F/A-18 HORNET

Here is a LONG description of the Hornets history, use, armament and technical information

Early development. On January 13, 1975, Air Force Secretary John McLucas announced that the General Dynamics YF-16 had been selected as the winner of the ACF contest over the Northrop YF-17. The reasons given for this decision was the fact that the YF-16 was a little faster than the YF-17, and that its F100 engine was in use in other warplanes that were already in service. The F-16 went on to become successful beyond anyone's wildest imagination, and over 3500 have been built, with production still continuing.

It would appear, then, that the YF-17 would be consigned to oblivion, to be remembered today only as an obscure footnote in aviation history. The loss of the USAF ACF contact to the General Dynamics YF-16 might ordinarily have been the end of the line for the Northrop design, were it not for the US Navy's desire for a new fighter. All throughout the early 1970s, some US Navy officers had been expressing interest in a low-cost alternative to the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, which was at that time experiencing severe teething troubles and suffering from a series of cost overruns. This program came to be known as VFAX.

The VFAX was envisaged as a multi-role aircraft which would replace the F-4 Phantom, the A-4 Skyhawk, and the A-7 Corsair II in Navy and Marine Corps service. To meet the VFAX requirement, a stripped version of the Tomcat (named F-14X) had been proposed by Grumman, but had been summarily rejected by the Deputy Defense Secretary. In May 10, 1974 the House Armed Services Committee announced that it was not going to have anything to do with a stripped-down Tomcat either, and dictated that the VFAX would have to be a wholly new aircraft. Apparently having forgotten the sorry experience with the F-111, the Committee wanted the USAF and the Navy to purchase basically the same plane. However, the Navy (unlike the Air Force) wanted the VFAX to be capable of filling both air-to-air and ground-attack roles.

In August of 1974, Congress decided that the budget simply could not afford another major aircraft development project at that time and informed the Navy that the VFAX project would have to be canceled. However, Congress took money intended for VFAX and diverted it to a new program known as Navy Air Combat Fighter (NACF), and directed that the Navy take a close look at the USAF's LWF/ACF contenders as possible candidates for the NACF requirement. The Navy's NACF would be basically a navalized LWF/ACF. However, most Navy officers were still solidly committed to the F-14 and wanted nothing to do with either the VFAX or the NACF. Undeterred by the pro-Tomcat faction, in September of 1974 the Navy pressed forward with the NACF project and formal requirements were issued.

The Navy announced that it would select a single contractor to begin engineering development of the NACF. Northrop thought that they had a potential candidate for the NACF in the YF-17, since the Navy tended to prefer the added safety presumably offered by a twin-engine format and the design seemed to have greater potential for growth into a radar-equipped multirole aircraft. However, the Northrop company had no experience with carrier-based aircraft, so they accepted an offer from McDonnell Douglas to collaborate on a naval adaptation of the YF-17 for the NACF contest. Under the terms of the agreement worked out between the two corporations, McDonnell would market the aircraft to the Navy, and Northrop would be the prime subcontractor. Northrop was to be given the rights to market a land-based version of the design to various foreign air forces.

At the same time, since General Dynamics did not have any experience with carrier-based aircraft either, they announced that they would be teaming up with Ling-Temco-Vought (also located in Dallas/Fort Worth) to propose a NACF based on the YF-16. The navalized YF-16 was to have BVR radar, which was not part of the original planning for a USAF F-16. If both the Air Force and the Navy picked the YF-16, General Dynamics would be the prime contractor for the Air Force and LTV would be prime contractor for the Navy. However, in retrospect, since both of these contractors were located in the same state, there was little likelihood of receiving a contract.

On May 2, 1975, the Navy announced that they had opted for the Northrop/McDonnell Douglas proposal. The Navy liked the twin-engined format of the Northrop/McDonnell Douglas submission, which they felt would be better suited to operations at sea. In addition, the Navy felt that the YF-17 development possessed greater potentiality for multi-mission capability.

