AGM142 or AMRAAM first..???
 

ftrplt - now you're just being mean!

Besides, I'll be flying F-15Os ("Oz" version: similar to F15K but with stubby cooler mods in cockpit) before that becomes an issue.:p

Beagle, you just couldn't resist the old TSR2 chestnut...! I was wondering when the British 'Miracle Weapon' would be mentioned.;)

You could perhaps read all about it next time your knackered old 'Lemons' are grounded........... again.:D

Who's going to see how fast you can go when you get the first "small wing" conversion back in service? :D

Thought the decsion had been made to fit the big wings - has that changed?

!
 

I'm new around here, but also in a unique position as one of the few, if not the first (definitely for the RAF) in flying all three aircraft in question. F 111F's in Desert Storm, F 15E's in Northern Watch and Deny Flight, GR 1 and 4's in Southern Watch. And what can I say, there is only one winner - you guessed it, the STRKIKE EALGE!

F 111 - Easily the fastest and farthest in a pure low level envrionment, heck, we were cleared 1.2M on the deck on TF! With the Pave Tack pod, a very capable PGM delivery platform. We had an excellent EW suite with with the ALQ 131 Pod. Also had 5-7 'G' available all the time, although not sustainable. The RBM radar was very good at low level, and even better at Med alt where the 'Vaark really proved itself. The dual system TF was very reliable. NVG's weren't a player when I flew the 'Vaark.

GR 4 - Fast but limited on range at low level. Very good at night with NVG. The upgrade from 1 to 4 wasn't enough, still an unfriendly cockpit, although a huge improvement! With the TIALD pod, the GR 4 is holding its own at the moment in Med Alt PW deliveries and future weapons coming on line will only help.

F 15E - The be all, do all airframe of today and the forseeable future! Always a 9 'G' platform. All the A/A capability of the albino plus the A/G abilities of the 'Vaark. It can carry just about anything in the inventory. It doesn't need an escort, and usually IS the escort for the others! The Strike Eagle provides the aircrew with unmatched Situational Awareness through radar, data links and other systems. Has probably the best TF system going, down to 100 feet! Add NVG's and it's unstoppable. Something that hasn't been mentioned by others is the ability to actually 'check six', cockpit visibility is outstanding. I'd like to dispell a rumor that seems to be propagated by those that have never flown an Eagle, the ride at low level is very smooth. The 'Mud Hen' flies just as good at 200 feet as it does above 40,000 feet! When's the last time you saw a Tornado above 25,000 feet? (not a problem for the 'Vaark)

Okay, I'm sure there will be lots of opinions out there on my posting, both positive and negative, but thats life. Today you have to look at the big picture. If you had to go to War today, there can be only one choice in aircraft, the F 15E Strike Eagle!!

JDW:

The RAAF earlier this year temporarily grounded its F-111 fleet, following the discovery by Australia's Defence Science and Technology Organisation of an outer-wing fatigue problem affecting the aircraft. This development has led to a decision to conduct a wing-replacement programme using parts drawn from ex-USAF F-111Fs stored at the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona (JDW 7 August).

I am willing to be corrected, but as I understand it, the RAAF F-111C shared the larger wing of the FB-111A of the USAF (as did the F-111Gs later procured). This wing has a wingspan of 70ft and 4 hard points per wing. There aint, as they say, none left.

The F-111F wings are smaller, at 63ft wingspan, with only 3 hard points per wing.

TangoTruax
 

Hey there short little round fella, I spent a bit of time with you in the scheduling shop at SJ!!!!

How the hell did you get time in the GR1 / 4??????

Tango T..



....hats off


at least you didn't mention the TSR 2....



Was Beagle the Test Pilot for that?? & Jackonicko the PR guru??

re: short wing/long wing

AFAIK the 'long' wing of the F-111C/G is the same as the 'short' wing of the F-111F but with a tip extension. Therefore the RAAF had the option of keeping the 'short' wing (and gaining speed/reducing stress loads) or reinstalling the tips to go back to the 'long' wing (and thereby retaining range performance). I understand that the latter choice has been made.

It should be noted that the RAAF bought a handful of F-111As (short wing) a while back which were converted to long wing Cs.

As for pylons, some Pig nut will probably correct me, but I thought that all Pigs were built with four wing hardpoints, but they were only ever used on the FB-111, and then not much because the outboards don't swivel with the wing.

The short wing has 6 hard points, the outer 2 non-swivelling.
The long wing has 8 hard points, the outer 4 non-swivelling.