3.7K views · 123 reactions | By the time of its retirement from the USAF in the late 1990s, the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark had served in conflicts from Vietnam to Iraq. In this episode of Duxford in Depth, we explore Imperial War Museum Duxford's own example, “The Chief”. Watch in full: https://bit.ly/3CGsyYo | Imperial War Museum London | Facebook

394K views · 1.2K reactions | #OTD in 1968, carrier suitability trials for the F-111B were conducted aboard USS Coral Sea (CVA-43). The plane was a variant of the Air Force's F-111 Aardvark. It had been considered to fill the Navy's need for a new carrier-based interceptor but was deemed too heavy. The F-14 got the job. | U.S. Naval Institute | Facebook

The General Dynamics F111 was not just any other aircraft of the Cold War. It was born as part of the Tactical Fighter Experimental program ordered by Robert McNamara himself to create a plane that could fit roles requested by both the Navy and the Air Force. The F111 had a troublesome beginning in the 60s. And at the heart of it was an old grudge between the military branches. Like many of its colleagues of the epoch, the F111 had unique innovations and cons that left the two branches divided.