[Taxman]

MacNamara’s Folly!

The US Navy was ordered to Carrier Qualify the Navy version of this pig. I was one of the curious (there were 23 of us on the platform!) Landing Signal Officer’s who witnessed that event. Hair raising, to say the least. Good thing we didn’t have to use our emergency exit chute — some of us would have had to jump overboard!

Over-weight and underpowered, the F-111 carqual was a high pucker factor event. At max trap weights, IIRC, the pilot had to use max (basic engine) power to get aboard.

AND, the JBDs could not be used during launch! Back pressure blew out the afterburners. Talk about wind over the deck!

The TPS pilots and LSOs aura of “great sticks” went way up in the PACFLT LSO community that afternoon!

HSAT, the F-111 served the USAF well, and its development lead to the F-14, arguably, the best fighter the Navy ever had.

[oyez]

When I first got wind of the F-111, I was in "A" School. My first take was, "Why in the Hell would the Navy want a fighter plane the size of an A-3?" Even to an E-3 that was elemental.

Even with the improved engines and revised missions the F-111 was destined to be an Air Force bird. Good thing folks went back to the drawing board.