According to the original plan, the Northrop/McDonnell Douglas aircraft was intended to be procured in three closely related models --- the single-seat F-18 which would replace the F-4 Phantom in the fighter role, the single-seat A-18 which would replace the A-7 Corsair II in the attack role, and the two seat TF-18A combat trainer. The F-18 and the A-18 were to share the same basic airframe and engine arrangement, but were to differ in stores attachments and in the avionics. The two-seat TF-18A was to retain the full mission capability and armament suite of the F-18A, but was to have slightly reduced fuel capacity.

Eventually, however, careful redesign made it possible to merge the two single-seat fighter and attack versions into a single aircraft, which was initially referred to as F/A-18A in Defense Department press releases. This designation did not actually become official until 1984. This commonality was made possible primarily by careful redesign of the two stores pylons (stations 4 and 6) located on the lower corners of the air intakes. In the fighter role, these pylons would carry AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missiles, and when operating in the attack role they would carry a forward-looking infrared scanner on the left hand side and a laser spot tracker on the right hand side. The combat capable two-seat trainer was successively redesignated TF/A-18A and then F/A-18B.

Although no orders had yet been received, a land-based version known as the F-18L was also planned. Because it did not have to be carrier-capable, the F-18L was expected to be significantly lighter and better-performing than the carrier-based version.

The F-18 program went ahead with the award of letter contracts in November of 1975 to General Electric for the development of the F404 turbofans and on January 22, 1976 to McDonnell for nine single-seat and two two-seat Full-Scale Development (FSD) aircraft. First flight was to take place in July of 1978. As part of the agreement between McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, it was decided that fabrication of the baseline F-18 would be split roughly 60/40 between McDD and Northrop, respectively. In the event of orders being received for the F-18L land-based version, these proportions would be reversed. Northrop was to build the center and aft fuselage sections of the F-18 as well as both vertical fins. These major subassemblies were to be shipped to McDonnell at St Louis, where they would be mated to the McDD contribution, which would consist of the wings, horizontal tail and the forward fuselage, including the cockpit.

In anticipation of the appearance of the F-18, the second YF-17 was turned over the Navy for test duties with the Pacific Missile Test Center at Point Mugu, California, the Naval Air Test Center at Patuxent River, Maryland, and the Naval Weapons Center at China Lake, California.

Structure and Aerodynamics

The F-18 aircraft project was known as the Model 267 by the McDonnell Douglas prime contractor. The Model 267 retained the overall configuration of the Northrop YF-17 lightweight fighter prototype, with its two engines, its twin outward-canted vertical tail surfaces and its leading-edge wingroot extensions (LERX). However, the aircraft was structurally quite different from the YF-17 in order to be capable of enduring the additional stresses and strains involved in carrier operations. Both the airframe and the undercarriage had to be strengthened for carrier operations, wing folding had to be incorporated and a tailhook had to be provided. Fuel capacity had to be increased to meet the Navy-specified mission radius.

As compared to the YF-17, the wing of the Hornet had 50 additional square feet of area (an increase from 350 to 400 square feet), with increases in both span and chord in order to improve the low-speed performance. The wing had a trapezoidal planform (swept on the forward edges but straight on the trailing edges) and incorporated variable camber. The variable camber is achieved by using full-span leading edge flaps and hydraulically-actuated single-slotted flaps on the inner trailing edges. These surfaces are all under computer control to manage extension and retraction, setting the surfaces to the most desirable angle to give optimal performance throughout the entire performance envelope. The ailerons on the outer portions of the wing trailing edges can double as flaps to enhance low-speed handling qualities, and differential operation of flaps and ailerons can be used for roll control. The outer wing panel is hinged at the inboard edge of each aileron for folding aboard carriers. One 96 US gallon fuel tank is installed in each wing, but most of the internal fuel is housed in the fuselage.

In order to provide more space for internal fuel, the width of the aft fuselage of the Hornet was increased by four inches over that of the YF-17, the engines were canted outwards at the front, and the fuselage spine was made significantly wider and taller. The swollen dorsal spine houses the aircraft's main fuel tanks (containing 426, 249, 200, and 530 US gallons of fuel). These tanks are installed in a row, beginning from just behind the cockpit and ending just forward of the engines. All tanks and fuel lines are self-sealing, with foam in the main tanks. There is a single retractable midair refuelling probe on the starboard side of the fuselage just ahead of the cockpit.

