Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!cbnews!military
From: lag@uafhp.uark.edu (Adrian Griffis)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: F111
Summary: The F-111 is only a DOG in a Dog Fight.
Message-ID: <1990Sep2.060734.2520@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 2 Sep 90 06:07:34 GMT
References: <1990Aug23.014440.1382@cbnews.att.com>
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Organization: College of Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Lines: 29
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: lag@uafhp.uark.edu (Adrian Griffis)

In article <1990Aug23.014440.1382@cbnews.att.com>, Scott.Johnson@p0.f7.n391.z1.fidonet.org (Scott Johnson) writes:
> 
>         The F-111b was a DOG, don't let anybody tell you different. Its
>  trans/super sonic manuverability was so bad they were worried if you
>  could turn it at all. This was an attack aircraft, and trying to make
>  it a fighter was the biggest mistake Mr. Macnamara (sp?) ever made.
>      
   If I remember correctly, The Great Book of Modern Warplanes says that in
a little over 4000 F-111 missions in Vietnam, only 6 F-111's were lost to
enemy fire.  Granted, the plane is big and clumsy in air combat, and there
were embarasing accidents early in it's history, but not many aircraft
have a record like that.  To shoot a plane down, you have to find it first,
and it is NOT easy to find an aircraft flying 200 feet off the ground in
nice weather, much less nasty weather.  Even a B-1 is hard to find when
it's terrain following.
   Unless I'm mistaken, the F-111 that was shot down over Libya was an
EF-111, and was probably downed by a missle that could "home on jamming".
There's nothing like emitting jamming signals to call attention to
yourself.  The other F-111's did not need the EF-111 to complete their
mission and get back out.  
   I think there's little doubt that F-111's are better off staying out
of dog fights, but they are well suited for doing exactly that.  They 
have their nich and they seem to perform very well in it.

                       -L. Adrian Griffis  (lag@uafhp.uark.edu)