General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark was a moderately successful swing-wing American strike aircraft from the 60s. One of the ideas behind its development was to produce an ultimate multirole aircraft that could fill almost every role the US military could find.

Hence the fighter variant, the F-111B. It had to replace the F-4 Phantom in Navy’s service and become a carrier-borne air defense and strike platform. Incredibly large, heavy and sluggish it would have relied on its speed and BVR capabilities in combat, and by the late 60s, it became apparent that that is not the way to go.

The Navy canceled the development and opted for the much more nimble Grumman F-14 Tomcat, thus giving birth to the fourth generation of fighter jets. History proved them right, as maneuverability became the key in future battles. So, while the F-111B was not as much of a failure to constitute a real entry, it deserves some recognition, as it would be interesting to see an alternative reality where the F-111B got into mass production, and the evolution of fighter jets continued in the same direction – getting bigger and faster.

You are right against a Mig-21 dogfight, there was not going to be too much to do.

This time, they made the right decision