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Aardvark

From ARRSEpedia

F-111

Type	Fighter-bomber
Manufacturer	General Dynamics
Status	Retired (USAF 1998) Active with RAAF until 2010
Number built	554
Cost	$9.8 million

The General Dynamics F-111 is A Two Seat medium-range strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and tactical strike aircraft designed in the 1960s. The United States Air Force (USAF) variants were officially named "Aardvark", their longtime nickname, at their ceremony of retirement from service in 1996. The only remaining operator of the F-111 is the Royal Australian Air Force and in Australian service the F-111 is known as the "Pig."

[edit] Specifications

General characteristics
- Crew: 2 (pilot and weapons system operator)
- Length: 73.5 ft (22.4 m)
Wingspan:
- Spread: 63 ft 0 in (19.2 m)
- Swept: 32 ft 0 in (9.75 m)
- Height: 17.13 ft (5.22 m)
Wing area:
- Spread: 657.4 ft² (61.07 m²)
- Swept: 525 ft² (48.77 m²)
- Airfoil: NACA 64-210.68 root, NACA 64-209.80 tip
- Empty weight: 47,481 lb (21,537 kg)
- Loaded weight: 82,843 lb (37,577 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 98,979 lb (44,896 kg)
- Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-100 turbofans
- Dry thrust: 17,900 lbf (79.6 kN) each
- Thrust with afterburner: 25,100 lbf (112 kN) each
- Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0186
- Drag area: 9.36 ft² (0.87 m²)
Aspect ratio:
- Spread: 7.56
- Swept: 1.95
Performance
- Maximum speed: Mach 2.5 (1,650 mph, 2,655 km/h)
- Combat radius: 1,330 mi (1,160 NM, 2,140 km)
- Ferry range: 3,220 mi (2,800 NM, 5,190 km)
- Service ceiling: 56,650 ft (17,270 m)
- Rate of climb: 25,890 ft/min (131.5 m/s)
Wing loading:
- Spread: 126.0 lb/ft² (615.2 kg/m²)
- Swept: 158 lb/ft² (771 kg/m²)
- Thrust/weight: 0.61
- Lift-to-drag ratio: 15.8