# F-111 V's buildings !



## Wildcat (Dec 3, 2007)

Way cool!

_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAG6H9M6gZo_


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## Thorlifter (Dec 3, 2007)

Wow!!! That would be cool to experience in person.


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## Matt308 (Dec 3, 2007)

Wow! I had seen the short version before, but didn't realize that amount of damage that was done. Incredible. Hope they kept their mouths open.


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## Micdrow (Dec 3, 2007)

Wonder if the goverment billed them for the remodeling job!!!! That would suck if you lived there.


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## lesofprimus (Dec 4, 2007)

I Love It!!!


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## FLYBOYJ (Dec 4, 2007)

Pretty wild!

My father in law had about 200 hours in the F-111. He said it was one of the fastest aircraft he flown - it would basically would not slow down and one had to watch airspeeds so the aircraft won't self destruct. On one his sorties he damaged the nose radome where he almost eroded a hole into it. He stated that his CO nor the squadron maintenance officer was very happy with him.

My brother in law was a F-111 crew chief with 55th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Upper Heyford UK during the mid 1980s. He too said the aircraft was like a freight train and radomes were always being "eroded."


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## Thorlifter (Dec 4, 2007)

What do you mean by "eroded"? Is something hitting them at high speeds or are the collapsing because of the speed?


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## FLYBOYJ (Dec 4, 2007)

Thorlifter said:


> What do you mean by "eroded"? Is something hitting them at high speeds or are the collapsing because of the speed?


It is from the aircraft actually going through the air, heat building up on the radome and actually peeling layers of the fiberglass away.


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## Gnomey (Dec 4, 2007)

Cool video! That's quite scary Joe, surely not good for the overall health of the aircraft if during flights it gets small holes in the radome...


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## FLYBOYJ (Dec 4, 2007)

Gnomey said:


> Cool video! That's quite scary Joe, surely not good for the overall health of the aircraft if during flights it gets small holes in the radome...


Most of the time just layers of the the radome surface are removed. There's no doubt that small holes will form. Where I think it will be bad will be at high speeds where the radome is distributing airflow. I'd hate to see a flat nose bulkhead into the airstream at 1,200 knots!


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## Gnomey (Dec 4, 2007)

FLYBOYJ said:


> Most of the time just layers of the the radome surface are removed. There's no doubt that small holes will form. Where I think it will be bad will be at high speeds where the radome is distributing airflow. I'd hate to see a flat nose bulkhead into the airstream at 1,200 knots!



Yeah that would be good - would ruin the fuel economy


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## Wildcat (Dec 4, 2007)

Micdrow said:


> Wonder if the goverment billed them for the remodeling job!!!! That would suck if you lived there.



I believe it was a Defence establishment.

Joe, how come the USAF got rid of their F-111's? I know their an old a/c and maintenance intensive, but their still a very capable (and fast!) strike bomber. I believe the most potent in the Asia-Pacific region?


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## FLYBOYJ (Dec 5, 2007)

Wildcat said:


> I believe it was a Defence establishment.
> 
> Joe, how come the USAF got rid of their F-111's? I know their an old a/c and maintenance intensive, but their still a very capable (and fast!) strike bomber. I believe the most potent in the Asia-Pacific region?


I think they got rid of them as the F-15E came on board. Recently the USAF retired aircraft a bit early because they couldn't afford the maintenance cost at that time. the aircraft may not be obsolete, just too expensive to maintain.

I think in situations like that they are kept at "Davie-Mons" in a semi-flyable storage.


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## Wildcat (Dec 5, 2007)

FLYBOYJ said:


> I think they got rid of them as the F-15E came on board. Recently the USAF retired aircraft a bit early because they couldn't afford the maintenance cost at that time. the aircraft may not be obsolete, just too expensive to maintain.
> 
> I think in situations like that they are kept at "Davie-Mons" in a semi-flyable storage.



Yep, I believe that's were the RAAF gets alot of its spare parts from!


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