A models were used for tactical bombing in Southeast Asia.ĭeveloped for the U.S. The first operational aircraft was delivered in October 1967 to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Should any of the system’s circuits fail, the aircraft automatically initiates a climb. It allows the aircraft to fly in valleys and over mountains, day or night, regardless of weather conditions. The F-111’s automatic terrain-following radar system flies the craft at a constant altitude following the Earth’s contours. A radar bombing system is used for precise delivery of weapons on targets during night or bad weather. The avionics systems include communications, navigation, terrain following, target acquisition and attack, and suppression of enemy air defense systems. Outer pylons do not move but can be jettisoned for high-speed flight. The loads nearest the fuselage on each side pivot as the wings sweep back, keeping ordnance parallel to the fuselage. External ordnance includes combinations of bombs, missiles and fuel tanks. It can carry up to two bombs or additional fuel in the internal weapons bay. The F-111 can carry conventional as well as nuclear weapons.

External fuel tanks can be carried on the pylons under the wings and jettisoned if necessary. Using internal fuel only, the plane has a range of more than 2,500 nautical miles (4,000 kilometers). The aircraft’s wings and much of the fuselage behind the crew module contain fuel tanks. For underwater escape, the airbags raise the module to the surface after it has been severed from the plane. The module can be released at any speed or altitude, even under water. Airbags cushion impact and help keep the module afloat in water. The ejected module includes a small portion of the wing fairing to stabilize it during aircraft separation. In emergencies, both crew members remain in the cockpit and an explosive cutting cord separates the cockpit module from the aircraft. The two crew members sit side-by-side in an air-conditioned, pressurized cockpit module that serves as an emergency escape vehicle and as a survival shelter on land or water. The F-111 needs no drag chute or reserve thrust to slow down after landing. Full-forward wings give the most surface area and maximum lift for short takeoff and landing. Wings angle from 16 degrees (full forward) to 72.5 degrees (full aft). The F-111 has variable-sweep wings that allow the pilot to fly from slow approach speeds to supersonic velocity at sea level and more than twice the speed of sound at higher altitudes. It can operate from tree-top level to altitudes above 60,000 feet (18,200 meters). The F-111 is a multipurpose tactical fighter bomber capable of supersonic speeds.

F 111 cockpit