F-111A Aardvark - Birmingham, AL
N 33° 33.800 W 086° 44.475
16S E 524016 N 3713770
F-111A at one time assigned to the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing at Mountain Home AFB
Waymark Code: WMEGHB
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 05/27/2012
Views: 4
The versatile "swing wing" F-111, unofficially named the "Aardvark" until its retirement ceremony on July 27, 1996, when the name was made official, entered the USAF inventory in 1967. The F-111 could exceed twice the speed of sound (Mach 2) by sweeping its wings rearward while in flight. The wings are swept forward for takeoffs, landings or slow speed flight.
Originally known as the TFX (Tactical Fighter "X"), the F-111 was conceived to meet a USAF requirement for a new tactical fighter-bomber. In 1960 the Department of Defense combined the USAF's requirement with a Navy need for a new air superiority fighter, then launched a competition among aircraft manufacturers for the final design. In 1962 General Dynamics and Boeing were selected as finalists with the General Dynamics TFX design eventually winning out. The Navy version was known as the F-111B and the USAF version the F-111A. The first flight of the F-111A took place in December 1964, and the first production models were delivered to the USAF in 1967. Meanwhile, the Navy's F-111B program was canceled. In all, 562 F-111s of all series were built; 159 of them were preproduction and production F-111As.
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