F-111 Aardvark: Great Fighting Jets (1988)

[@aries144]

TV has become completely useless the last 20 years, so I have to dig around and find things like this to have something decent to watch when I feel like relaxing. Thank you for makin this available.

[@jona.scholt4362]

One of my "go-to" series when I want to unwind before bed is Wings of the Red Star. Classic aviation documentary series

[@MrAudioBill]

I agree. The only time I've watched TV in 6 + years is when I am hospitalized.

[@lexusdav]

That's why my TV here in France is only linked to my ps3, ps4 pro and digital ps5 with KZbin, Sports Canal application and games. It's been 13 years i stop watching TV Bullshits and propaganda 😅

[@aerodicus]

Just like every other facet of modern society, all dumbed down for those good little consumers.

[@SoManyInterests]

So true 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@jeffuyak4681]

Love watching all these documentaries, brings back memories of living at Mildenhall, school at Lakenheath and an absolutely brilliant time living in England. Miss the F111, incredible aircraft!

[@user-zx7dp3qp6u]

My father worked for Texas Instruments and was on the team that designed and built the solid state electronics for the terrain following guidance system

[@greatwestern101]

I remember seeing the Upper Heyford contingent of the Libyan mission taking off on that April evening in 1986. You could tell something serious was going on as we had never seen so many planes in the air, even after living under the fly path for 10 years!

[@1mmickk]

Greatest platform the RAAF ever had we should not have scrapped them.

[@sailaway8244]

Remember these at Lakenheath..... Most impressive machines I ever saw there.... Harriers were equally impressive

[@YouTube_user3333]

I remember seeing two out of Williamtown, fly over the lake so low, they left a wake. Hit us with a big blast of heat as they pulled up over the shoreline. Awesome aircraft

[@gpm9333]

I agree Australian 👍

[@dkoz8321]

Naa.RAF did fine. F-111 would have bankrupted RAF with its operational costs. RAF got Tornado, F-4, and Jaguar. Not to mention V-bomber force which was too expensive for UK. Between Tornado, F-4, and Jag, RAF got exactly what it needed during later Cold War.

[@daveblevins3322]

My unit was the 474th TFW Roadrunners. Out of Nellis AFB. I was weapons release then, and primarily I was trained by my local shop senior NCO as a troubleshooter. Wire chaser. When the bugz were cleaned up, it was a great aircraft 👍

[@davidbrooks7806]

I was 474 OMS 73-77 at Nellis crew chief 67-077 romeo (red) section. Sounds like we walked on the same hot ass flightline.

[@tonyBe9051]

Loved this jet. Worked on it many years and was my first airframe I began working one. Still remember many of the panel numbers even after 30 yrs

[@bedevilers7496]

Loved watching these shows when I was younger!

[@johndyson4109]

The 111 is one of my favorite forgotten fighter jets.. It's to bad they decommissioned them.. They were every bit as good in most all ways as a 15 was...

[@brothergrimaldus3836]

Still boggles my mind that those F105s are feeding that big J75 with those little, itty bitty intakes!!!!!

[@allgood6760]

Cool plane!.. we used to get RAAF F111's at Kiwi airshows.. thanks from NZ 👍✈️🇳🇿

[@MitzvosGolem1]

I loved this aircraft once wing hinge issue corrected awesome 👍

[@PanzerZA_Jnr]

For the people that don't know, aardvark is an Afrikaans word and directly translated to English means Earth pig.

[@The_CGA]

The music in the background absolutely slaps with Outrun energy

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

Excellent introducing documentary coverage video about F-111 Aardvark aircraft's.....during 2nd Gulf war participated on assaults against Baghdad at 1991 successfully . US aviation efforts are insisting to having best ,perfect airplanes ✈️...Mike Guardia channel always selecting Excellent subjects..allot thanks for sharing 👍🏻 😀 👏🏻 😊

[@MegaGman61]

Even though I'm a ex-Navy guy and a huge Tomcat fan, the 111 was a great plane!

