only six combat losses in the theatre. The F-111s also participated in the Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm) in 1991; the F-111Fs completed 3.2 successful strike missions for every unsuccessful one, better than any other U.S. strike aircraft used in the operation. RAAF F-111s never saw offensive action, but were deployed periodically as a deterrent, such as for the Australian-led International Force for East Timor.

Being relatively expensive to maintain amid post-Cold War budget cuts, the USAF elected to retire its F-111 fleet during the 1990s; the last F-111Fs were withdrawn in 1996 while the remaining EF-111s also departed in 1998. The F-111 was replaced in USAF service 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 continued to operate the type up until December 2010, when the last F-111C was retired; its role was transitioned to the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet as an interim measure until the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II became available. (Wikipedia)

(USAF Photo)

Korat RTAFB General Dynamics F-111A (Serial No. 67-096),  429th TFS, on the Alert Ramp during SS Mayaguez Operation, May 1975.

(USAF Photo)

F-111A dropping 24 Mark 82 low-drag bombs in-flight over a range. The aircraft is assigned to the 391st Tactical Fighter Squadron, 366th Tactical Fighter Wing, Nellis AFB, Nevada, 1 May 1980.

(USAF Photo)

General Dynamics F-111.

(USAF Photo)

General Dynamics F-111 during a refueling mission over the North Sea.

(USAF Photo)

General Dynamics F-111F.

(USAF Photo)

FB-111 aircraft in formation, 1 Dec 1983.

(Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)

General Dynamics F-111D Aardvark (Serial No.), 481st Tactical Fighter Squadron, 27th Tactical Fighter Wing, Cannon AFB, New Mexico, 31 Oct 1989.

(Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)

General Dynamics F-111D Aardvark (Serial No.), 481st Tactical Fighter Squadron, 27th Tactical Fighter Wing, Cannon AFB, New Mexico, 1 June 1992.

(USAF Photo)

General Dynamics F-111D Aardvark (Serial No. 68-0107), 481st Tactical Fighter Squadron, 27th Tactical Fighter Wing, Cannon AFB, New Mexico, 31 Dec 1978.

(Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)

General Dynamics F-111D Aardvark (Serial No. 68-0157), 481st Tactical Fighter Squadron, 27th Tactical Fighter Wing, Cannon AFB, New Mexico, 17 Nov 1989.

(Alain Rioux Photo)

General Dynamics F-111A Aardvark (Serial No. 67-0075), Mountain Home Air Force Base, 27 May 1984.

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General Dynamics F-111 Aardvarks preserved in the USA

F-111A
63-9766 – Air Force Flight Test Center Museum, Edwards AFB, Palmdale, California (first F-111).
63-9767 – Waukegan National Airport, Waukegan, Illinois. To be put on displayat the Lake County Veterans Memorial at the airport. Formerly on display at the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum (former Chanute AFB), Rantoul, Illinois. Although it is a monument, it is possible to take it down because the wheels are unfolded.

(Craig Campbell Photos)

63-9771 – Cannon AFB, Clovis, New Mexico. It is a monument fixed to apedestal.

(kb7ywl Photo)
63-9773 – Sheppard AFB Air Park, Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, Texas. It isfixed to a pedestal and has become a monument.
63-9775 – United States Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville, Alabama.
63-9776 – Mountain Home AFB, Idaho (the only RF-111A, marked as 66-0022). It is fixed to a pedestal and has become a monument.
63-9778 – Air Force Flight Test Center Museum, Edwards AFB, Palmdale,California (TACT/AFTI F-111).
66-0012 – Battle Mountain Air Museum, Battle Mountain, Nevada.
66-0016 – Cannon AFB, Clovis, New Mexico. It is a monument fixed to apedestal. This aircraft is credited with an Iraqi Mirage F1 kill, 17 Jan 1991, after forcing the chasing aircraft to impact the ground.
67-0012 – Henderson Park, Brenham, Texas.
67-0046 – Brownwood Regional Airport, Brownwood, Texas.
67-0047 – American Airpower Museum, Long Island, New York.
67-0051 – Historic Aviation Memorial Museum, Tyler Pounds Regional Airport,Tyler, Texas (marked as 67-0050).
67-0057 – Dyess Air Force Base Linear Air Park, Abilene, Texas.

