The United Aircraft Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer formed by the break-up of United Aircraft and Transport Corporation in 1934. In 1975, the company became United Technologies , which in 2020 merged with Raytheon , later renamed RTX Corporation .
148-528: The Air Mail scandal of the early 1930s resulted in a rebuilt air mail system, under the Air Mail Act of 1934 , in which carriers and their equipment manufacturers (e.g., of airframes and engines) could no longer be owned by the same company. The United Aircraft and Transport Corporation was broken up on September 26, 1934, as a result of this new law. The corporation's airline interests went on to become United Airlines . Its manufacturing interests east of
296-457: A Douglas C-29 Dolphin took off from Floyd Bennett Field , New York on a flight to Langley Field to ferry a mail aircraft and ditched when both engines failed a mile off of Rockaway Beach . Waiting for a rescue attempt in heavy seas, the passenger on the amphibian drowned. President Roosevelt, publicly embarrassed, ordered a meeting with Foulois that resulted in a reduction of routes and schedules (which were already only 60% of that flown by
444-477: A Senate investigation. The investigation resulted in a citation of contempt of Congress on February 5, 1934, against attorney William P. MacCracken Jr. , who helped draft the law while working for the government and brokered the meeting of the airlines. It was the only action taken against any former Hoover Administration official for the scandal. Two days later, Hoover's successor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt , cancelled all existing air mail contracts with
592-689: A South African animal that has a long nose and hugs the terrain. It is an Afrikaans word that translates literally as "earth pig"—hence the aircraft's "Pig" nickname during its Australian service. Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics under Robert McNamara 's TFX Program , the F-111 pioneered variable-sweep wings , afterburning turbofan engines, and automated terrain-following radar for low-level , high-speed flight. Its design influenced later variable-sweep wing aircraft, and some of its advanced features have become commonplace. The F-111 suffered problems during initial development, largely related to
740-491: A forward looking infrared (FLIR) sensor, optical camera and laser rangefinder / designator . The Pave Tack pod allowed the F-111 to designate targets and drop laser-guided bombs on them. Australian RF-111Cs carried a pallet of sensors and cameras for aerial reconnaissance use. The FB-111 could carry two AGM-69 SRAM air-to-surface nuclear missiles in its weapons bay. General Dynamics trialed an arrangement with two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles carried on rails in
888-668: A tandem -seat aircraft for low-level penetration ground-attack, while the Navy wanted a shorter, high altitude interceptor with side-by-side seating to allow the pilot and radar operator to share the radar display. Also, the USAF wanted the aircraft designed for 7.33 g with Mach 2.5 speed at altitude and Mach 1.2 speed at low level with an approximate length of 70 ft (21.3 m). The Navy had less strenuous requirements of 6 g with Mach 2 speed at altitude and high subsonic speed (approx. Mach 0.9) at low level with
1036-410: A 150-pound passenger $ 450 per ticket (equal to $ 7985 in 2024 dollars) in lieu of carrying an equivalent amount of mail. William P. MacCracken Jr. became the first federal regulator of commercial aviation when then- Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover named him the first Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics in 1926. During World War I he had served as a flight instructor, had served on
1184-551: A FAD fighter, the Navy started with the subsonic , straight-winged aircraft, the Douglas F6D Missileer in the late 1950s. The Missileer was designed to carry six long-range missiles and loiter for five hours, but would be defenseless after firing its missiles. The program was formally canceled in 1961. The Navy had tried variable geometry wings with the XF10F Jaguar , but abandoned it in the early 1950s. It
1332-684: A cabinet meeting on the morning of February 9, 1934, assured President Roosevelt that the Air Corps could deliver the mail. That same morning, shortly after conclusion of the cabinet meeting, second assistant postmaster general Harllee Branch called Foulois to his office. A conference between members of the Air Corps, the Post Office, and the Aeronautics Branch of the Commerce Department ensued in which Foulois, asked if
1480-515: A ceiling price of $ 529 million along with provisions for deficiency correction amongst other operational clauses and performance criteria. General Dynamics' design team was led by Robert H. Widmer . Recognizing its lack of experience with carrier-based fighters, General Dynamics teamed with Grumman in November 1963 for the assembly and testing of the F-111B. In addition, Grumman would also build
1628-583: A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average on March 4, 1939, when United Aircraft and AT&T were added to replace Nash Motors and International Business Machines . United Aircraft, subsequently known as United Technologies, has remained a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average since that time. For the subsidiaries of United Aircraft, and for countless other manufacturing firms, World War II
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#17327717353131776-422: A cost per mile of $ 1.10. Most were small, under-capitalized companies flying short routes and old equipment. Subsidies for carrying mail exceeded the cost of the mail itself, and some carriers abused their contracts by flooding the system with junk mail at 100% profit or hauling heavy freight as air mail. Historian Oliver E. Allen, in his book The Airline Builders , estimated that airlines would have had to charge
1924-710: A daily run between Washington, D.C. , and New York City with an intermediate stop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania . The operation was put together in ten days by Major Reuben H. Fleet , the executive officer for flying training of the Division of Military Aeronautics , and managed by Captain Benjamin B. Lipsner , a non-flyer. Starting with six converted Curtiss JN-4HM "Jennies" , two of which were destroyed in crashes, and later using Curtiss R-4LMs , in 76 days of operations Air Service pilots moved 20 tons of mail without
2072-593: A detachment of six aircraft from the 474th Tactical Fighter Wing (474th TFW Roadrunners) were sent in March 1968 to Southeast Asia for Combat Lancer testing in real combat conditions in the Vietnam War . During the deployment, 55 night missions were flown against targets in North Vietnam, but two aircraft had been lost. 66–0022 was lost on 28 March, and 66-0017 on 30 March. Replacement aircraft left Nellis, but
2220-900: A frivolous luxury for the few remaining affluent, had doubled following restructuring. Much of this if not all was the result of the postal subsidies, funded by taxpayers. The air mail scandal began when an officer of the New York Philadelphia and Washington Airway Corporation, known as the Ludington Airline , was having a drink with friend and Hearst newspaper reporter Fulton Lewis Jr. Ludington Airline, established and owned by brothers Townsend and Nicholas Ludington , began offering an hourly daytime passenger shuttle on September 1, 1930, just two weeks after Eastern Air Transport (EAT) began its first passenger operations between New York City and Richmond, Virginia . Using seven Stinson SM-6000B tri-motors , Ludington Airline became
2368-513: A greater number of miles and making three extra stops in just an hour's more time. Only two additional Army pilots were killed flying the mail after the resumption of operations, on March 30 and April 5. By May 17 all but one mail route, CAM 9 (Chicago to Fargo, North Dakota ), had been restored to civil carriers. AACMO relinquished this last route on June 1, 1934. In all, 66 major accidents, ten of them with fatalities, resulted in 13 crew deaths, creating an intense public furor. Only five of
2516-594: A heart for transplant. The aircraft landed at Bradley International Airport to deliver the organ to a waiting ambulance. On 14 April 1986, 18 F-111s and approximately 25 Navy aircraft conducted air strikes against Libya under Operation El Dorado Canyon . The 18 F-111s of the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing and 4 EF-111As from the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing flew what turned out to be the longest fighter combat mission in history. The round-trip flight between RAF Lakenheath / RAF Upper Heyford , United Kingdom and Libya of 6,400 miles (10,300 km) spanned 13 hours. One F-111
