I knew the EF-111 was quite successful in its role and also that the FB-111 took part in the raid on Libya back in the ‘80s but I don’t think the Air Force never really gave the plane the credit it apparently deserved.
I didn’t mean to criticize the Aardvark at all, in fact, in 1968 when I was stationed at Ft. Benning, Ga. an F-111 did a high speed, low-level pass over the airfield, followed by a full power climb-out till all you could see was a ball of fire in the sky. The noise was deafening. Talk about impressive.
I grew up just south of Plattsburg AFB, and they would roar down Lake Champlain....
Heck of a plane, and tough for anone to stop. It had problems: The inlets kept being moved out, and the supersonic range kept going down and down.
The Air Force didn’t care. The 300 NM supersonic Range requirement (slick) was left over from the F-105 and its job to throw a nuclear bomb, roll over and run away. They really didn’t anticipate the F-111 being used like that, but didn’t want to do the paperwork to end the requirement because of the bad publicity it would have given.