The simple undercarriage of the YF-17 had a track of 6 feet 10 3/4 inches. On the F-18, the track was increased to 10 feet 2 1/2 inches for greater stability during carrier landings. It was considerably strengthened to meet the 24 feet/second descent rate requirement that is needed for arrested carrier landings.

The all-flying horizontal tailplanes are of aluminum honeycomb construction with graphite epoxy skinning. They can be used in concert for pitch control or differentially for roll control, acting as "tailerons" for enhanced roll performance.

The twin vertical tails of the F-18 were necessary to offset the vortex flows coming off the leading-edge extensions of the wings. The twin tails are mounted far forward in order to close the aerodynamic gap between the trailing edge of the wing and the leading edge of the vertical tail. This results in a smooth and drag-free fuselage airflow. The forward position of the tails also reduced airflow interference around the engine nozzles and saved weight by eliminating the need for any major rear fuselage carry-through structure.

The intakes are set well back underneath the LERXes, the cobra-shaped extensions protecting the engine intakes somewhat from disruption of the airflow caused by the effects of high angle of attack flight. Since there is no requirement for the Hornet to exceed Mach 2, the aircraft does not need sophisticated variable-ramp air intakes. The two-dimensional D-shaped intakes thus have a simple, fixed splitter plate mounted next to the fuselage. The only moving parts are two ducts cut into the top of the LERX which permit bleed air to be ejected upwards into the airflow generated by the LERX. The Intake ramps/boundary layer splitter plates are solid at the front end, with perforations directly ahead of the inlet to permit sluggish boundary layer air to be bled away and dumped via spill ducts on top of the LERX.

The twin-hinged hydraulically-activated airbrake is mounted on the rear dorsal fuselage, between the vertical tail surfaces. This configuration gives the minimum pitch change when the airbrake is extended.

The main undercarriage units retract aft and rotate through 90 degrees so as to lie flat underneath the air intake ducts. The twin-wheel nose gear retracts forward into the nose.

The Hornet uses advanced composite materials for large portions of its structure. About half of the weight of the structure is made up of aluminum, while steel contributes about 16.7 percent of the weight. Titanium makes up about 12.9 percent of the structural weight, this metal being used for a considerable fraction of the wings, fin, and horizontal tail attachments as well as the wing-fold joints. About 40 percent of the aircraft's surface area is covered by graphite/epoxy composite material, this material making up 9.9 percent of the aircraft's weight. The remaining 10.9 percent of the weight is made up of various other materials (plastic, rubber, etc).

The 15,000 lb.s.t. General Electric YJ101 turbofans which powered the YF-17 were replaced by their F404-GE-400 derivatives, rated at 16,000 lb.s.t. with afterburner. The F404 is a low-bypass turbofan, with a bypass ratio of 0.34, which makes it a true turbofan rather than a "leaky" turbojet as was the YJ101. It has essentially the same thrust as the J79 turbojet, but weighs only half as much. The engine has a three-stage titanium fan, with one row of fixed inlet guide vanes and one row of variable guide vanes. The compressor has seven stages, with the first three stages having variable stators. There are single-stage high and low pressure turbines.

The F404 engine is fairly simple, with relatively few moving parts. As compared to other recent turbofans, the F404 has experienced relatively few developmental problems. In particular, it is extremely resistant to compresssor stalls even at high angles of attack. Even if a stall does occur, the problem corrects itself very quickly, with engine and afterburner relighting themselves automatically. The engine is remarkably responsive, being able to accelerate from idle to full afterburner in only four seconds. However, the time taken to accelerate from Mach 0.8 to Mach 1.6 was originally longer than the required value. Although some progress has been made in improving this response time, this problem has persisted in spite of numerous attempts to fix it.

