Page 89 - History of War - Issue 30-16
P. 89
GENERAL DYNAMICS F-111 AARDVARK
The F-111 had a crew of two, consisting
of a pilot and weapons systems ofi cer
Right: The F-111’s cockpit acted as a
detachable escape module in emergencies
and removed the need for ejector seats
Far right: Once the cockpit was separated
from the aircraft parachutes were deployed
and the module landed on airbags
COCKPIT F-111s were best utilised as night i ghters. Here,
a US major runs through a cockpit check before
Two crew members sat side-by-side in an taking the aircraft on a night test l ight in 1990
air-conditioned, pressurised cockpit that also
served as an innovative emergency escape
vehicle. It could act as a survival shelter on land
or water. In emergencies, an explosive cutting
cord separated the cockpit module from the
aircraft, which then descended by parachute.
Airbags then cushioned the impact and helped
the module to stay aloat on water. The cockpit
could be released at any speed or altitude and
even underwater. For underwater escapes, the
airbags raised the module to the surface after it
had been severed from the plane.
“THE COCKPIT COULD BE
RELEASED AT ANY SPEED
OR ALTITUDE AND EVEN
UNDERWATER”
89
