The F-111 Aardvark: This Resilient Plane is Properly Named
While most American military aircraft are given names that connote athleticism, virility, hostility, or prowess (i.e., Lighting, Raptor, Poseidon, Thunderchief, Mustang, Apache, Talon, and Sabre), others are simply given the name that fits. Consider the F-111 Aardvark. The name doesn’t exactly suggest nobility or aptitude, but it fits—thanks to the F-111’s elongated nose, which bears resemblance to the humble aardvark.
To be fair to aardvarks, a burrowing mammal found in Africa, the species is hearty and resilient—the last remaining species of the family Orycteropodidae, which today enjoys a habit ranging through much of Sub-Saharan Africa. The point is the aardvark name isn’t as much of a slight against the F-111 as one might expect. And like the mammal, the F-111 Aardvark has admirable characteristics and a resilient heart.
Introducing the sweep-wing
The F-111 marked an important juncture in aviation history. Why? Because the F-111 was jam-packed with brand new technologies, most notably, the sweep-wing. The sweep-wing is exactly what it sounds like it would be: a wing that can sweep back and forth on its joint with the fuselage. The benefit of the sweep-wing is that the aircraft can take on a different shape, and hence different flight characteristics, mid-flight. Should the F-111 need to generate lift and/or drag, the wings can extend outward, offering more stability and lift. Alternatively, should the F-111 need to reduce drag, say to go fast, then the wings can be pulled in close to the fuselage. The F-111’s wings could sweep between 16 and 72.5 degrees.
While the F-111 was the first aircraft to feature the sweep-wing, the technology is not most commonly associated with the F-111. Rather, the sweep-wing is most commonly associated with the F-14 Tomcat. The reason is Tony Scott and Tom Cruise and the prominence of the F-14 in 1986’s top-grossing film, “Top Gun.”
Sweep-wings would never become the default configuration for military aircraft, but the technology would be incorporated into several name-brand jets, including the B-1 Lancer, Panavia Tornado, Tu-22M, and MiG-23.
Sweep-wings were not the only technology introduced through the F-111; the Aardvark also introduced afterburners on turbofan engines, a terrain-following guidance system, and an escape capsule that allowed the two-person crew to eject together. Afterburners on turbofan engines and terrain-following guidance have become the default on military aircraft—but most aircraft still eject individual seats rather than a capsule.
Ahead of its time
The F-111 was introduced in March 1968, just in time for U.S. forces to escalate their efforts in Vietnam. However, the initial batch was found to be fundamentally flawed; a hydraulic control-valve rod for the horizontal stabilizer was faulty and would occasionally cause the F-111 to pitch up dangerously. Three aircraft were lost in the first few months after delivery. The fleet was grounded for three years while the problem was diagnosed and fixed. The jet returned in time to serve for the back end of the war, earning the respect of U.S. servicemembers and North Vietnamese adversaries alike.
The Aardvark was still in service for Operation Desert Storm, in early 1991. The jet performed exceptionally, with 3.2 successful missions for every unsuccessful mission—the best success ratio for any strike aircraft used in the war. Yet, just a few years later, the F-111 would be retired from service.
Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
Image: Wikipedia.