Since the Navy wanted all-weather capability and the ability to carry and launch radar-homing missiles such as the AIM-7 Sparrow, the small radar of the YF-17 had to be replaced with a more powerful installation. At the end of 1977, the Hughes AN/APG-65 digital multi-mode radar was selected over its Westinghouse competitor. This installation required an enlarged nose shape for the 28-inch radar dish needed to met the Navy's weapons system search range requirement of over 30 nautical miles.

The Hornet has a total of nine external weapons hardpoints --- one at each wingtip, two underneath each wing, one on each corner of the fuselage just aft of the air intakes, and a centerline ventral underfuselage station. The F-18 retained the wingtip-mounted Sidewinder infrared-homing air-to-air missiles and the 20-mm M61 cannon of the YF-17, but since the Navy had specified compatibility with the AIM-7F Sparrow semi-active radar homing missile, the F-18 incorporated a corner station underneath both sides of the fuselage to carry Sparrow missiles when the Hornet is operating in the intercept mode. These stations carry FLIR and laser designation pods when the Hornet is operating in the attack mode.

The F-18 incorporated a quadruply-redundant digital fly-by-wire flight control system, the first of its kind to be installed in a production aircraft. It works by having stick and rudder inputs being directed into a computer which interprets them and issues the appropriate commands to the various control surfaces. The FBW system will not allow the pilot to overstress the airframe. The system operates by the principal of majority vote. If one of the four systems disagrees with the other three, this is interpreted as a failure, and the dissenting system is ordered to shut down. FBW redundancy is such that should a second system fail, the remaining two systems can still operate the controls so long as they remain in agreement. In the unlikely event of all four systems failing, there are electrical backups for all control surfaces. There is even a direct mechanical backup for the horizontal tail surface which will give the pilot some degree of pitch control in an extreme emergency.

Guided by experience from Vietnam, duplicate hydraulic systems were fitted, which were routed separately to the degree possible. This arrangement would, it was hoped, prevent the aircraft from being disabled by a single hit.

The F-18 had always been intended as a single-seater, so a lot of attention was paid to reducing the pilot workload by the extensive use of automation. The F-18 has what has become to be known as a "glass" cockpit, with many of the dial-type instruments being eliminated and the information that they provide being displayed on cathode-ray tubes similar to computer monitors. It incorporates a heads-up display, and the control panel is dominated by two multi-function cathode-ray tube displays and a single horizontal situation cathode-ray tube display. The pilot is provided with a hands-on throttle and stick (HOTAS), with all the controls required for combat being located on either the throttle lever or control column for easy access. This means that the pilot does not have to take his eyes off his target during the stresses of combat.

The pilot sits on a slightly reclined Martin Baker US10S (SJU-5/6) zero-zero rocket-assisted ejector seat.

The Hornet's Armament Suite

The Hornet has an impressive array of air-to-air and air-to-ground ordinance, and can rapildy switch back and forth between intercept mode and ground strike mode.

The primary air-to-air weapons are the AIM-7 Sparrow and the AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. The missile can operate with a maximum of six Sidewinders (one on each wingtip, and two on each of the outboard underwing stations). Alternatively, it can carry as many as four Sparrows (one on each side of the fuselage and one on each outer underwing pylon). When operating in ground attack mode, it can carry an array of ordnance on four underwing pylons and on the centerline station.

Sparrow:

When operating in the air-to-air mode, the Hornet typically carries an AIM-7 Sparrow semi-active radar homing missile on each fuselage corner slot. It can also carry a Sparrow on each of the outer underwing pylons, for a total of four. The Navy initially viewed the AIM-7 Sparrow as the Hornet's primary air-to-air weapon, since it can be used for beyond visible range (BVR) encounters. However, it is now been largely superseded by the AMRAAM "fire-and-forget" missile.

The Sparrow uses semi-active radar homing and is compatible with either constant-wave or pulse-Doppler radar illumination. The AIM-7 is said to be effective out to distances of 25 miles, although the true effective range varies greatly with the conditions of the encounter. The AIM-7M version is 12 feet long and has a launch weight of about 500 pounds. The missile has two sets of delta-shaped fins --- a set of fixed fins at the rear of the missile and a set of movable fins at the middle of the missile for steering. The 88-pound explosive warhead is contained in a stainless steel drum, which shatters upon detonation into 2600 fragments, greatly increasing the prospect of a kill. The Sparrow can be detonated by impact or proximity fuses.

