Marbles

[Nords]

Originally Posted by Rustic23

F-111.

Wasn't that the combined Air Force/Navy project that eventually became known as "Thud" and "Widowmaker"?

IIRC the Navy bailed when no one wanted to share the design costs of the tailhook...

[REWahoo]

The F-111 had no official nickname but was commonly referred to as the "Aardvark", "Switchblade Edsel", "Ramp Vac", and "McNamara's Folly".

The "Thud" was the F-105 Thunderchief.

[Martha]

Originally Posted by FinanceDude

I'll ask my dad if he knows him. Dad is 77, and is a ham radio guy for 55 years.........

My dad got into ham radio in the 1930s when he was in the TB sanitarium. W0BJY.

[Nords]

Originally Posted by REWahoo

The F-111 had no official nickname but was commonly referred to as the "Aardvark", "Switchblade Edsel", "Ramp Vac", and "McNamara's Folly".
The "Thud" was the F-105 Thunderchief.

Eh, I thought I was mixing them up...

I get the "McNamara" nickname. But "Switchblade Edsel"?!?

[REWahoo]

Originally Posted by Nords

But "Switchblade Edsel"?!?

The F-111 was the first swing-wing aircraft in the US inventory, and the design was supposed to be used by the AF, Navy and Marines. The thinking (McNamara being an MBA) was to save money by building a single aircraft to fill multiple roles. Of course each service wanted different features resulting in a design with lots of compromises. Only the AF bought the plane, the Navy and Marines were much smarter in those days.

McNamara was with Ford before becoming SECDEF, thus the connection to the failed Edsel name. Truth is, McNamara fought the development of the Edsel and tried to kill it before it became a spectacular failure. He failed, and so did the Edsel - spectacularly.

[Nords]

Originally Posted by REWahoo

The F-111 was the first swing-wing aircraft in the US inventory, and the design was supposed to be used by the AF, Navy and Marines.

Hunh, nearly 30 years ago I was taught that the F-14 was the first swing-wing combat aircraft, but I can see there've been a few holes in my parochial education.

I don't know if the AF has gone the same way as the Navy, but today's carrier aircraft are nowhere near as capable as their 1970s predecessors (range, speed, payload). However they're a lot more reliable and much easier to maintain, and the theory is that carrying fewer smart bombs is better than lugging heavy dumb ones. All we sacrificed was endurance and the ability to absorb battle damage.

But an older shipmate still bemoans replacing the F-4's heavy-duty airframe with lighter alloys, and I'm sure that someone out there is still pissed off that propellers have been replaced by jets...

[FinanceDude]

My dad is a big fan of the F-86 Sabre jet. I am trying to think of the propeller driven trainer they used, maybe an old T-6?

I know the pilots didn't get into the F-86 for training until they were well along in their training. My dad has some doozy stories about his time in the Air Force.............

[Rustic23]

The F-111 was the first swing wing. It was McNamara's idea to have one fighter bomber for both the AF and Navy. There were some interesting stories about it development circulating around the squadron.

1. The AF wanted a tandem cockpit, Navy wanted side by side.
2. AF was interested more in the fighter mode, Navy insisted it due both. (room on ship)
3. Both wanted a lighter AC, however Navy kept adding to weight so 'AC could operate of carrier'

Then the aircraft finely got too heavy to operate off the carriers elevators and the Navy canceled and contracted for the F-14. A lighter, Tandem cockpit, single mission AC.

I am sure there are some F-14 drivers out there that have similar stories with a different slant. However, historically, the Navy will not take an AF aircraft, yet the Air Force will fly anything that gets the job done. i.e F-4, A-7

[ikubak]

Originally Posted by Rustic23

He should have retired at 50 and bought another 9,100 marbles. Then everyday would be Saturday!

I was thinking the same thing. Once you are retired, you don't care what the name of the day is (saturday, monday, thursday), you have the day off every day. In fact, I would guess that you enjoy the weekdays more because the nonretired folks are at work and not mowing yards and blowing leaves.