[@stijnvandamme76]

Well the Tomcat and the F111 are closely related, if it weren't for the F111B being such a poor suit for the Navy, tomcat would neverh have been made.. too bad they screwed the Tomcat and comissioned it with the poorly suited TF30's it got from F111 program

[@StarryNightElf]

Watching these videos really takes me back! Thanks for sharing them! #Nostalgia

[@robmclaughjr]

Great plane, great example of the risks involved in the F-35's approach

[@USNRaptor]

Song List: The Wonder of Science - Wolfgang Kafer & Rhodos Raiders - Wolfgang Kafer Silhouettes - Matthew Cang & Eddie Chin Breaking Out - Ray Russell Spirit Of Freedom - Keith Mansfield

[@malakiblunt]

Thanks Mike

[@jasonhammonds7505]

Thanks Mr. Guardia for posting these videos. Amazing channel and enjoy these videos very much indeed.

[@1949crewchief]

During Southern Watch we midair refueled some fully loaded F111s' over the gulf. A little while later we refueled the same group....they werent fully loaded anymore...

[@Yabbagabbagool]

great musical score to this doco yew

[@potentquiff8110]

As awkward as 1988 was, this looks pretty good. With that amount of ordnance, they just erased things from the lack of records I can find.

[@pctshooter]

Awesome plane. @31:47 the drop tanks are not on the pivoting pylons. I've never seen that before. I guess they will have to be dropped prior to the wings being swept.

[@brianfull969]

I crewed FBs at Pease. Was at Red Flag 1980... Phased them, then went to A/R Shop 10 years at Pease

[@darrelneese5676]

I was stationed at Pease from ‘81 - ‘84. I was the Senior MICAP Controller in Base Supply & lived on base on Alpine. Loved watching these birds do their thing.

[@raymondyee2008]

As this documentary came out before the 1991 Gulf War it doesn’t cover the accomplishments of the F-111 during Operation Desert Storm.

[@garypinks7142]

I sure missed the sound of those twin t f thirties taken off

[@Tordogor]

Anybody knows where to find the documentary series 'Vertical' from the Discovery channel (1999?). The best history of VTOL aircraft ever shown. It had lots of Aero Engineering detailed info, rare to find in popular videos

[@dawightg9787]

The TFX-F111 program was a huge failure. The F111B for the Navy was scrapped due it not having enough thrust to land on Aircraft Carriers and the F111 for the Air Force was reduced to ground roles only due to the fact it couldn’t manoeuvre against the smaller lighter fighters.

[@davidbrooks7806]

It was never meant to be a fighter. It was built to deliver ordinance fast low and precise.

[@dawightg9787]

@@davidbrooks7806 The F designation means Fighter . So yes the F111 was meant to be a multi role fighter .

[@dawightg9787]

@@davidbrooks7806 The F - designation means Fighter . The F111 was meant to be a Multi Role Fighter. However it was reduced for ground roles only because it was to Big and heavy to be a Dogfighter

[@CollieJenn]

This Aircraft was never regarded as a fighter and never had it seen seen one on one combat given its weight and limited manouverability. It was primarily a demonstrator that only saw limited use in the ground attack role. It could be described as a test bed for the development of Reagan's B1B Bomber.

[@DAVYMAC]

Phobia you need to check history. Your comments seem to sell the F-111 a bit short. It was more than a "test bed."

[@dukeford8893]

You don't build 650 "demonstrators".

[@CollieJenn]

True. Its just the way it turned out in the end. An unremarkable bird that transformed into the Lancer. @@dukeford8893

[@markprimas5290]

F-111FB were deployed to Southeast Asia and flew hundreds of night time combat missions hitting targets in and arpund Hanoi from June 1972 through Dedember 1972. It was the only aircraft to ever be included into the SALT agreement (nuclear arsenals etc treaty between the Soviet Union and the U.S.) due to the TFR (terrain following radar) technology. The north vietnamese military name the F-111 "Whispeing death" as the bombs detonated before the aircraft could be heard. The mission most likely assisted in facilitating the Paris Peace negotiations to end the war. In the Moscow Vietnam War museum an F-1111 ejection capsule is displayed. On the left side of the cockpit is the name of Maj. D.E. Primas. My father was an F-111 Navigator bombardier WSO who was NOT flying that night. (We were stationed at Nelllis AFB after being transferred from Little Rock Arkansas where he flew B-58s SAC.) The F-111FB was a ground breaking, no pun intended, aircraft paving the way for future aircraft such as the B-1B and the B-21 as you've stated. F-14s design a direct result as well. Good men were lost in 1972 including a young Capt WSO Alan Graham. He was one of our league baseball coaches and his name is on the Vietnam War Wall. ... stories from a USAF officers son

[@markprimas5290]

And yes....an F-111 was credited with a Mig shootdown during the Gulf War I believe. Perhaps the crew makes all the difference sometimes.

