General Dynamics F-111

[Shane Stachwick]

The Aardvark served as a tactical interdictor, strategic bomber, electronics platform, and reconnaissance plane. Did anyone ever use it as a fighter?

The F-111 could carry a 20mm autocannon in the weapons bay, but it was almost never fitted. Does anyone know of an instance where it was carried?

[pegger]

It never suited the role as a fighter. It was considered briefly by the US navy as a long range intercepter and defence fighter, but it couldn't keep up in dog fighting so that idea was scrapped. It was a good heavy strike fighter though, wreaking havoc on the enemy in the gulf war. It was highly successful in that campaign.

Given the choice though, if offered a F111 to go into an air to air fight, I'd probably decline and stay home.

[ftldave]

Not sure if it was Robin Olds or Jim Boyd, both famous US Air Force fighter pilots, who said that swing-wing technology was a poor choice for fighter aircraft.

From the Wiki:

While variable-sweep provides many advantages, particularly in takeoff distance, load-carrying ability, and the fast, low-level penetration role, the configuration imposes a considerable penalty in weight and complexity. The advent of relaxed stability flight control systems in the 1970s negated many of the disadvantages of a fixed platform. No new variable-sweep wing aircraft have been built since the Tu-160 (produced until 1992), though it has been noted that the F-14's replacement - the F/A-18E - has a reduced payload/range capability largely because of its small fixed wings.