2664-671: A length of 56 ft (17.1 m). The Navy also wanted the aircraft with a nose large enough for a 48 in (1.2 m) diameter radar dish. McNamara developed a basic set of requirements for TFX based largely on the USAF's requirements and, on 1 September 1961, ordered the USAF to develop it. Nevertheless, a request for proposals (RFP) for the TFX was provided to industry in October 1961. In December, proposals were received from Boeing , General Dynamics , Lockheed , McDonnell , North American and Republic . The evaluation group found all
2812-549: A low bid of 25 cents a mile. Ludington's general manager, former Air Service aviator Eugene L. Vidal , eager to curtail Ludington's growing losses with a lucrative mail subsidy, had offered the extremely low bid to Brown in order to demonstrate Ludington's commitment to the route extension plan "at or below cost." Lewis did not think much about the conversation until he later read the Post Office Department's announcement that had awarded Ludington's arch-rival
2960-622: A major cause of the aircraft's protracted development and weight increases. The F-111A and F-111B shared the same airframe structural components and Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-1 turbofan engines. They featured side-by-side crew seating in an escape capsule as required by the Navy. The F-111B 's nose was 8.5 feet (2.59 m) shorter as the aircraft could fit on existing carrier elevator decks, and had 3.5-foot-longer (1.07 m) wingtips to improve on-station endurance time; it also carried an AN/AWG-9 Pulse-Doppler radar to guide its AIM-54 Phoenix missiles. The USAF's F-111A would be equipped with
3108-457: A memo that Brittin claimed was personal and unrelated to the investigation. Brittin later tore up the memo and discarded it. Black charged MacCracken with Contempt of Congress on February 5 and ordered him arrested. During a five-day trial the Senate deemed him a lobbyist not protected by lawyer-client privilege and voted to convict him. Disregarding as Black did the fact that all but two of
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#17327717353133256-581: A partial squadron in the Central Zone. On February 22 a young pilot departing Chicago in an O-39 flew into a snow storm over Deshler, Ohio , and became lost after his navigational radio failed. Fifty miles off course, he bailed out but his parachute caught on the tail section of his airplane and he was killed. That same day in Denison, Texas , another pilot attempting a forced landing was killed when his P-26A flipped over on soft turf. The next day,
3404-405: A passenger list of airlines officials and news reporters, they flew from Douglas Aviation's plant at Burbank, California , to Newark, New Jersey. Bypassing several regular stops to stay ahead of a blizzard , the stunt established a new cross-country time record of just over 13 hours, breaking the old record by more than five hours. The DC-1 arrived on the morning of February 19 only two hours before
3552-632: A single fatality or serious injury, achieving a 74% completion rate of flights during the summer thunderstorm season. Air mail operations by the U.S. Post Office began in August 1918 under Lipsner, who resigned from the Army on July 13 to take the post. Lipsner procured Standard JR-1B biplanes specially modified to carry the mail with twice the range of the military mailplanes, the first civil aircraft built to U.S. government specifications. For nine years, using mostly war-surplus de Havilland DH.4 biplanes,
3700-510: A speed advantage at low altitudes. The USAF's Tactical Air Command (TAC) was largely concerned with the fighter-bomber and deep strike/ interdiction roles. TAC was in the process of receiving its latest design, the Republic F-105 Thunderchief , which was designed to deliver nuclear weapons fast and far, but required long runways. A simpler variable geometry wing configuration with the pivot points farther out from
3848-514: A trapeze arrangement from the bay, but this was not adopted. Early F-111 models had radars equipped to guide the AIM-7 Sparrow medium-range air-to-air missile, but it was never fitted. Each wing was equipped with four underwing pylons. The inner two pylons on each wing rotated to align with the fuselage, while the outer two were fixed. Each pylon had a capacity of 5,000 pounds (2,300 kilograms). Various bombs and missiles could be carried on
3996-590: A troubled development and Navy requirements changed to a maneuverable aircraft for dogfighting. The swing-wing configuration, TF-30 engines, AIM-54 Phoenix air-to-air missiles and AWG-9 radar developed for the F-111B were used on its replacement, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. The Tomcat was large enough to carry the AWG-9 and Phoenix missiles while exceeding both the F-111's and the F-4's maneuverability. The F-111C
4144-414: A vice president of North American Aviation (Eastern Air Transport's parent holding company ) and Jack Frye of Transcontinental and Western Air, both of which had lost their mail contracts, flew T&WA's prototype Douglas DC-1 airliner "City of Los Angeles," which was still in flight test , across the country on the last evening before the Air Corps operation began. Carrying a partial load of mail and
4292-501: A well-established system of maintenance facilities along their routes. Initial plans were made for coverage of 18 mail routes totalling nearly 12,000 miles (19,000 km); and 62 flights daily, 38 by night. On February 14, five days before the Air Corps was to begin, General Foulois appeared before the House of Representatives Post Office Committee outlining the steps taken by the Air Corps in preparation. In his testimony he assured
4440-533: A “route certificate” giving it the right to haul mail for 10 additional years. The third and most controversial provision gave Brown authority to "extend or consolidate" routes in effect according to his own judgment. Within days of its passage, United Aircraft and Transport Company (UATC) acquired the controlling interest of National Air Transport after a brisk but brief struggle between UATC and Clement M. Keys of NAT. The merger, begun in February 1930 to plug
4588-591: Is the export version for Australia, combining the F-111A with longer F-111B wings and strengthened FB-111A landing gear. Australia ordered 24 F-111s and, following delays, the Royal Australian Air Force accepted the aircraft in 1973. Four were converted to the RF-111C reconnaissance variant in 1979–80. Australia also purchased four ex-USAF F-111As and converted them into F-111Cs. In the 1990s,
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4736-532: The Air Mail fiasco , is the name that the American press gave to the political scandal resulting from a 1934 congressional investigation into the awarding of contracts to certain airlines to carry airmail and the subsequent disastrous use of the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) to fly the mail after the contracts were revoked. During the administration of U.S. President Herbert Hoover , Congress passed
4884-823: The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet as an interim measure until the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II became available. The May 1960 U-2 incident , in which an American CIA U-2 reconnaissance plane was shot down over the USSR, stunned the United States government. Besides greatly damaging US–Soviet relations, the incident showed that the Soviet Union had developed a surface-to-air missile that could reach aircraft above 60,000 feet (18,000 meters). Consequently,
5032-563: The Case–Church Amendment . The 347th TFW was stationed at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base from 12 July 1974 until 30 June 1975. In May 1975, 347th TFW F-111s provided air support during the Mayaguez incident . One of the most unusual missions occurred on 14 February 1986, when two FB-111s of the 509th Bombardment Wing were dispatched from then Pease Air Force Base , New Hampshire to Tinker Air Force Base , Oklahoma to pick up
5180-1000: The General Electric AN/APQ-113 attack radar mated to a separate Texas Instruments AN/APQ-110 terrain-following radar lower in the nose and a Litton AJQ-20 inertial navigation and nav/attack system. The terrain-following radar (TFR) was integrated into the automatic flight control system, allowing for "hands-off" flight at high speeds and low levels (down to 200 ft or 61 m). A total of 159 F-111As were produced, including 30 pre-production aircraft that were rebuilt to production standards. 42 F-111As were converted to EF-111A Ravens for an electronic warfare tactical electronic jamming role. In 1982, four surviving F-111As were provided to Australia as attrition replacements and modified to F-111C standard, including its longer-span wings and reinforced landing gear. Three pre-production F-111A were used by NASA for various tests. The 13th F-111A received new wing designs for
