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Description
| Notes: Upgraded F-111A. | ||
| Manufacturer: | General Dynamics | |
| Base model: | F-111 | |
| Designation: | F-111 | |
| Version: | D | |
| Nickname: | Aardvark | |
| Designation System: | U.S. Air Force | |
| Designation Period: | 1948-Present | |
| Basic role: | Fighter | |
Specifications
| Length: | 73' 6" | 22.4 m | |
| Height: | 17' 1.5" | 5.2 m | |
| Wingspan: | 63' | 19.2 m | |
| Empty Weight: | 46,631 lb | 21,147 kg | |
| Gross Weight: | 73,000 lb | 33,106 kg | |
| Max Weight: | 100,000 lb | 45,351 kg | |
Propulsion
| No. of Engines: | 2 | ||
| Powerplant: | Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-9 (A/B 20,840 Lb) | ||
| Thrust (each): | 10,600 lb | 4,807 kg | |
Performance
| Cruise Speed: | 685 mph | 1,103 km/h | 596 kt |
| Max Speed: | 1,452 mph | 2,338 km/h | 1,263 kt |
| Ceiling: | 57,000 ft | 17,373 m | |
Known serial numbers
Recent comments by our visitors
| Michael O\'Connor , MD | You are the MAN ! I wonder how fast they could bring them out of that stage ! . I bet noone have been striped of anything.
05/25/2008 @ 18:08 [ref: 21005] |
| Micheal O\'Connor , MD | 1978 !I was At Cannon for 18 months ! Drove a 1965 Ranchero and was part of MMS ,My Name Is Michael O'Connor ,and worked 2nd shift (watched the white owl cruize the flightline at night ,and those Moths whats up with that .lol ) I was a 45062 .Always loved the plane .
mickydoconnor@hotmail.com I can still see those jackrabbits around perimeter road .lol 05/25/2008 @ 18:02 [ref: 21004] |
| TERRY MOULTON SAGINAW, MI | HEY BARRY..I JUST HAPPENED UPON THIS SIGHT AND SAW YOUR NAME.I KNOW YOU KNOW WHO I AM...HOW COULD YOU FORGET..FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW WHO I AM.I WAS AT CANNON FROM 78 TO 82 THE FIRST TIME AND FROM 83 TO 85 THE SECOND.I WORKED BOMB COMP 83 WITH BARRY AND A BUNCH OF OTHER GREAT PEOPLE.I WAS AN A SHOPPER.NEVER WORKED SO HARD AND HAD SO MUCH FUN AT THE SAME TIME IN MY LIFE.I WAS ALSO ASSIGNED TO THE 523RD. 05/22/2008 @ 18:35 [ref: 20989] |
| Michael H Smith Las Vegas, NV | I was stationed at Cannon AFB from July 1979 to March 1982 the first time and from March 1983 to November 1986 the second time. I started in the 481st but when that closed I moved to 524th. Most of the peoples names have fadded away but I woked on acft 102, 104, 106, 130 were the main ones but from being a Crew Cheif to and Expiditer to Phase and any other job an old 431 can get into seems like I touched them all. It was a great time in my life and even though I don't miss it there are good memories from that time. 10/13/2007 @ 10:29 [ref: 18173] |
| Brig Gen Stu Boyd (USAF Ret) Ogden, UT | I was the Systems Command test pilot for the F-111D -- including the initial avionics evaluation on F-111 A-28. The bird was great -- the the boxes played together. I did some things on the "D" that man was never intended to do -- like shoot down a DART target. Overall, however, it dropped great bombs for its day. 09/02/2007 @ 19:09 [ref: 17819] |
| Paul Michael Salazar Lancaster, CA | I worked at Cannon AFB from 1983 thru 1986 in the 523rd (blue). Went to Red Flag three times and had a blast! I was a spark chaser and really enjoyed working on the Aardvark!! i discharged in 1986, came back to California and went to work for Tracor Flight Systems. I worked as a final checkout tech on F-100's (drone targets) for a year and a half before getting hired on with Northrop, later to vecome Northrop-Grumman. I went to work on the B-2 when it was still in the "black world" and had the honor and priviledge to work on and watch the very first flight of the Spirit Bomber. I worked in flight test as an instrument tech for just over 11 years on the B-2 project before leaving the aircraft world to begin my final career as a CHP officer......Thank you USAF!!!!!!! Paul 07/20/2007 @ 14:08 [ref: 17198] |
| Mark D. Kapoh Los Angeles, CA | I was stationed at Cannon from 1984-1986 with the 523rd. I worked in Maintenance Scheduleing and was allowed to assist some of the crew chiefs on crewing their birds due to a shortage of A/crew chiefs. If anyone remembers, I was nickmaned "Radar". My immediate Sgts were MSgt. Alvin Sayne, SSgt. George Peck, and SSgt. Sammy McKinnon (I was the one who thought McKinnon would like to see the bull snake we caught on the ramp (he wasn't amused!). I helped out on 68-148 (TSgt. J. Parham), 68-120 (SSgt. Denning), and 68-146 (?)(SSgt. Mendoza). I never did master getting the hot engine oil samples for NDI w/o getting burned.
As far as performance, it's my understanding that no aircraft then, and maybe even today, can do what the F-111 did as a matter of course. That is, come in low and fast over long distances through bad weather flying TFR, pop up and shack a target with precision then get out while avoiding or simply outrunning other aircraft. The only aircraft that may have come close (I've heard) was the Tornado. A pilot once told me that the F-15E has too large a wing for high speed, low altitude flight to be comfortable for long periods. Crew fatigue becomes a factor much quicker in an F-15E than it does in the 'Vark. The F-15E is a stop gap to fill the shoes of the F-111 and the F-117 was a finicky thorobred; the F-111 is a war horse. At least the Aussie's have kept them around. 06/06/2007 @ 07:03 [ref: 16762] |
| Gerald Lanzendorfer Salem, OH | I served in the Air Force from 1976-1980 at Cannon AFB. I was a crew chief of 68-163 in the 524th Fighter Squadron (yellow section). I was and still am very proud to have worked on these fine birds. 10/03/2006 @ 07:55 [ref: 14353] |
| BARRY EVANS Phoenix, AZ | Jim & Larry... it's been a long time... but your names sound familiar to me... I was at Cannon 82-84 (523rd) and crewed "Grannie" (088). Couldn't handle Clovis but loved working with with the "Team" we had on the Blue tails. Best bunch of A shoppers I had the privelege to serve with. I was on the Bomb Comp Team of '83 and Jim you were right. Those D's made the bombing community sit up and scratch their heads.(Radar Love) Lot's of politics played out in that comp and the B-1 "had" to have a good show or else. 08/09/2006 @ 23:43 [ref: 13842] |
| Larry Davis Lincoln, NE | I was stationed at Cannon AFB 80-84. I have not had much contact since leaving the service of what happened to the birds at Cannon. I worked mostly on 68-111. 03/25/2006 @ 22:21 [ref: 12924] |
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