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Description
| Manufacturer: | General Dynamics | |
| Base model: | F-111 | |
| Designation: | F-111 | |
| Version: | B | |
| Nickname: | Aardvark | |
| Designation System: | U.S. Air Force | |
| Designation Period: | 1948-Present | |
| Basic role: | Fighter | |
Specifications
| Not Yet Available |
Known serial numbers
Recent comments by our visitors
| Jacque Brender Peterson Birch Bay, WA | I grew up two doors down from Hughes test pilot Bart Warren, 151971. (DOD 11 Sept 68) Yes, I was a child then, but he was very kind and gracious. His family and my family got together every so often. When my family moved to Washington State, they gave me my first puppy, a beagle. What a treat. I know this is not technical info, but in some way I wished to remember Bart, just as the amazing planes he flew are remembered. 06/18/2013 @ 01:03 [ref: 67895] |
| Richard Boyd Sacramento, CA | Greetings fellow F-111B lovers I have started a Facebook Page named Salute to the F-111B I invite anyone who has pictures, videos, stories to post it's a organization at this point I plan to go open group with it so just hit the like button and share your information you have this page is for F-111B information only Thanks, Richard Boyd 10/01/2011 @ 18:02 [ref: 49349] |
| Mike Glenn Pine Mountain, CA | I was the maintenance Supervisor at Hughes Aircraft when the F-111B airplanes were finished.
There were seven F-111B airframes built: 151970: Prototype, flown by Grumman, ejection seats. 151971: AWG-9/Phoenix Missile System development aircraft, operated by Hughes Aircraft, crashed off of Southern Calif Sept 1968. Ejection seats. 2 fatal. 151972: AWG-9/Phoenix Missile development aircraft, operated by Hughes Aircraft from 1967 until 1971. Ejection seats. Stricken at Lakehurst, but eventually moved overland to China Lake for gun effects tests. 151973: Operated by Grumman, crashed on takeoff from Calverton in 1967. First crew module F-111B. 2 fatal. 151974: Operated by Grumman. Did the carrier suitability trails on the Coral Sea. Finished life at Moffett Field with NASA, stricken on site. Crew module system. 152714; First TF-30P12 engine airplane. Operated by General Dynamics for engine development work. Operated by Hughes Aircraft in 1969 for a short time, then taken to Davis-Monthan and stricken in 1970. Crew module system. 152715: AWG-9/Phoenix Missile Development aircraft. Operated by Hughes Aircraft it's entire life. Stricken in 1971 at China Lake, used for display aircraft. Crew module system. 10/23/2010 @ 12:18 [ref: 31638] |
| Milt Harbor City, CA | As a kid living in Inglewood, CA our house was right under the flight path of planes coming into the Hughes Aircraft runway. They would fly fairly low over my house. It wasn't too long in 1964 after we moved there until I saw my first F-4 Phantom fly over. I had never seen a jet like that, but went into my elementary school library and found it in a book.
Not too long after that I saw the F-111B that Hughes was using to develop the Phoenix missle fly over. Occasionlay, I'd see an A-3 Skywarriror or a RB-66. Eventually, my dad went to work for Hughes Aircraft and got to see the F-111 take off from the Hughes runway. But, even though I've been to many airshows, I've never seen one fly, except for the brief moments when the Navy F-111B would fly over my house. I guess that was a rare event, and I still have the memory of that. In retrospect, I'm glad the Navy was able to cancel that disaster. It just goes to show that "our best and brightest" (McNamara)often don't have a clue. Now I'm afraid that the JSF is just another waste of money in trying to design a tactical plane that will try to meet all the service's goals, while not meeting any. As Mark Twain said, "History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme". 08/15/2010 @ 10:28 [ref: 29011] |
| Ken Crowley Manassas, VA | While visiting the Navy operational test squadron VX-9 located at NAS China Lake in 1994. I was driving across the desert toward the hanger and saw several naval Aircraft in a fenced in compound. One of them looked a lot like an F-14 only different. As we got closer I realized it was one of the 4 F-111B Naval aircraft. I had been a fan of the F-111 ever since being overflown by a formation of F-111A's during SEC DEF macnamara's funeral. I can't guarentee it is still there but it looked in great shape at the time. 03/09/2010 @ 05:30 [ref: 25855] |
| Doug Loeffler , FL | The F-111A was the original USAF variant. The F-111B was the USN variant. There were 7 F-111Bs completed, with 2 others incomplete and scrapped. Production of the "B" was stopped on 9 July 1968.
The "B" model, BuNo 151971 was the aircraft sent to Hughes Aircraft Corporation (HAC) for the Phoenix missle trials. I have the original "Flight Data Summary" sheet for 151971 which shows the ferry flight to HAC in 3 legs, to Memphis, TN on 19 Feb 1967, continuing to Alburquerque, NM then to Edwards AFB on the same day. The final leg from Edwards to Culver City (HAC) was on 20 February 1967. Pilots were Norris and Young. The later SAC version was the FB-111 (not the F-111B) and were converted from F-111A. There were also later "C", "D", "E", "F", "G" "K" and "EF" versions. The USAF F-111A saw Vietnam combat in 1968 and again in 1972. It was chosen for the El Dorado Canyon raid in 1986. The F-111 was also one of the stars of the Gulf War, although the F-117 got the press coverage. The book "F-111 Aardvark" by Davies and Thornborough is a very complete history. 12/24/2008 @ 09:17 [ref: 23318] |
| douglas Reynolds , CA | I had the distinct honor of flying in the f-111B as second seater, as an employee of Grumman...experimental flight test at both Bethpage, N.Y. and Edwards AFB.
My recollection was there were five aircraft produced, one of which was sent to Hughes Aircraft for Phoenix missle testing and was lost. The serial numbers were 151970 thru 151974 04/17/2008 @ 12:02 [ref: 20592] |
| Gary Schreffler North Potomac, MD | Greetings from a former USS Midway (CV-41) sailor and SH-3H Sea King crewman/swimmer.
I have the original General Dynamics 16mm color film of the carrier tests that were conducted on USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) on 8/6/68. I converted it over to digital and made a DVD. Anyone interested can contact me. Gary talachan@verizon.net 03/11/2008 @ 13:04 [ref: 19958] |
| Harry , WA | I was just at shephard AFB for Jet eng mishap class about 3 months ago. They have a f-111 sitting derelict on the ramp it is all pretty much there with the exception of the engines TF-30 111+ I used to work on these aircraft engine mechanic at RAF Lakenheath England. The aircraft at shepard is awaiting its final verdict. 03/01/2007 @ 00:36 [ref: 15713] |
| Iron Duck , OTH | The USN variant was the F-111B, but the later USAF SAC variant was the FB-111A. These were retired from SAC as the B-1B was introduced and were then converted to become the F-111G. 05/20/2006 @ 02:00 [ref: 13332] |
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