What happened to the RAAF F-111?
The RAAF had operated the F-111 since 1973. Following the F-111s’ retirement, 13 of the surviving aircraft (12 F-111Cs and a single F-111G) were preserved in aviation museums and RAAF air bases. The remaining 23 aircraft were buried at the Swanbank landfill site outside of Ipswich, Queensland, between Nov.
Why was the F-111 called the Pig?
In Australian military and aviation circles, the F-111 Aardvark was affectionately known as the “Pig”, due to its long snout and terrain-following ability. The F-111Cs gave the RAAF a powerful strike capability but were never used in combat.
Are there any F-111 still flying?
The F-111 pioneered several technologies for production aircraft, including variable-sweep wings, afterburning turbofan engines, and automated terrain-following radar for low-level, high-speed flight….General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark.
| F-111 Aardvark | |
|---|---|
| Retired | USAF: F-111F, 1996; EF-111A, 1998 RAAF: F-111C, 2010 |
| Status | Retired |
How many bombs could the F-111 carry?
two
Its primary offensive load was two nuclear bombs, but it could also carry up to 28 500-kg (1,100-pound) conventional bombs. The M-4 series had a troublesome production history and was quickly superseded as the principal Soviet long-range bomber by the Tupolev Tu-95. Production ceased in the early 1960s.
What replaced the F-111 Aardvark?
F-15E Strike Eagle
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 was the last operator of the F-111, with its aircraft serving until December 2010.
Where was F-111 built?
Fort Worth
In October 1967, the first version was delivered to the USAF Tactical Air Command at Nellis AFB, Nevada. Two years later, the first production bomber version was turned over to the Strategic Air Command at Carswell AFB in Fort Worth, Texas. A total of 562 F-111s were built.
Are Tomcats still used?
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat has served with the United States Navy and the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) It operated aboard U.S. aircraft carriers from 1974 to 2006 and remains in service with Iran.
Does TOPGUN still exist?
The program known as TOPGUN was commissioned as a squadron, the Navy Fighter Weapons School, in 1972. Decades later, the program would be relocated. The original home was lost when NAS Miramar was redesignated as a Marine Corps Air Station in 1996. TOPGUN relocated to NAS Fallon in Nevada where it operates to this day.
