What is so special about F-111s ?
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During US bombing of Libya in 1986, F-111s were chosen for the bombing of Libya.
What is so special about these USAF aircrafts that US were willing to deploy several KC-135s along the seas off the European states (Major Europe Powers, like France, Spain) were not willing to let F-111s overfly their territories to get to Libya?
F-111s flew from UK airbases , turn towards the open seas, and get refueled in mid air and then turn towards to the Meditterean Seas and get refuelled again in mid-air and commence bombings of Tripoli, and then made the way back to UK bases thru the same route.
Were F/A 18s and A-6s from USN sufficient enough to do the bombing job?
What's so special about F-111s that US govt are willing to go thru this type of extents? -
The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark (the nickname was unofficial for most of its lifespan, but it was officially named "Aardvark" at its retirement ceremony for the United States Air Force) is a long-range strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and tactical strike aircraft. The F-111 project was long considered an expensive failure, but the end result was a capable, albeit costly, aircraft.
the f-18 is still in its infancy....the a6 is too slow...
the aardvark had a low level speed of Mach 1.2 and a high level speed of mach 2.5
the aardvark can carry a whole lot more than the f-18 and a6.....
plus the aardvark falls under the SAC(Strategic Air Command) and the f 18 and a6 falls under the US Navy....so its also a case of different services.... -
The bad news for the cold war bombers like the B52, B1, F111 can be summed up in one word....
STEALTH....
No more will planes be needed to fly in enemy territory at high speeds.... -
The B1 is pretty stealthy dude, and considering that the yankies usually manage to win air superiority and blow the living crap out of the air defences of whoever they're pounding nowadays, they dun seem to have a problem with using the cold war relics.
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but theyre no longer used as widely or as often.......the b1 is also considered problematic and a failure with the creation of the F117Originally posted by SingaporeTyrannosaur:The B1 is pretty stealthy dude, and considering that the yankies usually manage to win air superiority and blow the living crap out of the air defences of whoever they're pounding nowadays, they dun seem to have a problem with using the cold war relics. -
The F-117 is horrible looking...
Are you talking abt F-117 or F-111? F-111 was the nuclear bomber... -
it is onli horrible looking bcos the computer technologies then could not compute complex stealth designs unlike the computers now which designed the B2...F22...Originally posted by sbst275:The F-117 is horrible looking...
Are you talking abt F-117 or F-111? F-111 was the nuclear bomber...
it may look ugly....but onli 1 has been shot down -
Ya...Originally posted by sidestep1984:it is onli horrible looking bcos the computer technologies then could not compute complex stealth designs unlike the computers now which designed the B2...F22...
it may look ugly....but onli 1 has been shot down -
SR-71. whooop!
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its like a change of policy eh...
now air forces want standardization
last time......theres like so many diff kinds of planes to meet the cold war and vietnam threat..... -
long range + nuclear capable bomber
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yeap yeap agree...Originally posted by sidestep1984:it is onli horrible looking bcos the computer technologies then could not compute complex stealth designs unlike the computers now which designed the B2...F22...
it may look ugly....but onli 1 has been shot down
the discovery channel showed this few days ago, and they explained the sharp faceted design was due to lack of advance computer technology...
afterwhich they designed the curved B2 and F-22.... -
Your information is erroneous. Just because an aircraft is less technologically advanced does not mean it's a "failure". Conventionally designed non-stealth aircraft will be around for quite a while more. Aircraft like the B-1B still have some "shelf life" left.Originally posted by sidestep1984:but theyre no longer used as widely or as often.......the b1 is also considered problematic and a failure with the creation of the F117
While stealth is definitely going to be needed on the modern battlefield, an all-stealth force is rediculously expensive. Realising this, the USAF & other US services have formed a strategy where there remains a stealth first strike, followed by a conventional non-stealth "follow up" action.
Thus, conventional aircraft capable of hauling larger payloads like the B-1B will still be around.
Also, stealth is not the only decisive factor in the performance of a good combat aircraft. Afterall, even the Commanche programme got cancelled. -
er, where got cancel? can provide info.Originally posted by aerozapper:Afterall, even the Commanche programme got cancelled. -
That's the black bird...Originally posted by HENG@:SR-71. whooop! -
different aircraft for different jobs.
usage of the 18 and A-6 has been covered already - suffice to say the 18 is also limited by range issues, even with inflight or buddy refuleing.
the a-6 is an attack aircraft that needs to work as part of a combined group for it to be successful.
the F-111 was being used in its original secondary role [primary iirc was tactical nuclear strike before stand-off tactical nuclear strike missiles became possible] as a tactical strike bomber - ie. get in quick, bomb with conventional [albeit laser guided] ordnance, get out quick.
stealth - again its been covered already, but an all stealth range aircraft isnt going to work.
for a start stealth properties, in the way that they are implemented now are near useless for conventional air-to-air [the F-117 is known as an inherently [fairly] unstable aircraft, sometimes a good thing in combat, but not for this design]
the atf/advanced fighter projects in the us are going some way to address this problem, but as covered earlier military doctrine goes with the aforementioned strike pattern.
the b1 has ongoing issues, with design/production flaws, that leaves the fleet in [considerably less than the 100 that were originally produced] grounded alot of the time.
[the last mass grounding iirc was due to cracks appearing in the airframe around the wing roots..]
when was the last b-1 you saw going up on a sortie compared to the 50-year-old-design b-52s?
f-111's are now retired anyway, with their role having been filled by... ...?
i guess a combination of multi-role capable aircarft.. -
its cancelled...budget cuts....shown on CNN last year....Originally posted by fett:er, where got cancel? can provide info. -
The problem is range, and payload. There is reports which bascially banging the F-18 on the limited bombing range.Originally posted by fkh:During US bombing of Libya in 1986, F-111s were chosen for the bombing of Libya.
What is so special about these USAF aircrafts that US were willing to deploy several KC-135s along the seas off the European states (Major Europe Powers, like France, Spain) were not willing to let F-111s overfly their territories to get to Libya?
F-111s flew from UK airbases , turn towards the open seas, and get refueled in mid air and then turn towards to the Meditterean Seas and get refuelled again in mid-air and commence bombings of Tripoli, and then made the way back to UK bases thru the same route.
Were F/A 18s and A-6s from USN sufficient enough to do the bombing job?
What's so special about F-111s that US govt are willing to go thru this type of extents?
The F-111, although old but it was build for one single purpose , that is to bomb !!! thus it have a much longer range and bomb load. Also it have specialized EW for penetration of airspace which normal F-18 does or A-6 .does not have. -
guess the onli F111 in service are the EF111 Ravens?...Electric Countermeasure versions?
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like the only A-6's left in service are the EW Intruders...
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All gone...Originally posted by sidestep1984:guess the onli F111 in service are the EF111 Ravens?...Electric Countermeasure versions? -
EA-6 ProwlerOriginally posted by zoik:like the only A-6's left in service are the EW Intruders... -
cool-looking plane if you ask me.. -
Yeah, i forgot the name of the EW A-6.. i even had a model kit of it as a kid.
i recall the blurb said that the generator pods could make enough electricity to power a small town..
the lancer may be cool looking, sadly it doesnt seem to have lived upto its role..
not least because its main foe disappeared a decade and a half ago.. -
EA6B prowler...Originally posted by zoik:Yeah, i forgot the name of the EW A-6.. i even had a model kit of it as a kid.
i recall the blurb said that the generator pods could make enough electricity to power a small town..
the lancer may be cool looking, sadly it doesnt seem to have lived upto its role..
not least because its main foe disappeared a decade and a half ago..