General Dynamics–Grumman F-111B
The General Dynamics–Grumman F-111B is a former long-range carrier-based interceptor aircraft planned as a follow-on to the F-4 Phantom II for the United States Navy (USN).
| F-111B | |
|---|---|
| F-111B, BuNo 151974, approaching USS Coral Sea in July 1968 | |
| Role | Interceptor |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | General Dynamics and Grumman |
| First flight | 18 May 1965 |
| Primary user | United States Navy |
| Number built | 7 |
| Developed from | General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark |
The F-111B was developed during the 1960s by General Dynamics in conjunction with Grumman for the U.S. Navy as part of the joint Tactical Fighter Experimental (TFX) with the United States Air Force (USAF) to produce a common fighter for the services that could perform a variety of missions. It incorporated innovations such as variable-geometry wings, afterburning turbofan engines, and a long-range radar and missile weapons system.
Designed in parallel with the F-111 "Aardvark", which was adopted by the Air Force as a strike aircraft, the F-111B suffered development issues and changing Navy requirements for an aircraft with maneuverability for dogfighting. The F-111B was not ordered into production and the F-111B prototypes were used for testing before being retired. The planned F-111B was replaced by the smaller and lighter Grumman F-14 Tomcat, which carried the AWG-9/Phoenix weapons system over the engines, and a similar swing-wing configuration.