5328-555: The Kelly Act (also known as the Air Mail Act of 1925 ) authorized the Post Office Department to contract with private airlines for feeder routes into the main transcontinental system. The first commercial air mail flight was on the 487-mile (784 km) route CAM (Contract Air Mail) No. 5 from Pasco, Washington , to Elko, Nevada , on April 6, 1926. By 1927 the transition had been completed to entirely commercial transport of mail, and by 1929 45 airlines were involved in mail delivery at
5476-485: The McNary-Watres Act after its chief sponsors, Sen. Charles L. McNary of Oregon and Rep. Laurence H. Watres of Pennsylvania , authorized the postmaster general to enter into longer-term airmail contracts with rates based on space or volume, rather than weight. The Act gave Brown strong authority (some argued almost dictatorial powers) over the nationwide air transportation system. The main provision of
5624-589: The Mississippi River — Pratt & Whitney , Chance Vought , and Sikorsky —remained together as the new United Aircraft Corporation, headquartered in Hartford with Frederick Rentschler , founder of Pratt & Whitney, as president. All manufacturing interests west of the Mississippi became part of a revived Boeing Aircraft . The latter half of the 1930s saw military procurement buildups around
5772-682: The National Guard . In both the Western and Eastern zones, these became the aircraft of choice, modified to carry 160 pounds of mail in their rear cockpits, and in their nose (bombardier/navigator) compartments where those existed. Better-suited planes such as the new Martin YB-10 bomber and Curtiss A-12 Shrike ground attack aircraft were in insufficient numbers to be of practical use. Two YB-10s crashlanded when pilots forgot to lower its retractable landing gear, and there were only enough A-12s for
5920-796: The Operation Linebacker II aerial offensive against the North Vietnamese, who called the aircraft "Whispering Death". They also supported regional aerial operations against other communist forces such as Operation Phou Phiang III during the Laotian Civil War in Laos . Crews described their flying in Vietnam as "speed is life", "one pass, haul ass", and "you do more than one pass in a target area you die". The F-111's ability with terrain-following radar ("the best in
6068-618: The United States Air Force Strategic Air Command (SAC) and the RAF Bomber Command 's plans to send subsonic, high-altitude Boeing B-47 Stratojet and V bomber formations into the USSR were realized to be much less viable. By 1960, SAC had begun moving to low-level penetration , which greatly reduced radar detection distances. At the time, SAMs were ineffective against low-flying aircraft while interceptor aircraft had less of
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6216-557: The White House , asking them to fly only in completely safe conditions. Foulois replied that to ensure complete safety the Air Corps would have to end the flights, and Roosevelt suspended airmail service on March 11, 1934. Foulois wrote in his autobiography that he and MacArthur incurred "the worst tongue-lashing I ever received in all my military service". Norman E. Borden, in Air Mail Emergency of 1934 , wrote: "To lessen
6364-502: The 122 aircraft assigned to the task, but the instruments were not readily available and Air Corps mechanics unfamiliar with the equipment sometimes installed them incorrectly or without regard for standardization of cockpit layout. The project, termed AACMO (Army Air Corps Mail Operation), was placed under the supervision of Brigadier General Oscar Westover , assistant chief of the Air Corps. He created three geographic zones and appointed Lieutenant Colonel Henry H. Arnold to command
6512-538: The 13 deaths actually occurred on flights carrying mail, but directly and indirectly the air mail operation caused accidental crash deaths in the Air Corps to rise by 15% to 54 in 1934, compared to 46 in 1933 and 47 in 1935. In 78 days of operations and over 13,000 hours of logged flight time, completing 65.8 percent of their scheduled flights, the Army Air Corps moved 777,389 pounds of mail over 1,590,155 miles (2,559,106 km). Aircraft employed in carrying
6660-520: The 1970s the jet engine manufacturers found that their products for the commercial (airline) market had been commoditized to a greater extent than in previous decades. Leaving behind a tradition of mating airframes to particular engines (which linked the profitability of an airframe model to that of its exclusive engine supplier), the airframe builders began offering multiple brands of engines. Producers had to compete on service, warranties, and eventually even by buying entire aircraft and then leasing them to
6808-538: The 1990s; the last F-111Fs were withdrawn in 1996 while the remaining EF-111s also departed in 1998. The F-111 was replaced in USAF service by the F-15E Strike Eagle for medium-range precision strike missions, while the supersonic bomber role has been assumed by the B-1B Lancer . The RAAF continued to operate the type up until December 2010, when the last F-111C was retired; its role was transitioned to
6956-736: The 747 redeemed itself. On the military side of the business, the TFX joint-procurement program led to the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark powered by the Pratt & Whitney TF30 . UAC acquired Chesapeake and Ohio Railway designed UAC TurboTrain to compete in the DOT's Northeast Corridor Demonstration Project. Two trainsets were built in 1967-1968 by Pullman for use by Penn Central Transportation Company and later Amtrak for service from 1968 to 1980. Five seven car sets were built by MLW for Canadian National Railway In
7104-598: The AN/APQ-113 attack radar and the AN/APQ-110 terrain-following radar and air-to-ground armament. During September 1963, the F-111A mockup was inspected. On 15 October 1964, the first test F-111A was rolled out of Plant 4 of General Dynamics' facility in Fort Worth, Texas; it was powered by YTF30-P-1 turbofans and used a set of ejector seats as the escape capsule was not yet available. On 21 December 1964,
7252-574: The Air Corps could deliver the mail in winter, casually assured Branch that the Air Corps could be ready in a week or ten days. At 4 o'clock that afternoon President Roosevelt suspended the airmail contracts effective at midnight February 19. He issued Executive Order 6591 ordering the War Department to place at the disposal of the Postmaster General "such air airplanes, landing fields, pilots and other employees and equipment of
7400-502: The Air Corps was forced by the winter weather to cancel the startup of AACMO. On February 19, the blizzard disrupted the initial day's operations east of the Rocky Mountains , where the scheduled first flight of the operation from Newark was cancelled. AACMO's actual first effort left from Kansas City, Missouri , carrying 39 pounds of mail to St. Louis . Kenneth Werrell noted of the first flight out of Cleveland: "The pilot on
7548-506: The Air Mail Act changed the manner in which payments were calculated. Air mail carriers would be paid for having sufficient cargo capacity on their planes, whether the planes carried mail or flew empty, a disincentive to carry mail since the carrier received a set fee for a plane of a certain size whether or not it carried mail. The purpose of the provision was to discourage the carrying of bulk junk mail to boost profits, particularly by
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#17327717353137696-428: The Air Mail Act of 1930. Using its provisions, Postmaster General Walter Folger Brown held a meeting with the executives of the top airlines, later dubbed the "Spoils Conference", in which the airlines effectively divided among themselves the air mail routes. Acting on those agreements, Brown awarded contracts to the participants through a process that effectively prevented smaller carriers from bidding, resulting in
7844-412: The American aircraft manufacturing industry. General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark is a retired supersonic, medium-range, multirole combat aircraft. Production models of the F-111 had roles that included attack (e.g. interdiction ), strategic bombing (including nuclear weapons capabilities), reconnaissance and electronic warfare . Aardvark comes from