[@geemanbmw]

Did anybody catch the RD2D writing on the left side of the POD @42:17 🤣

[@joshkamp7499]

You'd think they would've learned. The F-35 program, while ultimately successful, was orders of magnitude more expensive and further behind while making all the same mistakes plus dozens more of its own.

[@Stuff-i-Like]

They are complicated bits of kit, requiring research into technology solutions that only exist in the future, have to have an 'open-ish' architecture approach again for major life-cycle upgrades well into the future, for decades to come, again with tech that doesn't currently exist, and in the 35's case, with 3 variants to accommodate STOVL ups and downs, I'm surprised they actually got it built. Probably would of been better to make 2 different aircraft, Harrier replacement and multi-role FA. Who knows, but think they did a remarkable job, the technical types (ppl) cheers. PS - they continue to be the best fighting force in the world, about the only 1 that is minute-man ready 24/7/365, with carrier groups about the place. I wonder how much longer that will be the case and how they intend to afford it. As for their philosophy, who knows, still as i said about the military that's ready and largely competent regardless of the threat.

[@user-zx7dp3qp6u]

I remember when the United States used this great aircraft to destroy moammar kadafis nuclear program and give him ulcers

[@WizzRacing]

These things put a shackling on tanks. In the 1991 Gulf War...I bet they destroyed 300+ in two weeks..It got so bad. The Iraq crew would camp 500 yards away at night from their tanks...

[@charles97th]

Did the F-111 ever have an official nickname? I know the troops called it Aardvark.

[@alexanderlawson1649]

Hey I love this stuff but wouldnt it have been better if all those engineers, scientists and other very clever people had been employed with solving poverty. Lets give every child a real chance in life and stop wasting money on this pointless crap. America does not need shit like this to defend America. Think about the wasted billions of Dollars and its still happening today 2022.

[@gregadomeit4020]

If America didn't spend the money that it does coming up with all the great things are military has and can do you would be speaking German or Japanese.

[@donf3877]

If you think the United States would be in existence for even one second without its Army and Navy and Air Force, and all the equipment they have, you are even more moronic than you sound. That old "can't we all just get along" crap didn't work in the 60's... and it sure as hell don't work now.

[@Aaron-wq3jz]

A lot of those engineers and scientists used to be impoverished. Until they were employed

[@shadowopsairman1583]

Tell Russia and China, North Korea, The Middle East, to lay all of their arms down you hippie.

[@R.U.1.2.]

@@Aaron-wq3jz Dumb de dumb dumb.

[@horrhiunioj507]

RAF should have bought the 111 instead of Tornado

[@bernhardwolf6172]

Why? What did F 111 better than Tornado? Tornado is the most sophisticated low Level bomber ever built and later designed and therefore more modern

[@horrhiunioj507]

@@bernhardwolf6172 F-111; larger payload, longer range, faster, more survivable (ref desert storm) than GR4

[@stijnvandamme76]

@@horrhiunioj507 not as versatile tho.. the Tornado had interceptor role as well which the F111 was really not up too.

[@masaukochitsamba7808]

I think buying the F 15 would have been even better.

[@nebojsanesic5326]

"Robert McNamara was PRAGMATIST?!? Insisting on a COMINALITY?!?" Well at least they have their journalist integrity. McNamara cared about the planes as much as inmates care about the state. He saw an opportunity to take some MONEY and took it! It's over 50 years since that happened-stop covering for him.

[@stijnvandamme76]

McNamara sure must be having a really hot seat in hell by now, that jerk never admitted to any faults of anything he caused in the Vietnam era

[@DAVYMAC]

Wrong nebo

[@nebojsanesic5326]

@@DAVYMAC Wrong in what way? Like, what exactly in my statement does not "hold the water"? Dude, buddy, you're defending one of the "persons" most deserving for Kennedy's assassination. That literally INVENTED war in Vietnam and prolonged it as much as he could, even thou he KNEW from the start he couldn't win it. Even pushed the use of BIOLOGICAL weapons in it on the STRATEGIC scale. Believe me, history will not be kind to that guy.