General Dynamics F-111C

General Dynamics · United States · first flew 1968 · bomber

The F-111C is the Royal Australian Air Force's variant of the variable-geometry F-111 strike aircraft, combining extended-range wings with the type's swing-wing, low-level supersonic bombing role.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, variable
E — Engines	2 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	long pointed nose with fuselage-side engine intakes
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

variable-sweep wing, fully forward for takeoff and landing
side-by-side two-seat cockpit
long pointed nose with fuselage-side engine intakes

A variable-sweep wing, side-by-side two-seat cockpit and long pointed nose set the F-111 apart from tailed-delta contemporaries; the wings sweep fully forward for takeoff and landing.

Specifications

The General Dynamics F-111C has a length of 22.4 m (73 ft).
It has a wingspan of 21.33 m (70 ft).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Delivered to Australia from 1973 after a troubled early program, the F-111C gave the RAAF a long-range strike capability unmatched in the region for decades, flying low-level penetration bombing missions.

Variants

Built as a hybrid of F-111A and longer-wing FB-111A features for extended range; other F-111 variants served with the USAF, while the RAF ordered 50 F-111Ks in 1966-67 and cancelled them in January 1968, with two airframes already in final assembly.

Where you'll see it

Retired by the RAAF in 2010, the last operator of the type; several airframes are preserved in Australian museums.

Related aircraft

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