7992-518: The Army of the United States needed or required for the transportation of mail during the present emergency, by air over routes and schedules prescribed by the Postmaster General." In 1933 the airlines carried several million pounds of mail on 26 routes covering almost 25,000 miles (40,000 km) of airways. Transported mostly by night, the mail was carried in modern passenger planes equipped with modern flight instruments and radios, using ground-based beam transmitters as navigation aids. The airlines had
8140-614: The Australians have a bomber that can put a bomb through that window on to the table here in front of us?" Australian F-111s were ready to attack Indonesian forces during the establishment of East Timor 's independence and the deployment of the Australian-led International Force for East Timor . In 2006, an RAAF F-111 scuttled the North Korean ship Pong Su on 23 March 2006. Because of
8288-455: The CAM 25 air mail route contract at 89 cents a mile as measured against Ludington's extremely low bid. By February 1933 Ludington was virtually bankrupt and sold out to EAT for a "bottom basement price of $ 260,000." Lewis sensed there was a story to be written. He brought the story to the attention of William Randolph Hearst and, although Hearst would not print it, was given approval to investigate
8436-655: The Chicago Aeronautical Commission, and was a member of the board of governors of the National Aeronautical Association when selected by Hoover. MacCracken left the Commerce Department in 1929 and returned to his private law practice, where he continued to be involved in the growth of commercial aviation by representing many major airlines . Postmaster General Walter Folger Brown sought to improve
8584-793: The EF-111 electronic warfare variant in 1998. The Australian government ordered 24 F-111C aircraft to replace the RAAF's English Electric Canberras in the bombing and tactical strike role. While the first aircraft was officially handed over in September 1968, structural issues delayed the entry into service. The first F-111C was accepted at Nellis Air Force Base on 15 March 1973. The RAAF's first six F-111Cs arrived at RAAF Base Amberley on 1 July 1973, and three subsequent flights of six F-111s arrived on 27 July, 28 September and 4 December. F-111Cs were allocated to No. 1 Squadron and No. 6 Squadron , under
8732-413: The EF-111 electronic warfare versions were later developed for the USAF. Production of the F-111 ended in 1976, following the completion of 563 aircraft. The F-111 was an all-weather attack aircraft, capable of low-level penetration of enemy defenses to deliver ordnance on the target. The F-111 featured variable-geometry wings, an internal weapons bay and a cockpit with side-by-side seating. The cockpit
8880-534: The F-111 and began operating the F-111C in 1973. As early as March 1968, the USAF were deploying F-111s into active combat situations; the type saw heavy use during the latter half of the Vietnam War to conduct low-level ground-attack missions, flying in excess of 4,000 combat missions while incurring only six combat losses in the theatre. The F-111s also participated in the Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm) in 1991;
9028-462: The F-111 were troubled by compressor surges and stalls across certain portions of the flight regime. General Dynamics had elected to use an uncommon spike-shaped variable intake for the engine for the performance. Studies performed by NASA, the USAF, and General Dynamics led to the engine inlet being redesigned; modifications were implemented between 1965 and 1966, culminating with the "Triple Plow I" and "Triple Plow II" designs. During February 1965,
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#17327717353139176-599: The F-111. Early A-models used the TF30-P-1 engine. Most A-models used the TF30-P-3 engine with 12,000 lbf (53 kN) dry and 18,500 lbf (82 kN) afterburning thrust and "Triple Plow I" variable intakes, providing a maximum speed of Mach 2.3 (1,450 mph, 2,300 km/h) at altitude. The variant had a maximum takeoff weight of 92,500 lb (42,000 kg) and an empty weight of 45,200 lb (20,500 kg). The F-111A's Mark I avionics suite included
9324-414: The F-111A achieved a speed of Mach 1.3 while flying with an interim intake design. On 18 May 1965, the F-111B made its first flight; it was also equipped with ejector seats initially. Separately, cracks in the F-111's wing attach points were first discovered in 1968 during ground fatigue testing; during the following year, the crash of an F-111 was attributed to a cracked wingbox. On 22 December 1969,
9472-429: The F-111A made its first flight from Carswell Air Force Base , Texas. Lasting for 22 minutes, less than planned due to a flap malfunction, this initial flight was considered to be satisfactory overall; category I testing commenced immediately thereafter. Early flights of the F-111, which included supersonic flights, demonstrated favorably simplistic maintenance requirements, amongst other qualities. Various changes to
9620-789: The F-111C underwent a comprehensive digital avionics upgrade program (AUP) which introduced new nav/attack systems (PAVE TACK Laser/infrared targeting system) and digital flight control computers. Later, the C model was upgraded with a unique version of the TF-30 engine known as the P-108. This local version mated the P-109 engine to a P-107 afterburner, delivering 20,840 lb of thrust and significantly increased reliability. The RAAF retired its last F-111Cs in December 2010 after 37 years of service. The F-111D
9768-583: The F-111Fs completed 3.2 successful strike missions for every unsuccessful one, better than any other U.S. strike aircraft used in the operation. RAAF F-111s never saw offensive action, but were deployed periodically as a deterrent, such as for the Australian-led International Force East Timor . Being relatively expensive to maintain amid post- Cold War budget cuts, the USAF elected to retire its F-111 fleet during
9916-400: The Great Depression, hampered by pay cuts and a reduction of flight time, operated almost entirely in daylight and good weather. Duty hours were limited and relaxed, usually with four hours or less of flight operations a day, and none on weekends. Experience levels were also limited by obsolete aircraft, most of them single-engine and open cockpit planes. Because of a high turnover-rate policy in
10064-428: The Navy found both submissions unacceptable for its operations. Two more rounds of updates to the proposals were conducted, with Boeing being picked by the selection board. In November 1962, McNamara selected General Dynamics' proposal due to its greater commonality between USAF and Navy versions. The Boeing aircraft shared less than half of the major structural components. On 21 December 1962, General Dynamics signed
10212-501: The Post Office built and flew a nationwide network. In the beginning the work was extremely dangerous; of the initial 40 pilots, three died in crashes in 1919 and nine more in 1920. It was 1922 before an entire year ensued without a fatal crash. As safety and capability grew, daytime-only operations gave way to flying at night, assisted by airway beacons and lighted emergency landing fields. Regular transcontinental air mail delivery began in 1924. In 1925, to encourage commercial aviation,
10360-486: The Roosevelt administration's handling of the crisis. Aviation icon and former air mail pilot Charles A. Lindbergh stated in a telegram to Secretary of War Dern that using the Air Corps to carry mail was "unwarranted and contrary to American principles." Even though both had close ties to the airline industry, their criticisms seriously stung the Roosevelt Administration. On March 10, President Roosevelt called Foulois and Army Chief of Staff General Douglas MacArthur to
10508-470: The Second World War. The government had little choice but to return service to the commercial airlines, but did so with several new conditions. The Air Mail Act of June 12, 1934, drafted at the height of the crisis by Black (and known as the "Black- McKellar bill"), restored competitive bidding, closely regulated airmail labor operations, dissolved the holding companies that brought together airlines and aircraft manufacturers, and prevented companies that held
10656-448: The Senate, he was found in contempt of Congress . Hoover appointed Brown as postmaster general in 1929. In 1930, with the nation's airlines apparently headed for extinction in the face of a severe economic downturn and citing inefficient, expensive subsidized air mail delivery, Brown requested supplementary legislation to the 1925 act granting him authority to change postal policy. The Air Mail Act of 1930, passed on April 29 and known as
