40th Anniversary of F-111C First Acceptance FlightPrint Page

The plaque commemorates the 40th anniversary of the first acceptance flight of a Royal Australian Air Force (R.A.A.F.) F-111C.

A8-126 was the first F-111C aeroplance to be accepted and flown by a R.A.A.F. crew.

The first test flight in Fort Worth, Texas in 1968 highlighted a major structural test failure of the wing carry through box. The fleet was grounded until 6 April 1973 when A8-126 was formally accepted for a second time. The aircraft landed at RAAF Amberley on 1 June 1973. A8-126 was the first F-111C aircraft to be converted to Reconnaissance configuration.

In addition to participating in numerous exercises, Air Shows and flying displays, A8-126 participated in the spectacular flying display at the F-111 retirement ceremony in 2010 at RAAF Amberley and during its last flight performed a solo display and the last ever dump and burn of the F-111.

The Australian Government ordered 24 F-111Cs to equip the Royal Australian Air Force in 1963, but the aircraft were not delivered until 1973 because of long-running technical problems.

Although they were never used in combat, the F-111Cs gave the R.A.A.F. a powerful strike capability. The aircraft went through modernisation programs in the 1980s and 1990s and the R.A.A.F. acquired improved weapons to maintain their ability to penetrate hostile airspace. Despite this, by the 2000s the F-111Cs were becoming outdated and expensive to maintain, leading to a decision to retire them in 2010 rather than 2020 as originally planned.

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