Editing General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark (section)

==Design==

===Overview===
[[File:F-111A Wing Sweep Sequence.jpg|thumb|Four-photo series showing the F-111A wing sweep sequence|alt=Black and white, four-photo series showing the sequence of a F-111A sweeping its wing for supersonic flight.]]

The F-111 was an all-weather attack aircraft, capable of low-level penetration of enemy defenses to deliver ordnance on the target.<ref>[http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2322 "General Dynamics F-111D to F Aardvark."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531135621/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2322 |date=31 May 2010}} ''US Air Force National Museum.'' Retrieved: 3 December 2010.</ref> The F-111 featured variable-geometry wings, an internal weapons bay and a cockpit with side-by-side seating. The cockpit was part of an [[escape crew capsule]].<ref name=Eden_p196-01>Eden 2004, pp. 196–201.</ref> The wing sweep varied between 16 degrees and 72.5 degrees (full forward to full sweep). The wing included [[leading edge slats]] and [[flap (aircraft)|double slotted flaps]] over its full length.<ref name=Miller_p80-1>Miller 1982, pp. 80–81.</ref> The airframe was made up mostly of [[aluminium alloy|aluminum alloy]]s with steel, titanium and other materials used in places.<ref name=Logan_p17-8>Logan 1998, pp. 17–18.</ref><ref name="Davies2013 p20-21">Davies 2013, pp. 20-21.</ref> The fuselage was made of a semi-[[monocoque]] structure with stiffened panels and [[honeycomb structure]] panels for skin.<ref name=Miller_p80-1/><ref name=Logan_p17-8/> The horizontal stabilizer was an all-moving [[stabilator]].<ref name="AirVectors">{{cite web |title=General Dynamics F-111 |url=http://www.airvectors.net/avf111.html |website=www.airvectors.net |access-date=18 October 2022}}</ref><ref name="Davies2013 p8">Davies 2013, p. 8.</ref>

The F-111 used a three-point landing gear arrangement, with a two-wheel nose gear and two single-wheel main landing gear units. The landing gear door for the main gear, which was positioned in the center of the fuselage, also served as a [[air brake (aircraft)|speed brake]] in flight.<ref name=Miller_p80-1/><ref name=Logan_p19>Logan 1998, p. 19.</ref> Most F-111 variants included a terrain-following radar system connected to the autopilot. The aircraft was powered by two Pratt & Whitney TF30 afterburning turbofan engines. The F-111's variable-geometry wings, escape capsule, terrain following radar and afterburning turbofans were new technologies for production aircraft.<ref name=Logan_p14>Logan 1998, p. 14.</ref>

===Armament===
20 mm cannon and 5,000 lb of bombs internal – pylons can carry up to 25,000 lb of bombs or two nuclear weapons internal and four AGM-69 SRAM nuclear weapons external.{{cn|date=May 2025}}

==== Weapons bay ====
[[File:F-111 Night Cockpit.jpg|thumb|F-111 cockpit before a night flight]]

The F-111 featured an internal weapons bay that could carry bombs, a removable 20&nbsp;mm [[M61 Vulcan|M61 cannon]] or auxiliary fuel tanks.<ref name=Logan_p20-8>Logan 1998, pp. 20, 21, 28.</ref><ref name=Gunston_1983_p30-1/> For bombs, the bay could hold two 750&nbsp;lb (340&nbsp;kg) [[M117 bomb|M117]] conventional bombs, one [[nuclear weapon|nuclear bomb]] or practice bombs. The F-111B for the US Navy was to carry two AIM-54 Phoenix long-range [[air-to-air missile]]s in the bay. The cannon had a large 2,084-round ammunition tank, and its muzzle was covered by a fairing; however, it was rarely fitted on F-111s.<ref name=Gunston_1983_p30>Gunston 1983, p. 30.</ref>

