Variable-sweep wings promised useful low-speed handling and high-speed performance, but imposed weight and mechanical complexity. The naval F-111B then compounded that problem by adapting an airframe conceived around Air Force requirements. Carrier aircraft must tolerate the abrupt loads of arrested landings, so meeting naval needs demanded much more than a modest alteration to a land-based design. The failed adaptation shows why preparing an aircraft for carrier service requires more than a superficial conversion.
Chapter · 5:30-8:36
Variable geometry and the F-111B problem
A concise explanation of swing-wing benefits leads into why adapting the Air Force's F-111 design for carrier service proved so difficult.