General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark and EF-111A Raven

The Warpaint series was conceived by publisher Alan W. Hall in 1993 when he had passed the usual retirement age and his long established magazine publishing company of eight fortnightly and monthly titles was being wound up. 
Included in these were Aviation News, Scale Aircraft Modelling and Airfix Magazine all publications well-known to the model maker and aircraft enthusiast.

What's in a WARPLAINT ? 
* Complete and detailed history
* Scale Plans
* In detail pictures
* Pages of superb colour camouflage drawings, colour, and black and white photography
* Complete production list
* Squadrons, units and individual aircraft serials and codes
* Comprehensive specification

ISSUE No.104 General Dynamics F-111 

By Charles Stafrace

General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark & EF-111A Raven, by Charles Stafrace.

Controversy and competence are perhaps the best way to describe the first variable-geometry combat aircraft to enter operational service anywhere in the world: the F-111 Aardvark, the archetypal Cold War “below-the-radar” strike bomber.

Born from one of the most politically motivated and poorly managed procurement programmes ever undertaken, the F-111 endured a troubled development period marked by spiralling costs in both development and production. Its first combat deployment to Vietnam in 1967 was widely regarded as unimpressive.

Much of this early criticism was later forgotten as the F-111 matured and proved itself to be a devastating weapon. During its second tour in Southeast Asia in 1972–73, it demonstrated that its advanced attack and terrain-following radar systems allowed the accurate delivery of large ordnance loads at ultra-low altitude in a hostile environment.

In this fully developed form, the F-111 went on to conduct long-range, all-weather strike missions against targets in Libya in 1986 and during the Gulf War in 1991. These operations confirmed the Aardvark’s status as the spearhead of Tactical Air Command and USAFE, and for many years it represented the cutting edge of NATO’s deep-strike capability.

It is notable that during the Gulf War only two aircraft types were authorised to attack targets in downtown Baghdad while minimising collateral damage: the F-117 and the F-111. The longer-span FB-111 was developed with enhanced bombing avionics for the nuclear delivery role within Strategic Air Command, while a later major redesign resulted in the EF-111A Raven, equipped with state-of-the-art electronic countermeasures and jamming systems to support SEAD missions.

The swing-wing F-111 was a familiar sight in Britain during the 1980s and early 1990s, when it equipped two USAFE wings at RAF Lakenheath and RAF Upper Heyford, the latter also hosting a squadron of EF-111As for part of that period.

The F-111 tactical strike aircraft also served with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and remained in service until as recently as 2010. The type was even ordered by the Royal Air Force in the late 1960s as a replacement for the cancelled TSR.2 programme, before being itself cancelled at considerable expense amid nationwide controversy — a subject explored in a dedicated chapter of this publication.

This new Warpaint title examines the F-111’s development, service history, failures and successes across all variants operated by both the USAF and the RAAF. It includes comprehensive text, specification and squadron tables, and more than 180 photographs, the majority in colour.

This book is written by Charles Stafrace and is superbly illustrated by Richard J. Caruana.