Perhaps F-111 Aardvark is most famous two crew cockpit module that designed with escape capsule for emergency situations. The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" was a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also filled the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions. First designed the early 1960s by General Dynamics, F-111 Aardvark, although it has a weird name, Aardvark is a widely used strategic bombers in the past.
Primarily a bomber, the F-111 featured a sweep wing varying between 16 degrees and 72.5 degrees, with side-by-side seating for a pilot and weapons systems officer. The F-111's wings are straight for take-offs, landings or slow speed flight; by sweeping its wings rearward, it could exceed twice the speed of sound (Mach 2).
The F-111 used a three-point landing gear arrangement with a two-wheel nose gear and two single-wheel main landing gear. The landing gear door for the main gear was positioned in the center of the fuselage and also served as a speed brake in flight. Most F-111 variants included a terrain-following radar system connected to the autopilot. The aircraft 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 can 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 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 a forward looking infrared (FLIR) sensor, optical camera and laser rangefinder/designator. The Pack 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 reconnaissance use.
Specifications:
Crew: 2 (pilot and weapons system operator)
Length: 73 ft 6 in (22.4 m)
Wingspan: Spread: 63 ft (19.2 m), swept: 32 ft (9.75 m)
Height: 17.13 ft (5.22 m)
Wing area: Spread: 657.4 ft² (61.07 m²), Swept: 525 ft² (48.77 m²)
Airfoil: NACA 64-210.68 root, NACA 64-209.80 tip
Empty weight: 47,200 lb (21,400 kg)
Loaded weight: 82,800 lb (37,600 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 100,000 lb (45,300 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-100 turbofans, Dry thrust: 17,900 lbf (79.6 kN) each, Thrust with afterburner: 25,100 lbf (112 kN) each
Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0186
Drag area: 9.36 ft² (0.87 m²)
Aspect ratio: spread: 7.56, swept: 1.95
Maximum speed: Mach 2.5 (1,650 mph, 2,655 km/h) at altitude
Combat radius: 1,330 mi (1,160 nmi, 2,140 km)
Ferry range: 4,200 mi (3,700 nmi, 6,760 km)
Service ceiling: 66,000 ft (20,100 m)
Rate of climb: 25,890 ft/min (131.5 m/s)
Wing loading: Spread: 126.0 lb/ft² (615.2 kg/m²), Swept: 158 lb/ft² (771 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 0.61
Lift-to-drag ratio: 15.8
Guns: 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M61 Vulcan 6-barreled gatling cannon in weapons bay (seldom fitted)
Bombs: Mk 82 (500 lb/227 kg), Mk 83 (1,000 lb/454 kg), Mk 84 (2,000 lb/907 kg), Mk 117 (750 lb/340 kg), BLU-109 (2,000 lb/907 kg) hardened penetration bomb, Paveway laser-guided bombs, including 2,000 lb (907 kg) GBU-10, 500 lb (227 kg) GBU-12 and GBU-28, specialized 4,800 lb (2,200 kg) penetration bomb, BLU-107 Durandal runway-cratering bomb, GBU-15 electro-optical bomb, AGM-130 stand-off bomb