The current Sparrow versions are the AIM-7M and AIM-7P. The first versions to see large-scale service were the AIM-7E, AIM-7E2, and AIM-7F, but combat results with these missiles over Vietnam were rather disappointing. The AIM-7F version of the Sparrow introduced solid-state electronics as substitutes for some of the miniature vacuum tubes of the earlier versions. This miniaturization enabled the warhead to be moved forward of the wings, with the aft part of the missile being devoted almost entirely to the rocket motor. The extra space that was made available by the introduction of solid-state miniaturization made it possible to introduce a dual-thrust booster/sustainer rocket motor that enabled the effective range of the Sparrow to be essentially doubled (up to 28-30 miles) in a head-on engagement. The AIM-7L had fewer tubes and more solid state features. The AIM-7M introduced in 1982 featured a new autopilot, a new fuse, and an inverse-processed digital monopulse seeker which was more effective in bad weather, more difficult to detect and jam, and provided better look-down, shoot-down capability. The AIM-7P was fitted with improved guidance electronics including an on-board computer based on VLSIC technology. It is intended to have better capability against small targets such as cruise missiles and sea-skimming antiship missiles.

The Sparrow missile is now a rather old design (the basic concept dating from the 1950s), and had been largely replaced by the AIM-120 AMRAAM in Hornet service. Although the Sparrow of today is a much more capable weapon than the Sparrow used in Vietnam, it still requires that the target be continually illuminated by the aircraft's on radar transmitter in order for it to home in on reflected radar energy. This means that the Hornet can only fire on one target at a time with this weapon, which makes the fighter extremely vulnerable to attack by other enemy fighters during this phase.

AMRAAM:

The ultimate BVR weapon for the F/A-18 is the Hughes AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile). The AMRAAM is intended to combine the BVR performance of the Sparrow in an airframe that is not much larger than that of the AIM-9 Sidewinder.

On December 8, 1987, an F-18 Hornet AMRAAM firing at Point Mugu, California, evaluated the missile's ability to track and home in on two dissimilar targets. Two days later, another F-18 shot was a look-down, shoot-down attack on a low-altitude target. However, the AMRAAM was the subject of numerous technical problems and protracted delays which caused it to slip at least five years behind its original schedule. The AMRAAM was not cleared for service with the Hornet until after Desert Storm, but the weapon has by now almost entirely superseded the Sparrow as the primary BVR weapon of the Hornet.

The AMRAAM is a "fire and forget" weapon. The AMRAAM is guided to the vicinity of its target by an inertial guidance system which can be updated if necessary by a datalink from the launching aircraft. For the final run to the target, the missile switches over to its own high-PRF radar seeker and homes in on the target. Since this seeker uses its own active radar, it does not require that the launch aircraft illuminate or track the target during the terminal approach. If the target attempts to protect itself with jamming, the AMRAAM seeker can be set to switch over to a medium-PRF home-on-jam mode. Although the AIM-120 handles its own terminal homing onto the target, it usually still requires radar illumination from the fighter for a portion of its initial run-in to the target.

The AMRAAM is 11.97 feet long, has a wingspan of 20.7 inches, and a diameter of 7 inches. The AMRAAM is considerably lighter than the Sparrow that it replaces, weighing about 350 pounds at launch. It carries a 48-pound high-explosive directed-fragmentation warhead. Maximum speed is about Mach 4, and the maximum range is 35-45 miles.

Sidewinder:

The Hornet normally carries an AIM-9 Sidewinder infrared-homing air-to-air missile at each wingtip, although additional Sidewinders can be carried on underwing pylons if needed. The wingtip launch rails are inclined slightly downwards, reflecting the Hornet's nose-high cruising attitude.