(redheadsrule Photo)
67-0058 – Carl Miller Park, Mountain Home, Idaho. It is fixed to a pedestal andserves as a monument.

(NMUSAF Photos)
67-0067 – National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB,Dayton, Ohio.

(hummerstation Photo)
67-0069 – The Southern Museum of Flight, Birmingham, Alabama.

(Author Photos)
67-0100 – Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas, Nevada (aircraft display park). It is fixed to a pedestal and serves as a monument.

F-111D
68-0140 – Clovis, New Mexico (F-111 "Vark" Memorial Park). It isfixed to a pedestal and serves as a monument.

F-111E
68-0009 – Fort Worth Aviation Museum, Fort Worth, Texas.
68-0020 – Hill Aerospace Museum, Hill AFB, Utah (nicknamed "My Lucky Blonde").
68-0027 – Commemorative Air Force, Midland, Texas.

(Author Photo)

(Clemens Vasters Photo)

(aeroprints.com Photo)

(Simeon87 Photo)
68-0033 – Pima Air and Space Museum (adjacent to Davis-Monthan AFB), Tucson, Arizona.

(USGOV-PD Photo)

General Dynamics F-111A Aardvark (Serial No. 67-0039), in service with the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing in the 1980s.

(C. Mark Sublette Photos)
68-0039 – Shaw AFB, Sumter, South Carolina.

(Dsdugan Photo)
68-0055 – Museum of Aviation, Robins AFB, Warner Robins, Georgia (nicknamed"Heartbreaker").

(Cory W. Watts Photo)

(Greg Goebel Photo)
68-0058 – Air Force Armament Museum, Eglin AFB, Valparaiso, Florida.

F-111F
70-2364 – In the median strip of U.S. Highway 70, in Portales, New Mexico. It is fixed to a pedestal and serves as a monument.
70-2390 – National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio.

(David R. Reustle Photo)

(Jim Cooley Photo)
70-2408 – Santa Fe County Municipal, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

72-1448), LN, C/N E2-78/F-78. National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio.

(Dave Gorman Photo)

(Martin McGuire Photo)
74-0178 – Aviation Heritage Park, Bowling Green, Kentucky.

F-111G

(Alan Wilson Photo)

(kb7yl Photo)

67-0159 – Aerospace Museum of California, McClellan AFB (formerly), Sacramento,California (FB-111A development aircraft, converted to F-111G).
68-0239 – K. I. Sawyer Heritage Air Museum, formerly K.I. Sawyer AFB,Marquette, Michigan (nicknamed the "Rough Night"); converted toF-111G.

(Michael Barera Photo)
68-0284 – Barksdale Global Power Museum, Barksdale AFB, Bossier City, Louisiana.

(Ryan Frost Photo)

(Clemens Vasters Photo)
68-0287 – Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum (former Lowry AFB), Denver, Colorado.

FB-111A

(Alan Wilson Photo)

(kitmasterbloke Photo)
68-0245 – March Field Air Museum, March ARB, Riverside, California (nicknamed "Ready Teddy").

(James St. John Photo)
68-0248 – South Dakota Air and Space Museum, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota (nicknamed "Free For All").
68-0267 – Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland, Nebraska (nicknamed "Black Widow"). The Museum’s F-111 was accepted by the USAF in 1970.  It was dropped from inventory on 10 July 1991 and transferred to the Strategic Air & Space Museum.
68-0275 – Kelly Field Heritage Museum, Lackland AFB / Kelly Field San Antonio,Texas (painted in tactical scheme). It is fixed to a pedestal and serves as amonument.
68-0286 – Clyde Lewis Airpark (adjacent to former Plattsburgh AFB),Plattsburgh, New York (nicknamed "SAC Time"). It is fixed to apedestal and serves as a monument.
69-6507 – Castle Air Museum (former Castle AFB), Atwater, California (nicknamed"Madam Queen").
69-6509 – Whiteman AFB, Knob Noster, Missouri (gate guard) (nicknamed "TheSpirit of the Seacoast").

Australia

F-111G
A8-272 – RAAF Museum, Point Cook, Victoria.

