The FB-111A had the ability
to carry a variety of stores either in the enclosed weapons
bay or at external stations along the wings. The weapons
suspension equipment utilized to attach and support the
various weapons and stores permitted a selection of weapon
arrangements and configurations. The weapons suspension
equipment provided the interface between the basic aircraft
and the stores it carried. This equipment consisted of
pylons and bomb racks. Eight external hard points were
provided for pylon attachment. These were numbered 1 through
8 from left to right looking forward. Stations 1,2,7 and 8
were used for fixed pylons while stations 3,4,5 and 6 were
used for pivot pylons. To increase its range, the aircraft
was able to carry 600-US gallon drop tanks on stations 2, 3,
4, 5, 6 and 7. These tanks were refueled through the
aircraft system. Control, selection, monitoring and release
of weapons/tanks were accomplished at the stores control
panel in the cockpit. Of the eight wing pylons, the four
innermost positions were designed to pivot as the wing sweep
varied. As a result, externally mounted stores at these
stations remained streamlined at all times. A system of
mechanical linkages ensured that the pylons always remained
parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft as the
wing seep changed. Two types of pylons were used: one to
carry weapons and one to carry fuse tanks. The weapon pylons
accommodated the ejector racks which suspended the stores
from the aircraft. Stores and pylons could be jettisoned
from these stations. The outermost wing pylon stations were
fixed with respect to the wing, therefore stores were
streamlined only for a wing sweep angle of 26 degrees. A
wing sweep handle lockout control prevented unintentionally
sweeping the wings past 26 degrees.
The weapons bay, containing
two lateral, symmetrically located stores stations, was
situated in the intermediate fuselage section between the
nose gear and main landing gear wheel wells. Weapon
suspension was provided by universal MAU-12B/A bomb racks.
SRAM suspension was provided by AGM-69A ejector racks. The
BRU-3A/A multiple ejector rack mated to the MAU-12B/A bomb
rack at all pylon stations and provided carriage, individual
launch and jettison capability for a maximum of six stores
of the same configuration
The principal armament of
the FB-111A was the AGM-69A SRAM, carried in the internal
weapon bay and also on stations 3, 4, 5 and 6. Six gravity
nuclear weapons such as the B83 and B61 could be carried in
the weapon bay and on stations 3, 4, 5 and 6. For a more
conventional role, the FB-111A carried up to 24 M-117 on
stations 3, 4, 5, and 6 (6 bombs each). As an alternative,
CBU-52B/B were carried on the same stations and the aircraft
could be armed with AIM-7L "Sidewinder" on stations 4 and
5.
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View a FB-111A from the
509th BMW displaying its armament at Pease AFB,
NH. (DVIC)
This view shows FB-111A
69-6510 of the 509th Bomb Wing and some of the ordnance that
it may carry. On its wing pylons are 20 BDU-50 500-pound
practice bombs. In the front row are, from left: an M-117D
750-pound high-drag bomb, 12 Mark 106 5-pound practice
bombs, six Mark 82 500-pound high-drag bombs, 12 more Mark
106 practice bombs and a CBU-85 cluster bomb. In the second
row are, from left: B-83 and B-61 nuclear bomb trainers, two
AGM-69A SRAM missiles and one more each of the B-61 and B-83
nuclear bomb trainers.
View a FB-111A from the
509th BMW dropping bombs off the coast of New
England. (DVIC)
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