The AIM-9 Sidewinder is 9.4 feet long, has a wingspan of 25 inches and a diameter of 5 inches. The missile has four tail fins on the rear, with a "rolleron" at the tip of each fin. These "rollerons" are spun at high speed by the slipstream in order to provide roll stability. The missile is steered by four canard fins mounted in the forward part of the missile just behind the infrared seeker head. The Sidewinder missile has a launch weight of about 180 pounds, and a maximum effective range of about 10 miles. The blast-fragmentation warhead weighs 22 pounds, and is detonated by either impact or proximity fusing.

While the missile is still on its launch rail, the Sidewinder's seeker head homes in on the infrared emissions coming from the target aircraft. As the target's heat source becomes more prominent, the Hornet pilot starts to hear a noise in his earphones. When the Sidewinder infrared seeker locks onto the target, a squeeze of the trigger by the pilot will launch the missile.

The Sidewinder infrared homing missile dates back to 1956, but the missile has been continuously upgraded over the years. Early F/A-18As carried the AIM-9J, which was the first major post-Vietnam improvement of the Sidewinder missile. The J model had an expanded target-engagement cone which enabled it to be launched at any spot in the rear hemisphere of a target aircraft rather than merely at its exhaust. Compared with the Vietnam-era AIM-9G, it had a more powerful motor and an improved warhead. The AIM-9J introduced the Sidewinder Expanded Acquisition Mode (SEAM), which slaved the seeker head of the missile to the aircraft's radar when in "dogfight" mode, which enabled the AIM-9J seeker head to be uncaged, slewed toward a specific target by the aircraft radar, and made to track only that particular target before being launched. The AIM-9H version introduced some minor improvements. The AIM-9L introduced in 1979 was an "all-aspect" missile, which meant that it was no longer limited to engaging an enemy aircraft from the rear. The seeker head was more sensitive and was able to pick up heat from the friction off the leading edges of an aircraft's wing and was able to distinguish between aircraft and decoy flares. The AIM-9L also uses a higher-impulse rocket motor, a more powerful warhead, and a proximity fuse rigged to blow outward toward the target in order to ensure better probability of a kill. The AIM-9M introduced in 1982 had better capability to distinguish between aircraft infrared emissions and decoy flares, and had a low-smoke rocket motor which made it far less likely to be seen by its prey. The number of vacuum tubes was reduced to two.

Despite the advanced age of the basic design, the all-aspect AIM-9L Sidewinder remains a potent threat, exceeded in effectiveness perhaps only by the Russian-built Molniya/Vympel R-73 (known in the West as the AA-11 Archer) which combines aerodynamic and thrust-vectoring control systems.

The AIM-122A Sidearm anti-radiation missile can be carried in place of the Sidewinder at the wingtips, since it is basically an AIM-9C with the infrared seeker head replaced by a broadband passive radar homing device.

Cannon:

Fighting in Vietnam demonstrated that a fighter or strike aircraft needs a gun for air combat during the closest range encounters. The F-18 Hornet is provided with an internal M61A1 20-mm cannon in the upper nose. 578 rounds are carried in an ammunition drum located just aft of the APG-65 radar set. The gun barrel is elevated approximately two degrees to improve target tracking. Although the gun port is located directly above the nose radar, it is claimed that the Hornet pilot can fire the gun without damaging the delicate radar. It is also claimed that although the gun is directly in front of the cockpit windshield, the pilot can fire the gun at night without being blinded by the muzzle flash.

The pilot can select a firing rate of 4000 or 6000 rounds per minute. The ingestion of gun gases into the engines is prevented by a fixed deflector which splits the muzzle blast and diverts gun gases to each side of the aircraft above the leading edge extension. There are three holes in the upper cockpit in front of the gun --- one central hole for the cannon shells to pass through, and one on each side for gun gas ejection. Vents on the underside of the nose prevent the buildup of potentially dangerous gases in the gun bay.

External Ordnance:

The Hornet is capable of carrying an impressive load of air-to-ground ordnance, and can carry and launch virtually every air-to-ground weapon in the Navy arsenal. There are two hardpoints under each wing, plus a hardpoint on the centerline. A maximum of 17,000 pounds of ordnance can be carried, which even in strictly air-to-ground missions typically includes a pair of wingtip-mounted Sidewinders for self-defense.

