The F-111 fighter-bomber was the first variable geometry, or "swing-wing," aircraft to enter the USAF inventory. The sweep angle of its wings could be changed by the pilot for different flight conditions--full aft for high-speed flight, full forward for slow-speed and landing, or any angle in between. The aircraft was also the first in the USAF inventory to feature afterburning turbofan engines.

The F-111 was developed in the 1960s to replace the Convair B-58 Hustler and was able to carry both conventional and nuclear weapons. The F-111 entered combat in the closing years of the Vietnam Conflict, served in the Libyan Raid of 1986, and flew many combat sorties during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. F-111 airframes were used at Chanute AFB in several aircraft mechanics and systems courses.

The aircraft on exhibit, F-111A S/N 63-9767, was the second pre-production model of the F-111A. The aircraft made its maiden flight on 25 February 1965 from the General Dynamics Fort Worth Division factory at Carswell AFB, Texas. It was officially delivered to the U.S. Air Force by GD/FW the next day, although it was retained by the manufacturer for flight test and evaluation purposes. It originally sported a bare-metal finish while involved in flight test operations at Edwards AFB, California.

This aircraft hosted the first Australian pilot to ever fly in an F-111 when Royal Australian Air Force Wing Commander J. Fletcher flew with GD/FW test pilot Val Prahl out of Carswell on 16 December 1965. Australia became the only other nation to operate the F-111.

This aircraft served as the test bed for the Mark 1 Navigation/Attack System and in 1966 was delivered to Pratt & Whitney for use as an engine/engine intake test bed. It was instrumental in the redesign of the F-111's translating cowls (Triple Plow I) and blow-in doors (Triple Plow II).

On 4 December 1969 the plane was delivered to the 3345th Maintenance Support Group, Air Training Command, at Chanute AFB by General Dynamics test pilots. It was used as a ground instructional airframe in the Environmental-Pneudraulics Branch of the Aircraft and Missile Specialist Training department. In August 1974 it was dropped from the USAF inventory and transfered to the National Museum of the United States Airforce System. It is on loan to Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum from the USAF Museum.

For more information on the F-111, visit the F-111.net website.

F-111 Landing Gear Trainer

An F-111 Landing Gear Trainer is now on exhibit beside the F-111A Aardvark in the museum's hangar. It was designed and built at Chanute AFB by the Training Aids Department several years ago and after base closure was used by the University of Illinois Institute of Aviation's Aviation Maintenance Technology Department. The trainer was donated to the museum when that school closed in 2000.

The trainer is operated for tour groups and classes, demonstrating how the F-111's landing gear folds and unfolds for landings and take-offs. It also shows how the speed brake operates in flight. This demonstration has proved to be very popular with children and adults alike.

The museum would like to thank the University of Illinois Aviation Institute for making this dynamic exhibit available to us! We also appreciate the hard work of the museum volunteers that delivered and installed the trainer for us.