10804-423: The TFX contract. A congressional investigation into the procurement processed was conducted, but did not change the selection. On 1 May 1964, the definitized contract was issued for the program, including flight testing, spares, ground equipment, training devices, static and fatigue test data, and the production of an initial 23 F-111 aircraft; it was structured as a fixed price incentive fee (FPIF) contract with
10952-624: The Transonic Aircraft Technology and Advanced Fighter Technology Integration programs in the 1970s and 1980s. It retired to the United States Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 1989. Unconverted F-111As were mothballed at Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in June 1991. The F-111B was to be a fleet air defense (FAD) fighter for
11100-701: The U.S. Rockwell B-1 Lancer bomber (1974); and the European Panavia Tornado (1974). The Sukhoi Su-24 was very similar to the F-111. The U.S. Navy's role intended for the F-111B was instead filled by another variable-geometry design, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat . The first of six initial production F-111s was delivered on 17 July 1967 to fighter squadrons at Nellis Air Force Base . These aircraft were used for crew training. 428th Tactical Fighter Squadron achieved initial operational capability on 28 April 1968. After early testing,
11248-432: The U.S. Navy, fulfilling a requirement for a carrier-based fighter aircraft armed with heavy, long-range missiles to defend aircraft carriers and their battle groups from Soviet bombers and fighter-bombers equipped with anti-ship missiles. General Dynamics, lacking experience with carrier-based aircraft, partnered with Grumman for this version. Seven F-111Bs were completed for testing but it never entered fleet service. It had
11396-548: The US Navy was to carry two AIM-54 Phoenix long-range air-to-air missiles in the bay. The cannon had a large 2,084-round ammunition tank, and its muzzle was covered by a fairing; however, it was rarely fitted on F-111s. The F-111C and F-111F were equipped to carry the AN/AVQ-26 Pave Tack targeting system on a rotating carriage that kept the pod protected within the weapons bay when not in use. Pave Tack featured
11544-505: The USAF opted to ground the fleet due to this issue, save for those involved in flight testing. The resolution involved the redesigning of the attach structure and necessitated testing to ensure adequate design and workmanship. On 31 July 1970, the grounding was lifted. Category I flight testing of the F-111A, which had started in 1964, continued through to 31 March 1972. Category II tests started in January 1966, while Category III testing
11692-498: The War Department, most pilots were Reserve officers who were unfamiliar with the civilian airmail routes. Regarding equipment, the Air Corps had in its inventory 274 Directional gyros and 460 Artificial horizons , but very few of these were mounted in aircraft. It possessed 172 radio transceivers, almost all with a range of 30 miles (48 km) or less. Foulois eventually ordered the available equipment to be installed in
11840-582: The Western Zone, Lieutenant Colonel Horace M. Hickam the Central Zone, and Major Byron Q. Jones the Eastern Zone. Personnel and planes were immediately deployed, but problems began immediately with a lack of proper facilities (and in some instances, no facilities at all) for maintenance of aircraft and quartering of enlisted men, and a failure of tools to arrive where needed. Sixty Air Corps pilots took oaths as postal employees in preparation for
11988-582: The administrations of both presidents, the scandal resulted in the restructuring of the airline industry, leading to technological improvements and a new emphasis on passenger operations, and the modernization of the USAAC. The first scheduled airmail service in the United States was conducted during World War I by the Air Service of the United States Army between May 15 and August 10, 1918,
12136-400: The aft fuselage and the landing gear of the F-111A. The General Dynamics and Grumman team faced ambitious requirements for range, weapons load, and aircraft weight. Thus, the F-111 was designed to incorporate numerous features that were new to production military aircraft, such as variable-geometry wings and afterburning turbofan engines. This use of unfamiliar features has been attributed as
12284-408: The aircraft's centerline was reported by NASA in 1958, which made swing-wings viable. This led USAF leaders to encourage its use. In June 1960, the USAF issued specification SOR 183 for a long-range interdiction/strike aircraft able to penetrate Soviet air defenses at very low altitudes and high speeds. Specifically, it was to be capable of at least 800 miles of low-level flight, 400 of which
12432-525: The airlines and ordered the USAAC to deliver the mail until new contracts could be awarded. The USAAC was ill prepared to conduct a mail operation, particularly at night, and from its outset on February 19 encountered severe winter weather. The operation suffered numerous plane crashes, resulting in the deaths of thirteen airmen and severe public criticism of the Roosevelt Administration . Temporary contracts were put into effect on May 8 by
12580-411: The airlines), and strict flight safety rules. Among the new rules were restrictions on night flying: forbidding pilots with less than two years' experience from being scheduled except under clear conditions, prohibiting takeoffs in inclement weather, and requiring fully functional instruments and radio to continue on in poor conditions. Control officers on the ground were made responsible for enforcement of
12728-453: The airlines. In 1974, Harry Jack Gray left Litton Industries to become the CEO of United Aircraft. He pursued a strategy of growth and diversification, changing the parent corporation's name to United Technologies Corporation (UTC) in 1975 to reflect the intent to diversify into numerous high tech fields beyond aerospace. Air Mail scandal The Air Mail scandal , also known as
12876-476: The attacks on Roosevelt and Farley, Democratic leaders in both houses of Congress and Post Office officials placed the blame for all that had gone wrong on the shoulders of Foulois." Other supporters of the president outside of the government muted criticism of the administration by focusing on and excoriating Lindbergh, who had also made headlines by publicly protesting the cancellation of the contracts two days after they were announced, "as if his telegram had caused
13024-526: The best option was to base the design on the USAF requirement, and use a modified version for the Navy. In June 1961, Secretary McNamara ordered the go ahead of Tactical Fighter Experimental (TFX), despite USAF and Navy efforts to keep their programs separate. According to aviation author Peter E. Davis, military officials were disconcerted by McNamara's focus on compromised requirements for financial reasons. The two services could agree only on swing-wing, two-seat, twin-engine design features. The USAF wanted
13172-551: The cancellation of all domestic air mail contracts. However, not stated to the public was that the decision had overridden Farley's recommendation that it be delayed until June 1, by which time new bids could have been received and processed for continued civilian mail transport. Without consulting either Army Chief of Staff Douglas MacArthur or Chief of the Air Corps Major General Benjamin Foulois , Secretary of War George H. Dern at
13320-697: The committee that the Air Corps had selected its most experienced pilots and that it had the requisite experience at flying at night and in bad weather. In actuality, of the 262 pilots eventually used, 140 were Reserve junior officers with less than two years flying experience. Most were second lieutenants and only one held a rank higher than first lieutenant . The Air Corps had made a decision not to draw from its training schools, where most of its experienced pilots were assigned. Only 48 of those selected had logged at least 25 hours of flight time in bad weather, only 31 had 50 hours or more of night flying, and only 2 had 50 hours of instrument time . The Air Corps during
13468-535: The control of No. 82 Wing . In Australia, the F-111 was affectionately known as the "Pig". The purchase proved to be highly successful for the RAAF. Although it never saw combat, the F-111C was the fastest, longest range combat aircraft in Southeast Asia, providing Australia with independent strike capability. Benny Murdani told Kim Beazley that when others became upset with Australia during Indonesian cabinet meetings , Murdani told them "Do you realise
13616-524: The deaths." Despite an 11th fatality from a training crash in Wyoming on March 17, the Army resumed the program again on March 19, 1934, in better weather, using only nine routes, limited schedules, and hurried improvements in instrument flying. The O-38E, which had been involved in two fatal accidents at Cheyenne, Wyoming , was withdrawn completely from the operation despite its enclosed cockpit because of its propensity to go into an unrecoverable spin in