The F-111C and F-111F were equipped to carry the [[Pave Tack|AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack]] targeting system on a rotating carriage that kept the pod protected within the weapons bay when not in use. Pave Tack featured a [[forward looking infrared]] (FLIR) sensor, optical camera and [[laser rangefinder]]/[[Laser designator|designator]]. The Pave Tack pod allowed the F-111 to designate targets and drop [[laser-guided bomb]]s on them.<ref>Logan 1998, pp. 29–30.</ref> Australian RF-111Cs carried a pallet of sensors and [[camera]]s for aerial reconnaissance use.<ref name=Miller_p31>Miller 1982, p. 31.</ref>

The FB-111 could carry two [[AGM-69 SRAM]] air-to-surface nuclear missiles in its weapons bay.<ref name=Gunston_1983_p31>Gunston 1983, p. 31.</ref> General Dynamics trialed an arrangement with two [[AIM-9 Sidewinder]] air-to-air missiles carried on rails in a trapeze arrangement from the bay, but this was not adopted.<ref name=Gunston_1983_p30/> Early F-111 models had radars equipped to guide the [[AIM-7 Sparrow]] medium-range air-to-air missile, but it was never fitted.<ref name=Gunston_1983_p23-4>Gunston 1983, pp. 23–24.</ref>

==== External ordnance ====
[[File:F-111 with Durandal.jpg|thumb|F-111 external payload of [[Matra Durandal]] concrete penetration bombs|alt=Closeup view of cylindrical bombs and ordnance carried under a mostly green aircraft wing]]

Each wing was equipped with four underwing pylons. The inner two pylons on each wing rotated to align with the fuselage, while the outer two were fixed. Each pylon had a capacity of {{convert|5000|lb|kg|abbr=off|sigfig=2}}. Various bombs and missiles could be carried on the pylons. Auxiliary fuel drop tanks with {{convert|600|USgal|L|abbr=off|sigfig=2}} capacity each could be fitted.<ref name=Gunston_1983_p30-1>Gunston 1983, pp. 30–31.</ref>

The design of the F-111's fuselage prevented the carriage of external weapons under the fuselage, but two stations were available on the underside for [[electronic countermeasure]]s (ECM) pods or [[datalink]] pods; one station was on the weapons bay, and the other on the rear fuselage between the engines.<ref name=Gunston_1983_p23-4/> The F-111's maximum practical weapons load was limited, since the fixed pylons could not be used with the wings fully swept.<ref name=Logan_p18>Logan 1998, p. 18.</ref>

Tactical F-111s were fitted with shoulder rails on the four inner swiveling pylons to mount AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles for self-defense.<ref name=Gunston_1983_p30/> Australian F-111Cs were equipped to launch the [[Harpoon (missile)|Harpoon]] anti-ship missile, and the [[Popeye (missile)|Popeye]] stand-off missile.<ref name=Logan_p28>Logan 1998, p. 28.</ref> FB-111As could carry the same conventional ordnance as the tactical variants, but their wing pylons were more commonly used for either fuel tanks or strategic nuclear gravity bombs. They could carry up to four AGM-69 SRAM nuclear missiles on the pylons.<ref name=Gunston_1983_p49>Gunston 1983, p. 49.</ref>

===Historical significance===
The F-111 was the first production variable-geometry wing aircraft.<ref name=Logan_p14 /> Several other types have followed with similar swing-wing configuration,<ref name=Logan_p14/> including the Soviet [[Sukhoi Su-17]] "Fitter" (1965), [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23]] "Flogger" (1967), [[Tupolev Tu-22M]] "Backfire" (1969), [[Sukhoi Su-24]] "Fencer" (1970) and [[Tupolev Tu-160]] "Blackjack" (1981); the US [[Rockwell B-1 Lancer]] bomber (1974); and the European [[Panavia Tornado]] (1974). The Sukhoi Su-24 was very similar to the F-111.<ref name=Gunston_1983_p3>Gunston 1983, p. 3.</ref> The US Navy's role intended for the F-111B was instead filled by another variable-geometry design, the [[Grumman F-14 Tomcat]].