Question regarding the F-111

[SpiderMan]

I was looking at an F-111 in a museum the other day and noticed that it had three AOA probes. Two on the left and right side of the fuselage and one under the forward fuselage. My question is why the AOA probe under the fuselage?

 

[Andy Neill]

Perhaps a yaw sensor?

 

[cessna_driver2]

Have they retired the f-111?

How was the weaponary? Would it have made a decent wild weasle aircraft?

 

[JCJ]

the royal australian air force still flies the f-111 and apparently they really like it

 

[414Flyer]

Have they retired the f-111?

How was the weaponary? Would it have made a decent wild weasle aircraft?

It probably could have been employed in that role since I think it could carry HARM but not completely sure.

F-111 was an extremely fast plane, probably the fastest combat aircraft the USAF ever had. There are numerous stories out there of speeds of M 2.8 reached. A light clean F-111F probably has the power to do M3 in ideal conditions if the canopy did not implode first.

It was a FBW aircraft, but of the analog variety, not digital

 

[STBY GAIN]

I know that GD used a lot of the same technologies from the F-111 to design the F-16. The F-16 has three AOA sensors to provide isolated signals to three seperate Pneumatic Sensor Assemblies, and they in turn vote on the best/most accurate signal to feed to the invidual FLCS computers.

Based on the similarities between the aircraft, this seems most logical, although I admit to know almost nothing about the 'vark.

Also, the AOA probe under the fuselage could be providing other air data inputs besides AOA, or could be used as part of the engine-control scheduling seperate from an air-data computer input. Just guesses though.

 

[Chunk]

While operating out of RAAF Amberely, I had the opportunity to see the Vaark in person...something I thought I would never see given my youth. Cool jet, even if it is land-based. Loud sumbitches, too!