13764-590: The efficiency of the air mail carriers in furtherance of a national transportation plan. Requiring an informed intermediary, Brown asked MacCracken to preside over what was later scandalized as the Spoils Conferences , to work out an agreement between the carriers and the Post Office to consolidate air mail routes into transcontinental networks operated by the best-equipped and financially stable companies. This relationship left both exposed to charges of favoritism. When MacCracken later refused to testify before
13912-437: The end of the hearings on the last day of January, MacCracken was subpoenaed to testify duces tecum "instanter" and appeared, but refused to produce files, citing attorney-client privilege unless the clients waived the privilege (which all did within a week of his appearance). However, the next day MacCracken's law partner gave Northwest Airways vice president Lewis H. Brittin permission to go into MacCracken's files to remove
14060-529: The engines. The F-111's maximum practical weapons load was limited, since the fixed pylons could not be used with the wings fully swept. Tactical F-111s were fitted with shoulder rails on the four inner swiveling pylons to mount AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles for self-defense. Australian F-111Cs were equipped to launch the Harpoon anti-ship missile, and the Popeye stand-off missile. FB-111As could carry
14208-777: The engines. A fighter variant intended for the United States Navy , the F-111B , was canceled before production; it was intended for aircraft carrier-based roles, including long-range interception . Several specialized models, such as the FB-111A strategic bomber and the EF-111A electronic warfare aircraft, were also developed. The F-111 entered service in 1967 with the United States Air Force (USAF). The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) also ordered
14356-512: The existing contracts (the controversial transcontinental mail routes CAM 33 and CAM 34) had been awarded to the low bidder by Postmaster General Harry S. New during the Coolidge Administration , on February 7, 1934, Roosevelt's postmaster general, James A. Farley , announced that he and President Roosevelt were committed to protecting the public interest and that as a result of the investigation, President Roosevelt had ordered
14504-422: The fighter world", according to F-111 pilot Richard Crandall) to fly as low as 200 feet (61 m) above ground level at 480 knots (890 km/h) or faster in most weather conditions made it very effective; missions did not require tankers or ECM support, and they could operate in weather that grounded most other aircraft. One F-111 could carry the bomb load of four McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIs. The worth of
14652-543: The first U. S. airline in history to make a profit carrying nothing but passengers. However it began operating in the red when the novelty of cheap air travel wore off as the Great Depression deepened and competition with arch-rival EAT intensified. The Ludington officer mentioned to Lewis that in 1931 the carrier could not get a proposed "express service" air mail contract to extend CAM 25 (Miami to Washington via Atlanta) to Newark, New Jersey , not even by submitting
14800-471: The first air mail flight needed three tries and three aircraft to get aloft. Ten minutes later, he returned with a failed gyro compass and cockpit lights, and obtained a flashlight to read the instruments." Snow, rain, fog, and turbulent winds hampered flying operations for the remainder of the month over much of the United States. The route from Cleveland to Newark over the Allegheny Mountains
14948-456: The high maintenance time required for every flight hour, the F-111's retirement began with the F-111G models operated by No. 6 Squadron in late 2007. Twenty-four Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets were procured as an interim replacement as the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II program was delayed. The last F-111s were retired on 3 December 2010. The F-111A was the initial production version of
15096-418: The loss of a third F-111A (66-0024) on 22 April halted F-111A combat operations. The squadron returned to the United States in November. The cause of the first two losses is unknown as the wreckages were never recovered. It turned out that the third loss was traced to a failure of a hydraulic control-valve rod for the horizontal stabilizer which caused the aircraft to pitch up uncontrollably. Further inspection of
15244-525: The mail carriers on September 28, 1933, and brought about public awareness of what became known as "the Black Committee". The special Senate committee investigated alleged improprieties and gaming of the rate structure, such as carriers padlocking individual pieces of mail to increase weight. Despite showing that Brown's administration of the air mail had increased the efficiency of the service and lowered its costs from $ 1.10 to $ 0.54 per mile, and
15392-855: The mail were the Curtiss B-2 Condor , Keystone B-4 , Keystone B-6 , Douglas Y1B-7 and YB-10 bombers; the Boeing P-12 and P-6E fighters; the Curtiss A-12 Shrike; Bellanca C-27C transport; and the Thomas-Morse O-19 , Douglas O-25 C, O-39, and two models of Douglas O-38 observation aircraft. Among the 262 Army pilots flying the mail were Ira C. Eaker , Frank A. Armstrong , Elwood R. Quesada , Robert L. Scott , Robert F. Travis , Harold H. George , Beirne Lay Jr. , Curtis E. LeMay , and John Waldron Egan, all of whom would play important roles in air operations during
15540-411: The maintenance budget" —the F-111 was in service with the USAF from 1967 through 1998. The FB-111s were operated by Strategic Air Command from 1969 before conversion to F-111G and transferred to Air Combat Command (ACC) until their retirement in 1993. At a ceremony marking the F-111's USAF retirement, on 27 July 1996, it was officially named Aardvark, its long-standing unofficial name. The USAF retired
15688-399: The major carriers present at the "Spoils Conference", all received new contracts for their old routes with the exception of United, "the one airline completely innocent of any possible charge of collusion." United's routes were awarded instead to regional independents Braniff Airways and Bowen Air Lines , which managed its routes so badly it soon sold out to Braniff. The biggest winner of
15836-450: The mountainous terrain. In early April the Air Corps removed all pilots with less than two years' experience from the operation. The Air Corps began drawing down AACMO on May 8, 1934, when temporary contracts with private carriers were put into effect. On AACMO's last night of coast-to-coast service on May 7–8, YB-10s were used on four of the six legs from Oakland, California , to Newark to match Rickenbacker and Frye's DC-1 stunt, flying
15984-455: The new aircraft was beginning to show; F-111s flew more than 4,000 combat missions in Vietnam with only six combat losses. From 30 July 1973, F-111As of the 347th Tactical Fighter Wing (347th TFW) were stationed at Takhli Air Base. The 347th TFW conducted bombing missions in Cambodia in support of Khmer Republic forces until 15 August 1973 when US combat support ceased in accordance with
16132-498: The new postmaster general, James A. Farley , in a manner nearly identical to that of the "Spoils Conference" that started the scandal. Service was completely restored to the airlines by June 1, 1934. On June 12, Congress passed the Air Mail Act of 1934 cancelling the provisions of the 1930 law and enacting punitive measures against executives who were a part of the Spoils Conference. Although a public relations nightmare for
16280-765: The newly merged Transcontinental and Western Air over the central transcontinental route. After initial rejection of the Postmaster General's decision, final approval of the contract award to T&WA was approved by Comptroller General of the United States John R. McCarl on January 10, 1931, on the basis that United's puppet concern was not a "responsible bidder" by the definition of McNary-Watres, in effect validating Brown's restructuring. These three carriers later evolved into United Airlines (the northern airmail route, CAMs 17 and 18), Trans World Airlines (the mid-United States route, CAM 34) and American Airlines (the southern route, CAM 33). Brown also extended
