In the 1960s, the U.S. military tried to solve two problems with one aircraft. Then-Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara pushed the Tactical Fighter Experimental (TFX) program, hoping to create a ...

Key Points - The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark," born from the 1960s TFX program, was a groundbreaking tactical strike aircraft and the first production plane to feature a variable-sweep wing.

Often called upon to perform missions across significant distances, the F-111 had a large fuel capacity and efficient turbofan engines. The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark was ahead of its time, ...

The United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force decided to keep the classic F-111 Aardvark all the way until 2010, yet the US Air Force retired the aircraft in the 1990s, a nearly 20-year disparity which raises ...

While the F-111 series may have been retired earlier than expected, the platform’s revolutionary design and service history remain well-respected in the aviation community. Considering its ...

The F-111, with its variable sweep wing, terrain following radar, military-rated afterburning turbofan engines and self-contained escape module, was one of the most technically innovative designs seen ...