Beginning of the end for the RAAF F-111

A8-126 allocated to the Museum at Amberley, I believe.

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The F-111 was / is an impressive design and performer, Australia is introducing Super Hornets as a stopgap to cover the retirement of the F-111 prior to the eventual delivery of the JSF.

Of course the JSF as a new design is suffering from the same issues that plagued the introduction of the F-111 into RAAF service back in the 1970’s – technology / performance concerns and constant blowout of projected costs.

The primary concern in Australia is the fit of the JSF into the role being vacated by the F-111 – ie will the JSF be any good at Dump & Burns?

smiles

Mark Pilkington

I saw a USAF F-111 escape pod floating past my office window at RAF Kinloss once, slung under a helo – very surreal! The crew had used it over Scotland.
And who could forget the Australian F-111 at Fairford (92?) dumping fuel into her afterburner? Awesome is an over-used word these days, but the sight and sound of that truly was…

That’s not this issue James. It is a “war” memorial.
(Although a lot of the employees there would prefer to see it as a “peace” memorial.)

definitions, definitions…. 🙂

# Deterrence theory, a theory of war, especially regarding nuclear weapons

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deterrence_theory

I’d agree that it’s not core to the AWM’s mandate as it is to the RAAF Museum’s…

…but the nature of what is covered by military history and memorials is changing and open to interpretation – home fronts, training, etc. The day of focussing on the ‘moments of terror’ to the exclusion of ‘the periods of boredom’ in military history, like kings, dates, battles is over, I’m told.

Or ‘you are right, but’… 😀

the question then is whether deterrence is military history

That’s not this issue James. It is a “war” memorial.
(Although a lot of the employees there would prefer to see it as a “peace” memorial.)

Moot point, but no real war history to justify an AWM acquisition. Flying a couple of photo recce missions over East Timor in 1999 is not really signifcant!

That would seem to be the logic. However the question then is whether deterrence is military history – I’d suggest yes, and that only a very narrow view of military history focuses on actual fighting alone.

Regards,

there’s an ‘A’ that should IMHO, go back to the US

Yep, forgot about that one.
It’s F-111C A8-113, that was originally F-111A 67-0113 that flew the last USAF mission in SE Asia. I believe it is being gifted to the US.

There’s a question as to why the Australian War Memorial hasn’t made a public commitment for one.

Moot point, but no real war history to justify an AWM acquisition. Flying a couple of photo recce missions over East Timor in 1999 is not really signifcant! Don’t get me wrong – I love the jet, but not as significant as Canberra/Caribou/Iroquois/Sioux (Vietnam). Probably one day a “classic” Hornet will go there because of its involvement in GWII 2003.

Thanks Batman, Slipperysam.

As has been noted, the status of the RAAF Cs and Gs are different, and there’s an ‘A’ that should IMHO, go back to the US. I’d guess the US machines’ status is stable, having all retired some time ago?

There’s a question as to why the Australian War Memorial hasn’t made a public commitment for one.

What about this one??

hehe

As far as i know the G models have to be destroyed due to the fact they were ex SAC bombers (something about nuclear treaties blah blah blah)

The C models is not known, but i daresay they can and will be sold as complete airframes.

the RAAF has an escaped pod as used in a genuine emergency

That’s right – that was the wheelwell fire and ejection into Auckland Harbour. It will be retained for a museum.

The official version says that a(n Australian specific) F-111C is also to come to the RAAF Museum.

One F-111C will go to the RAAFM, and one also is slated for the Museum at RAAF Amberley. Perhaps one more as a gate guard at Amberley. That might be about it.

Of the RAAF F-111s, the Boneyard Wrangler (F-111G) will be on public display permanently in 2010 (there was a preview at the RAAF Museum’s Pageant in Feb) and the RAAF has an escaped pod as used in a genuine emergency that may well (I’m guessing) go to the Museum. The official version says that a(n Australian specific) F-111C is also to come to the RAAF Museum.

There are other F-111s already preserved, including a couple in the UK. They aren’t going to suddenly vanish, except from the sky.

I would be surprised if a couple of other RAAF examples don’t get preserved in static form with official bodies or larger museums, but that’s a tricky process.

Paul, I have no idea, good luck!

Current (post 2001) attitudes towards currently capable military types (like the F-4, F-14 and F-111) is destruction to ‘stop them falling into the wrong hands’, however irrational that may be.

Be that as it may, military aircraft aren’t built for pleasure, amusement or (as some enthusiasts think) ‘to fly’ but to do a specific job. Once they are retired from that job, they are no longer needed, and there’s no state-level obligation to do anything with them beyond a ‘safe’ cost recovery. Thankfully there’s a much stronger official preservation line in most countries for examples of types in static preservation these days.

The chances of anyone flying an F-111 for entertainment are zero. It could be done, but the cost, political difficulties and technical requirements are far higher than any meaningful reward from the process.

Regards,

I will put my hand up for an escape pod, don’t think I will get one though. Seriously does anyone have any accurate information on what will be happening to them?

Paul

I’ve not seen it on the list yet! :diablo:

Isn’t there a chance to save the cockpit sections? Would be easy to remove since the whole cockpit is an escape pod.

You beat me to it!

It must be the easiest aircraft to convert to a cockpit exhibit, fully operational bomber one day, pull the handle and turn up at cockpitfest the next morning!:D

Here’s a great site about the escape module:
http://www.combatairmuseum.org/exhibits/f-111.html

cheers,

-John

Isn’t there a chance to save the cockpit sections? Would be easy to remove since the whole cockpit is an escape pod.

Truly sad the the Vark’s days are now literally numbered.
I’m speaking on a purely selfish basis here, but throwing on the scrapheap and probably ending up on a baked bean tin somewhere is just cruel, to a machine that, as you said, has faithfully served its country.
The saddest thing though, with the Phantom’s of the several airforces either being or on the verge of being replaced by the new breed, is that the ‘muscle plane’ era is disappearing – All the low bypass giants are starting to thin out.
Still, I’ll remain optimistic that at least one will keep flying, (Preferebly in the UK :D) and i also suspect Thunder City would be interested in one of these fantastic aircraft too, but guaging by the fact no Tomcats have flown since its (majority) retirement, it doesn’t look promising.