McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet
Data A,B,C,D,E, and F variants
Photo from USN Homepage
The history of the F/A-18 Hornet dates back to the USAF lightweight fighter competition in the early 1970's. The General Dynamics YF-16 and Northrop YF-17 were the contenders. Needless to say, the F-16 won and entered full scale military service. The YF-17, however, was far from dead. A navalized version of the YF-17 Cobra was submitted to the USN in 1974 and the navy ordered it as the new multi-mission attack fighter. The decision to have McDonnell Douglas build the F/A-18 (as it is now known) was made because of McDonnell Douglas' extensive experience with naval aviation, nonetheless, Northrop remained the principal subcontractor. There were initial criticisms of the Hornet because it had structural problems and the navy was not entirely happy with it. But, the marines found it markedly superior to their A-7E Corsair II. The F/A-18's dual capability provides a supplement to the navy's aging F-14's in the fleet defence and escort roles. The F/A-18 also provides greater mission survivability through better maneuverability and weapons diversification. The F/A-18 has been sold to Canada, Australia, and Spain and now provides those countries with a front line interceptor and strike aircraft. In the US the original F/A-18A's & B's were block upgraded to C/D configuration in 1987. The next generation of Hornet is the F/A-18E/F which will provide greatly improved performance over the C/D models. The F/A-18 has already proved itself as one of the world's foremost dog fighters which can be quickly turned into an effective strike fighter.
Specifications
(Data for F/A-18A & B)
Origin: McDonnell Douglas Corporation
Type: Fighter-Bomber
Crew: (A) 1 (B) 2
Powerplant: Two GE F404-400 afterburning turbofans each delivering 7 290 kg (16 038 lbs) thrust
Dimensions
Span: 12.31 m (40' 5")
Height: 4.66m (15' 4")
Length: 17.07 m (56')
Weight: 22 317 kg (49 200 lbs)
Performance
Maximum Speed: Mach 1.8 (1 915 kph) (1 188 mph)
Cruising Speed:
Climb Rate:
Ferry Range: 3 704 km (2 000 nm)
Service Ceiling: 15 240 m (50 000 feet)
Armament
1x 20mm MK-61A1 Vulcan cannon & AIM-9 Sidewinder & AIM-7 Sparrow AAMs and various air to ground weapons
First Flight: November 18, 1978
User(s): US, Canada (CF-18A & B), Spain, Australia
Production:
Specifications
(Data for F/A-18C & D)
Origin: McDonnell Douglas Corporation
Type: Multirole Attack and Fighter
Crew: (C) Pilot (D) 2
Powerplant: Two F404-GE-402 enhanced performance turbofan engines each delivering 8 027 kg (17 700 lbs) of thrust
Dimensions
Span: 13.68 m (44.9 feet)
Height: 4.87 m (16 feet)
Length: 18.5 m (60.3 feet)
Weight: 29 932 kg (66 000 lbs)
Performance
Maximum Speed: Mach 1.7+
Cruising Speed:
Climb Rate:
Range: In the fighter role: 2 537 km (1 585.9 miles); In the attack role: 2 453 km (1 532.9 miles)
Service Ceiling: 15 000+ m (50 000+ feet)
Armament
1x 20mm MK-61A1 Vulcan cannon & AIM-9 Sidewinder & AIM-7 Sparrow & AIM-120 AMRAAM air to air missiles
Harpoon, Harm, Shrike, SLAM, SLAM-ER, Walleye, Maverick air to ground missiles
Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW), Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), various general purpose
bombs, mines and rockets
First Flight: Result of block upgrade in 1987 from A & B models
User(s): US Navy, US Marine Corps
Production:
Specifications
(Data for F/A-18E & F)
Origin: McDonnell Douglas Corporation
Type: Multirole Attack and Fighter
Crew: (E) 1 (F) 2
Powerplant: Two F414-GE-400 afterburning turbofans each delivering 9 977 kg (22 000 lbs) of thrust
Dimensions
Span: 13.68 m (44.9 feet)
Height: 4.87 m (16 feet)
Length: 18.5 m (60.3 feet)
Weight: 29 932 kg (66 000 lbs)
Performance
Maximum Speed: Mach 1.8+
Cruising Speed:
Climb Rate:
Range:
Service Ceiling: 15 000+ m (50 000+ feet)
Armament
1x 20mm MK-61A1 Vulcan cannon & AIM-9 Sidewinder & AIM-7 Sparrow or AIM-120 AMRAAM air to air missiles
Harpoon, Harm, Shrike, SLAM, SLAM-ER, Walleye, Maverick air to ground missiles
Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW), Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), various general purpose
bombs, mines and rockets
First Flight: December 1995
User(s): US Navy
Production:
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