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Military Aircraft F/A-18A HORNET Photo By D. R. |
| After its Yf-17 had lost to General Dynamics YF-16 in the US Air Force's light weight fighter competition, Northrop team with McDonnell Douglas to produce a considerably revised aircraft designed to meet an ambitious naval requirement. This envisaged a single type to replace the McDonnell Douglas F-4 and Vought A-7 in the multi role fighter and attack role respectively. The first example flew in November 1978 and was considerably different from the YF-17 in size, configuration and most importantly of all, the very advanced electronics providing capability in two apparently conflicting roles merely by software alterations. With McDonnell Douglas as prime contractor, deliveries began in 1980 for service from 1983 after a protracted development phase. deliveries for the US Navy and Marine Corps totaled 410 including double seat aircraft. |
TECHNICAL DATA
| Description | Specifications |
| Manufacturer: | Length: 56 ft. 0 in. |
| First Flight: One. | Height: 15 ft. 3.5 in. |
| Model: | Wing Span: 37 ft. 6 in. |
| Crew: | Wing Area: 400.0 sq. ft. |
| Nickname: Carrier borne and land based fighter and attack aircraft. | Empty Weight: 23,050 lb. |
| Basic Role: | Max. Weight: 49,224 lb. |
| Other Versions: F/A-18A initial dual role fighter. F/A-18B Two seat conversion and continuation training with full combat capability. AF-18A & ATF-18A land based single and two seat models for Australia. CF-18A & CF-18B land based single and two seat models for Canada. EF-18A & EF-18B land based single and two seat models for Spain. | Armament: One 20-mm multi barrel cannon and up to 17,000 lb. of disposable stores. |
| Principal User: Australia, Canada, Spain, and USA. |
Propulsion |
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Performance |
Power Plant: General Electric F404-GE-400 turbofans. |
| Range: Radius 662 miles on a typical attack mission. | Horsepower: 16,000-lb reheated thrust . |
| Max. Speed: 1,188 mph. or Mach 1.8+ at 40,000 ft. | No. Of Engines: Two |
| Ceiling: 50,000 ft. | |
| Climb Rate: 45,000 ft. per min. |
Photo Of Other F-18 Hornet's
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An almost invariable feature of any photo reconnaissance warplane is nose stuffed with cameras, and the F/A-18(RC) was no exception. |
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In Spanish air force service the F/A-18B is known as the EF-18B |