16428-404: The nose of the aardvark . The origin of the name has been attributed to F-111A Instructor Pilot Al Mateczun in 1969, as the aircraft had not received an official USAF name. During September 1972, the F-111 returned to Southeast Asia, stationed at Takhli Air Base , Thailand. F-111As from Nellis AFB participated in the final month of Operation Linebacker and later flew 154 low-level missions in
16576-546: The obvious partisan politics involved in investigating what appeared to be a Republican scandal involving Herbert Hoover by a Democratic -controlled committee, the hearings raised serious questions regarding its legality and ethics. Black announced that he had found evidence of "fraud and collusion" between the Hoover Administration and the airlines and held public hearings in January 1934, although these allegations were later found to be without basis. Near
16724-741: The old contracts from obtaining new ones. The new rules were put into effect in March before formal passage of the bill with the announcement that temporary contracts for up to a year would be awarded by Farley. The industry's response, with the tacit consent of the government, was simply to reorganize and change names; for example, Northwest Airways became Northwest Airlines and Eastern Air Transport became Eastern Air Lines. The vertically integrated United Aircraft and Transport Corporation (UATC) appeared to be its particular target and broke up on September 26, 1934, into three companies: United Air Lines Transportation Company , United Aircraft Manufacturing Company , and Boeing Aircraft Company . Ironically, of
16872-461: The only gap in UATC's cross-country network of airlines, had been amicable until three weeks before its finalization, when Keys reversed his initial approval. Ironically Brown was angered by the negotiations, worried that the specter of a potential monopoly would endanger the imminent passage of the Air Mail Act. The merger swiftly created the first transcontinental airline. On May 19, three weeks after
17020-613: The passage of McNary-Watres, at the first of the "Spoils Conferences", Brown invoked his authority under the third provision to consolidate the air mail routes to only three major companies independently competing with each other, with the goal of forcing the plethora of small, inefficient carriers to merge with the larger. Further meetings between the larger carriers, presided over by Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Aeronautics William P. MacCracken Jr., continued into June that often developed into harsh wrangling over route distribution proposals and consequent animosity towards Brown. After what
17168-405: The penetrating bunker-buster GBU-28 . Eighteen F-111Es were also deployed during the operation. The US Air Force credited F-111s with destroying more than 1,500 Iraqi tanks and armored vehicles. Their use in the anti-armor role was dubbed " tank plinking ". Expensive to operate—Crandall said that the aircraft "was nine percent of Tactical Air Command's fleet but ate up a whopping 25 percent of
17316-454: The program were enacted throughout 1965; this was chiefly in response to a steep climb in unit costs from $ 4.5 million to $ 6 million. The cause of the cost rises has been attributed, at least partially, to a directive issued to General Dynamics to incorporate improved avionics as well as to work on strategic bomber and aerial reconnaissance variants of the aircraft, the latter of which was eventually cancelled. During April 1965, General Dynamics
17464-528: The proposals lacking, but Boeing and General Dynamics were selected to submit enhanced designs. Boeing's proposal was recommended by the selection board in January 1962, with the exception of the engine, which was not considered acceptable. Switching to a crew escape capsule, instead of ejection seats and alterations to radar and missile storage were also needed. Both companies provided updated proposals in April 1962. USAF reviewers favored Boeing's offering, while
17612-400: The pylons. Auxiliary fuel drop tanks with 600 US gallons (2,300 litres) capacity each could be fitted. The design of the F-111's fuselage prevented the carriage of external weapons under the fuselage, but two stations were available on the underside for electronic countermeasures (ECM) pods and/or datalink pods; one station was on the weapons bay, and the other on the rear fuselage between
17760-423: The remaining fleet of F-111As revealed 42 aircraft with the same potential failures. It is speculated that this failure could also have contributed to the two earlier losses had the failure caused a pitch down while at low altitude. It was not until 1971 that 474 TFW was fully operational. The word "aardvark" is Afrikaans for "earthpig" and reflects the look of the long nose of the aircraft that might remind one of
17908-556: The requested aircraft that would become the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy and the Boeing 747 were some of the financially riskier episodes. Pratt & Whitney ended up building the engines for the 747, producing the Pratt & Whitney JT9D , but the program was rocky. For several years Boeing and Pratt & Whitney struggled with an aircraft that was too heavy and underpowered. Eventually, after a lot of continued development work,
18056-410: The restrictions in their areas. On March 8 and 9, 1934, four more pilots died in crashes, totaling ten fatalities in less than one million miles of flying the mail. (Meanwhile, the crash of an American Airlines airliner on March 9, also killing four, went virtually unnoticed in the press.) Rickenbacker was quoted as calling the program "legalized murder", which became a catchphrase for criticism of
18204-654: The same conventional ordnance as the tactical variants, but their wing pylons were more commonly used for either fuel tanks or strategic nuclear gravity bombs. They could carry up to four AGM-69 SRAM nuclear missiles on the pylons. The F-111 was the first production variable-geometry wing aircraft. Several other types have followed with similar swing-wing configuration, including the Soviet Sukhoi Su-17 "Fitter" (1965), Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 "Flogger" (1967), Tupolev Tu-22M "Backfire" (1969), Sukhoi Su-24 "Fencer" (1970) and Tupolev Tu-160 "Blackjack" (1981);
18352-623: The scandal was American, owned by Roosevelt campaign contributor "E. L." Cord , who before he acquired American was owner of a small independent carrier and had not attended the spoils conference. American was United's competitor in Dallas, trying to obtain its Chicago-to-Dallas CAM 3 route, and not only retained its contracts but gained a parallel Chicago-to-New York route, a second route from Chicago-to-Dallas with different intermediate stops, and had its southern transcontinental route shortened to reduce its operating costs. The most punitive measure
18500-443: The service and began training. On February 16, three pilots on familiarization flights were killed in crashes attributed to bad weather. This presaged some of the worst and most persistent late winter weather in history. Further attention was drawn to the startup when the airlines delivered a "parting shot" in the form of a publicity stunt to remind the public of its efficiency in mail service. World War I legend Eddie Rickenbacker ,
18648-524: The smaller and inefficient carriers, and to encourage the carrying of passengers. Airlines using larger planes designed to carry passengers would increase their revenues by carrying more passengers and less mail. Awards would be made to the “lowest responsible bidder” that had owned an airline operated on a daily schedule of at least 250 miles (402 kilometers) for at least six months. A second provision allowed any airmail carrier with an existing contract of at least two years standing to exchange its contract for
18796-549: The southern route to the West Coast . He awarded bonuses for carrying more passengers and purchasing multi-engined aircraft equipped with radios and navigation aids. By the end of 1932, the airline industry was the one sector of the economy experiencing steady growth and profitability, described by one historian as "Depression-proof." Passenger miles, the numbers of passengers, and new airline employees had all tripled over 1929. Airmail itself, despite its image to many Americans as
18944-445: The story full-time. Lewis' investigation began to develop into an air mail contract scandal. Lewis was having difficulty impressing his findings on government officials until he approached Alabama Senator Hugo Black . Black was the chairman of a special committee established to investigate ocean mail contracts awarded by the federal government to the merchant marine. Interstate Commerce Commission investigators seized records from all
