F111's end up as landfill.

[Deni G]

Story from couriermail.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/ipswich/raaf-base-amberley-f-111-fighter-jets-end-up-on-swanbank-landfill-site-near-ipswich/story-fn8m0yo2-1226204896564

[Shayne G]

That is a sad sight, but as we know it is not possible to keep all the frames and the US decides how we can dispose of them.

Atleast some are preserved and these ones are not completely scrapped.

[Jaryd stock]

Aren't these the G-models that are being buried ?, if that's the case then one of the conditions was when the RAAF bought them for replenishment of F-111 stocks the US Goverment stated that they were to be destroyed after retirement due to the fact that they are nuke-capable, or can carry nuke armaments. The Boneyard Wrangler is a G-model and the only one saved and down in Point Cook from memory, Look I could be wrong and it sad to see such an iconic aircraft and well loved aircraft end up this way.

As always in about twenty years the powers that be wished there was a flying example of this aircraft still remaining and realize it will cost to much to dig one up and repair to airworthiness, of course this only my view and I'm sure people will have other views, but why can't we save at least one airframe and keep it airworthy no matter what attack aircraft it is (understand if larger aircraft can not be maintained), and keep it in the air least there's alot of spare parts going around.....

[Shayne G]

The G models were retired a few years ago, seems a bit late to bury them?

Speaking of airworthy frames, are any of the preserved frames airworthy?

[Bob C]

I don't think any of the surviving airframes are airworthy as the engines have been removed and will be destroyed together with all the spare parts.

At least 13 airframes have been saved for display - 6 at RAAF bases and 7 at private museums around the country.

This represents nearly one third of all the F111s operated by the RAAF so is a very high survival rate.

Jarryd you are correct about the Gs being nuclear capable (previously FB111As in USAF service) and they were required to be destroyed at the end of the F111's RAAF service under the terms of the purchase agreement.

[Jaryd stock]

The G's were stored at Amberly for a long time after they were retired.... I think the RAAF were trying to preserve the C-model's as much as they can. I don't think there's any that are still airworthy.

[Timothy A]

F-111: Deadly Strike-Fighter to be Trashed (http://www.ausairpower.net/APA-NOTAM-041010-1.html)

Current Defence planning will see the RAAF F-111 fleet ground up into scrap metal in coming months, or sold off as museum display pieces.

The F-22/Evolved F-111 Proposal would result in an air dominant air combat capability for Australia that would cost somewhat less than the Department's current plans to buy 100 F-35A JSF aircraft and less than half what the Department's overall plans for the Bridging Air Combat Capability (BACC) and New Air Combat Capability (NACC) projects will cost, if implemented.

Recent cost estimates by experts in Australian Industry and Academia show that the RAAF F/RF-111C and F-111G aircraft, along with associated spares, support equipment and Type Data (the information required for the operation, maintenance and support of the aircraft type) could be placed in effective preservation storage for over 5 years, in purpose built facilities, for around 10 percent of the current price of one (Qty 1) F-35A JSF CTOL aircraft.

That’s around 0.1 percent of the currently estimated budget of the Department’s plans to purchase JSF aircraft.

Given the extreme levels of risk associated with the current air combat capability plans of the Australia Department of Defence, many of which have or are in the process of materialising, placing the F-111 fleet into recoverable storage would be prudent risk planning and provide an appropriate risk hedge against what many experts in the Defence community and Industry now regard to be the bureaucratically driven aerospace industry equivalent of the Ponzi Schemes that led to the Global Financial Crisis.

[Jaryd stock]

Reading that article reminded me of defence project that went horribly wrong regarding a certain helicopter that could not handle the software that was being installed in it. There is no way this F-22/ Evolved F-111 option would work. Regarding the PIG, the airframes were getting to old structural fatigue, availability when called upon and other issues meant the time was right for them to go, although I wish they didn't.

It's interesting that in another article on that particular web-site stated that legacy airframes for the USAF such as the F-16,15/ A-10 and so on were now to old for modern day Russian Jets/ missiles/ and radars, they were developed early 70's. The F-111 was developed from 1960 when a requirement was issued from SAC to replace the F-105 Thundercheif as a nuke capable aircraft. The F-105 took up too much runway when operating with a particular ordnance.

So it's a 60's aircraft and if the 70's aircraft are to old for modern day defence's then a 60's era aircraft is to old....and don't get me started on the F-22 for the RAAF....

[Jack Melon]

Oh well, all good things have to come to an end. Glad i got to see them at the Williamtown Airshow last September :)

[Jon B]

10 years or so ago we unloaded a F111 that had been imported from US for DSTO in Melbourne. I found it ironic that it arrived on a Russian cargo ship!