My USAF service took up a very short period of my life. I earned a B.S. and Masters degrees, married and had a son, lost that son to cancer at age 15, held a career as a Juvenile Probation Officer, worked in retail logistics, acted in two independent films, sang baritone in choirs and performed many solo pieces as well, fished a lot, hunted some, and traveled some. Even those events are just highlights of my 60+ years of life. Retired early when physical limitations made it a necessity, and have built a small house in our piece of the northern Minnesota forest.
1972-1975, F-111 Aardvark
From Year 1972
To Year 1975
Personal Memories
Tracked some on radar over Laos. While setting up camp in the Nevada desert with the 84th Tac.Control Flight out of George AFB, an F-111 did a sneak attack strafing pass on our camp. The sonic boom woke us up in time to see him extend his wings and do a neat little knife edge maneuver over a distant range of hills. Col.Roger Shaw looked around at the rest of us and said "We're dead boys", then light up a cigar.
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F-111 Aardvark Details
Aircraft/Missile Information
Model General Dynamics F-111F Aardvark Length 73.49 ft | 22.40 m Width 62.99 ft | 19.20 m Height 17.13 ft | 5.22 m Engine(s) 2 x Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-111 turbofan engines generating 25,100lbs of standard thrust each. Empty Weight 47,840 lbs | 21,700 kg MTOW 100,002 lbs | 45,360 kg Max Speed 914 mph | 1,471 km/h | 794 kts Max Range 2,900 miles | 4,667 km Ceiling 57,907 ft | 17,650 m | 11.0 miles Climb Rate Not Available Hardpoints 5 Armament 1 x 22mm cannon
Mission-specific ordnance can include any of the following:
* F-111A - Initial Production Model Designation; 23 pre-production models produced; Total of 158 at production end fitted with 18,500lb TF30-P-3 powerplants; 42 converted to EF-111A Ravens. * F-111B - Cancelled Fleet Defense Variant of which 5 pre-production models were produced. * F-111C - Australian Export Models of which 24 were produced. * F-111D - 96 Production Models fitted with TF30-P-0 powerplants generating 19,600lbs of thrust each. * F-111E - 94 Production Models of this type. * F-111F - 106 Production Models of this type fitted with TF30-P-111 capable of 25,100lbs of thrust each. * EF-111A "Raven" - Electronic Warfare Model Designation based on converted F-111 "A" models; retired in 1998. * FB-111A - Strategic Model Designation of which 76 were produced; fitted with 2 x additional hardpoints, increased wingspan and TF30-P-7 powerplants generating 20,150lbs of thrust; improved electronics. * F-111G - Converted FB-111A Models for European Theater use; RAAF usage of this model as well. * EF-111A - Electronic Warfare Conversion Models of F-111A series; 42 converted in this way.
