F-111

S10 E3: The fighter-bomber F-111 began as a bust in Vietnam but evolved into one of the meanest, roughest, and toughest aircraft in the Middle East and beyond. In this episode we examine the largest and heaviest fighter in the U.S. inventory, from the design that earned it the name "The Aardvark" to the last-ditch overhaul that saved it from the scrapheap. Firsthand pilot tales of air combat missions and rare war footage show how the F-111 rose from the ashes to become a vital cog in the U.S. military machine for decades.