The aircraft can carry Mark 82, 83, and 84 low-drag iron bombs which weigh respectively 500, 1000, and 2000 pounds each. They are carried on twin-store vertical ejection racks (VER-2s) that are mounted underneath the four underwing weapons pylons. These bombs can be provided with Snakeye fins which can retard the fall of these bombs so that the Hornet can clear the area before the blast during a low-level bombing run. Laser-guided Paveway versions of these bombs can also be carried. The Hornet can carry AGM-62 Walleye I and Walleye I ER/DL electro-optical guided bombs on the outboard wing stations. The aircraft can also carry and launch the Hughes AGM-65 Maverick television-guided air-to-surface missile, and later versions of the Hornet can carry the infrared-homing Maverick as well. All but the innermost stations can accommodate 468-lb Rockeye II anti-tank cluster bomb units or 610 lb BL-755 cluster bombs. Four conventional unguided rocket launchers, Mark 76 and Mark 106 practice bombs and the SUU-20 practice bomb and rocket dispenser can also be carried. The F/A-18 can also carry two B57 or B61 tactical nuclear weapons, although nuclear strike is not a mission that is typically envisaged for the Hornet.

The F-18 can carry the AGM-88A HARM anti-radiation missile for the SAM suppression role. It can also be configured to carry two AGM-84 Harpoon anti-shipping missiles, which uses active radar homing during the terminal stages of the flight to the target.

When not used to carry bombs, the two inboard underwing stations and the fuselage centerline station can carry 330 US gallon external fuel tanks. This is the typical situation, with only the outermost underwing pylons carrying offensive weapons. For ferry flights, 480 US gallon tanks can be substituted on any or all three stations.

Electronic Suite

For the F/A-18, the small radar of the YF-17 had to be replaced with a more powerful installation that could handle BVR missiles. This in turn required an enlarged nose shape to accommodate the 28-inch radar dish needed to meet the Navy's weapons system search range requirement of over 30 nautical miles.

At the end of 1977, the Hughes AN/APG-65 digital multi-mode pulse-Doppler radar was selected as the F-18 radar over its Westinghouse competitor. The APG-65 operates in the I/J-band (8-12.5 GHz). The radar is provided with built-in test equipment (BITE), which assists in identifying and isolating failures. There some two dozen on-board computers which operate in conjunction with the radar and weapons delivery systems. The ones operating in conjunction with the radar convert data generated by onboard sensors to a readily comprehensible display for the pilot. At the same time, they relieve the pilot's work load by performing rapid calculations of ballistics, windage, velocity and altitude for accurate weapons delivery, with release cues being given to the pilot by means of the HUD and CRT displays.

The radar can operated in several different modes, depending on what the pilot wants to accomplish.

AIR-TO-AIR RADAR MODES:

The velocity search mode is used for maximum range encounters, sacrificing detail for range and giving velocity and azimuth information only. In this mode, targets can be detected at ranges in excess of 80 nautical miles, and the software controlling the radar is programmed to pay attention only to these returns which are approaching the F-18.

In the range-while-search mode, the APG-65 provides information on all contacts occuping the portion of the sky ahead of the Hornet at ranges of between 40 and 80 nautical miles.

In the track-while-scan mode, which is used for ranges of less than 40 nautical miles, the system can track up to ten targets simultaneously and display eight of them at a time. The computer will present additional data on the contact deemed to be the greatest threat, this data typically consisting of aspect, altitude, and velocity.

If a specific target comes within range while the radar is operating in the range-while-search mode, a single target track mode can be selected by the pilot for display on the HUD, with steering commands and weapons launch data also being simultaneously displayed to the pilot. The system also provides a "shoot" cue to the pilot when a firing solution is obtained.

The system also has a raid assessment mode, which uses Doppler beam sharpening to examine a specific return more closely to see if it comes from a single target or from a group of aircraft flying in close formation.