19092-409: The value of wartime production contracts. At the close of the war, jet engines and helicopters were both big new things whose coming growth many companies hoped to get in on. United Aircraft entered both industries, via Pratt & Whitney and Sikorsky, respectively. Pratt & Whitney feared the head start that Rolls-Royce and General Electric would have in jets, based on their jet programs during
19240-557: The war and the late 1940s. But its jet team, led by Leonard S. Hobbs , successfully developed the Pratt & Whitney J57 , which, being the most powerful jet engine on the market for some years, brought Pratt & Whitney profitability in the jet field. Vought was spun off as an independent business in 1954. Rentschler died two years later. The 1960s brought new challenges, from more complex technology and bigger, more expensive aircraft to more mature markets with stiffer competition from GE, Rolls-Royce, and SNECMA . The competitions for
19388-430: The world as governments foresaw possible war on the horizon. United Aircraft sold to both the United States Army and the United States Navy , but the Navy's requirements for carrier-based aircraft , with maximized power-to-weight ratios for minimized takeoff runway length, were always more in tune with the specialties of United's subsidiaries (Pratt & Whitney, Chance Vought, and Sikorsky). United Aircraft became
19536-419: Was NASA's simplification which made the variable geometry wings practical. By 1960, increases in aircraft weights required improved high-lift devices , such as variable geometry wings. Variable geometry offered high speeds, and maneuverability with heavier payloads , long range, and the ability to take off and land in shorter distances. The USAF and Navy were both seeking new aircraft when Robert McNamara
19684-515: Was also included in the specification. In the 1950s, the United States Navy sought a long-range, high-endurance interceptor aircraft to protect its carrier battle groups against long-range anti-ship missiles launched from Soviet jet bombers and submarines. The Navy needed a fleet air defense (FAD) fighter with a more powerful radar, and longer range missiles than the F-4 Phantom II to intercept both enemy bombers and missiles. Seeking
19832-403: Was an all-moving stabilator . The F-111 used a three-point landing gear arrangement, with a two-wheel nose gear and two single-wheel main landing gear units. The landing gear door for the main gear, which was positioned in the center of the fuselage, also served as a speed brake in flight. Most F-111 variants included a terrain-following radar system connected to the autopilot. The aircraft
19980-501: Was an exercise in how to attempt to meet limitless demand for production (as well as for R&D ). The U.S. government encouraged corporations to build up their physical plant, but the corporations knew that there would be a postwar glut of overcapacity if they did so. In many cases a compromise was reached in which the government paid partially or fully for the expansions in the form of tax breaks and accelerated depreciation. United Aircraft ranked sixth among United States corporations in
20128-404: Was an upgraded F-111A equipped with newer Mark II avionics, more powerful engines, improved intake geometry, and an early glass cockpit . It was first ordered in 1967 and delivered from 1970–73 after delays due to avionics issues. The F-111D reached initial operational capability in 1972; the sole operator was the 27th TFW stationed at Cannon AFB , New Mexico. 96 were built. The F-111D used
20276-433: Was appointed secretary of defense in January 1961. The aircraft sought by the two armed services shared the need to carry heavy armament and fuel loads, feature high supersonic speed, twin engines and two seats, and probably use variable geometry wings. On 14 February 1961, McNamara formally directed the services to study the development of a single aircraft that would satisfy both requirements. Early studies indicated that
20424-582: Was authorized to produce 431 F-111s, less than half the number of aircraft which had originally been forecast. On 10 May 1967, a new multi-year FPIP contract replaced the prior procurement process, increasing the total aircraft on order to 493 F-111s of multiple models, including 23 F-111Bs intended for the US Navy, 24 F-111Cs for the Royal Australian Air Force , and 50 F-111Ks intended for the Royal Air Force . Early flights of
20572-486: Was compelled to leave his position as National Air Transport's general manager because he had attended the "spoils conferences," this despite offering damaging testimony against Brown to the Black Committee. The effect of the entire scandal was to guarantee that mail-carrying contracts remained unprofitable, and pushed the entire industry towards carrying passengers, which had been Brown's original goal as incentive for developing new technologies, increasing safety, and growth of
20720-460: Was described as a " shotgun marriage " between Transcontinental Air Transport and Western Air Express in July to achieve the second of the three companies (UATC was the first), competitive bids were solicited by the Post Office on August 2, 1930, and opened August 25. A surprise competitive bidding struggle ensued between UATC, through a quickly formed skeleton company it called "United Aviation," and
20868-541: Was dubbed "Hell's Stretch" by airmail pilots. In the Western Zone, Arnold established his headquarters in Salt Lake City . In the winter of 1932–1933, he and many of his pilots had gained winter flying experience flying food-drop missions to aid Indian reservation settlements throughout the American Southwest isolated by blizzards. As a result of this experience and direct supervision, Arnold's zone
21016-473: Was lost over Libya and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea, probably shot down. F-111s participated in the Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm) in 1991. During Desert Storm, F-111Fs completed 3.2 successful strike missions for every unsuccessful one, better than any other U.S. strike aircraft used in the operation. The group of 66 F-111Fs dropped almost 80% of the war's laser-guided bombs, including
21164-474: Was part of an escape crew capsule . The wing sweep varied between 16 degrees and 72.5 degrees (full forward to full sweep). The wing included leading edge slats and double slotted flaps over its full length. The airframe was made up mostly of aluminum alloys with steel, titanium and other materials used in places. The fuselage was made of a semi- monocoque structure with stiffened panels and honeycomb structure panels for skin. The horizontal stabilizer
21312-498: Was powered by two Pratt & Whitney TF30 afterburning turbofan engines. The F-111's variable-geometry wings, escape capsule, terrain following radar and afterburning turbofans were new technologies for production aircraft. The F-111 featured an internal weapons bay that could carry bombs, a removable 20 mm M61 cannon or auxiliary fuel tanks. For bombs, the bay could hold two 750 lb (340 kg) M117 conventional bombs, one nuclear bomb or practice bombs. The F-111B for
21460-403: Was repeatedly postponed before being cancelled, having been deemed to be unnecessary. During 1968, the F-111B was canceled by the Navy on account of weight and performance issues together with revised tactical requirements. Australia would procure its own model, the F-111C. Subsequently, the improved F-111E, F-111D, and F-111F models were developed for the USAF. The strategic bomber FB-111A and
21608-521: Was the only one in which a pilot was not killed. The Western Zone's first flights were made using 18 Boeing P-12 fighters, but these could carry a maximum of only 50 pounds of mail each, and even that amount made them tail-heavy. After one week they were replaced by Douglas O-38 variants including the Douglas O-35 and its bomber version, the B-7, and Douglas O-25C observation biplanes borrowed from
21756-445: Was to ban all former airline executives alleged to have colluded from further contracts or working for airlines that obtained one. United Airlines ' president, Philip G. Johnson , chose to leave the United States and helped to form Trans-Canada Airlines . At the age of 52 William Boeing took early retirement as UATC's chairman of the board on September 18 rather than ever deal again with the federal government. Colonel Paul Henderson
21904-400: Was to be at a speed of no less than Mach 1.2. Furthermore, the specification also called for the aircraft to possess short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities to permit operations from short, unprepared airstrips that had a length of no more than 3,000 feet. An internal payload of 1,000lb was to be carried in the primary mission role. A variant suitable for aerial reconnaissance flights
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