Russia

F-111A
67-0068 F-111 escape capsule that was shot down over Vietnam at Museum ofMoscow Aviation Institute.

United Kingdom

F-111E
67-0120 – American Air Museum, Imperial War Museum Duxford, Duxford, England.The last F-111E from 20th Tactical Fighter Wing in the UK. It was directlytransferred from USAF service at RAF Upper Heyford to the museum in late 1993,prior to the base closure in 1994.
68-0011 – RAF Lakenheath, England (in front of base post office, marked as 48thTFW F-111F).

F-111F
74-0177 – National Cold War Exhibition, Royal Air Force Museum Cosford,England.

General Dynamics EF-111A Raven

The General Dynamics–Grumman EF-111A Raven is a retired electronic-warfare aircraft designed to replace the EB-66 Destroyer in the United States Air Force. Its crews and maintainers often called it the "Spark-Vark", a play on the F-111's "Aardvark" nickname.The USAF contracted with Grumman in 1974 to convert some existing General Dynamics F-111As into electronic warfare/electronic countermeasures (ECM) aircraft.[N 1] The USAF had considered the Navy / Marine Corps Grumman EA-6B Prowler, but desired a penetrating aircraft with supersonic speed. The EF-111 entered service in 1983 and served until its retirement in 1998. (Wikipedia)

(USAF Photo)

430th Electronic Combat Squadron - General Dynamics EF-111A Raven (EF-31) 67-037 with Cannon-based F-16 524th TFS.

(USAF Photo)

A low-altitude aerial view of an EF-111A Raven (foreground) and an F-111F flying from right to left. The aircraft belong to the 27th Fighter Wing, which transitioned from the F-111Ds to F-111Fs and added EF-111As. Cannon AFB, New Mexico, 1 Aug 1992.

(USAF Photo)

An EF-111A Raven aircraft supplies radar jamming support while enroute to Eglin Air Force Base during the multi-service Exercise Solid Shield '87.

(USAF Photo)

EF-111A tactical jamming system aircraft.

(Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)

General Dynamics EF-111A Raven (Serial No. 66-0020), 430th ECS, 27th Fighter Wing, Cannon AFB, New Mexico, 15 Oct 1992.

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(USAF Photo)

EF-111A Raven aircraft en route to RAF Upper Heyford, United Kingdom, from Pease Air Force Base, New Hampshire.

General Dynamics EF-111A Ravens preserved

Of the converted aircraft, three were destroyed in crashes, four are on display, and the other 35 were scrapped.

66-0016 is on display at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. It was the first EF-111 to fly a combat mission and was unofficially credited with the Mirage F1 kill.

66-0047 was being restored at Silver Springs Airport, Silver Springs, Nevada.

(Thornfield Hall Photo)

66-0049 was the first prototype EF-111 and is on display at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.

(NMUSAF Photo)

66-0057 is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

(NMUSAF Photos)

General Dynamics EF-111A Raven (Serial No. 66-0057), CC, C/N A1-75.  EF-111A Ravens, known affectionately as "Fat Tails" and "Spark Varks," (the F-111 is known as the Aardvark), served as tactical electronic jamming aircraft in the 1980s and 1990s.  The USAF received 42 EF-111As between 1981 and 1985, and the aircraft supported several USAF operations in the 1980s and 1990s.  In the 1970s Grumman began modifying 42 F-111A fighters by adding jamming equipment to create the EF-111A.  A 16-foot-long, canoe-shaped radome on the underside for the fuselage housed high-powered transmitter antennas, and a fin-tip pod on the vertical stabilizer housed receiving antennas and other equipment, including a processor to detect hostile radar emissions.  This complex gear weighed about four tons.  Because the equipment required full-time attention in flight, the right seat crewmember, or Electronic Warfare Officer, no longer performed flight-related duties but instead monitored the jamming equipment.  In 1984 Grumman/General Dynamics Corp. began building additional modification kits for the EF-111A which enabled the aircraft to operate in three roles: standoff jamming, close in jamming and penetration/escort.  Ravens served first with the 390th Electronic Combat Squadron based at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho . Later, they were based at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico.  The USAF retired its EF-111As in June 1998, and this aircraft was placed on display in the NMUSAF in July 1998.

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