Once a target has been selected for attack, the system will use the boresight mode if the Hornet is in a traditional tail-chase encounter with an enemy plane. In this mode, a very narrow 3.3-degree beam scans a small area of sky directly ahead of the aircraft. When both the target aircraft and the Hornet are maneuvering heavily, the vertical acquisition mode is used. In this mode, the radar scans an arc 5.3 degrees wide and extending 60 degrees above boresight axis to 14 degrees below. In order to achieve automatic lock-on, the pilot rolls his aircraft into the same plane of motion as that of his target, ideally positioning the enemy plane just above the canopy bow and aligned vertically with the HUD. The system can also do a head-up display acquisition mode, in which the radar antenna scans a box corresponding to the field of view of the HUD itself. This typically extends 10 degrees left and right of centerline, 14 degrees above and 6 degrees below.

These combat modes are effective from ranges varying from 500 feet to five nautical miles. When in any one of these modes, the radar automatically locks onto the first target that is acquired, and an indication of a lock-on is displayed on the cockpit CRTs and on the HUD. However, the pilot can override the system and reject specific targets until he acquires the one most desired. Alternatively, the pilot can use a moveable cursor to designate the target.

The gun director mode is employed at ranges of less than 5 nautical miles. The radar provides data pertaining to target position, range, and velocity to drive the gun aiming point on the HUD. The pilot then positions the pipper on the selected target and squeezes the trigger.

AIR-TO-SURFACE RADAR MODES:

There are also several air-to-surface modes available.

The real beam ground mapping mode is used for identifying substantial geographical features at long ranges. A small-scale radar map is displayed of the terrain ahead. The computer automatically adjusts the display so that it appears as a vertical "God's view" image, rather than the oblique view that the radar actually sees.

There are more detailed mapping modes which employ Doppler beam sharpening to provide higher resolution. These are used to provide better resolution for navigation and for target location. Once a ground target is identified, the air-to-surface ranging mode provides information on the distance to the target, and fixed and moving ground target track modes use two-channel monopulse angle tracking to provide precise information on ground targets.

The Hornet does not have automatic terrain following capability, but the radar can be used for terrain avoidance, warning the pilot if he is about to fly into anything hard, leaving it up to the pilot himself to figure out how to avoid the collision.

The APG-65 also had a sea-surface mode in which a computer filters out the clutter coming from reflections off sea waves, which makes it easier to identify, track, and attack enemy surface vessels.

When the Hornet is operating in the ground attack mode, the Ford Aerospace AN/AAS-38 Forward-Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) pod and the Martin-Marietta AN/ASQ-173 laser spot tracker/strike camera (LST/SCAM) pod can be carried on the external fuselage corner stores stations that are ordinarily occupied by AIM-7 Sparrow missiles when the aircraft is operating in the fighter mode. These pods are mounted to port and starboard respectively. The FLIR unit is used to enhance night attack capability by providing real-time thermal imagery which is displayed on one of the cockpit CRTs The FLIR can be fully integrated with the other avionics of the F/A-18, and data from it can be used in the calculation of weapons release solutions. The LST/SCAM is used for accurate bombing in bad weather, and it uses a tracking device to lock onto a laser beam reflected from a pre-designated target and provides information on target location to cockpit displays and mission computers.

The earlier versions of the LST/SCAM pod did not have their own laser illuminators, so the Hornet was dependent on target illumination from other aircraft for the delivery of laser-guided weapons. However, this omission has been corrected on the very latest pods, which makes the Hornet completely autonomous in the delivery of laser-guided weapons.

The Hornet carries the Itek AN/ALR-67 radar warning receiver set, which has the ability to detect, isolate, classify, and initiate countermeasures against a variety of electronic threats. The pilot is informed of these threats by means of cockpit displays, and their location is indicated. The pilot can then elect to carry out more active countermeasures such as the release of chaff or the dropping of decoy flares.

Two blade antennae are located on the dorsal spine. The forward antenna is for the Collins AN/ARN-118 TACAN, and the rear antenna is for UHF communications.

F/A-18A

The first Full-Scale Development (FSD) F-18A (BuNo 160775) was rolled out at St Louis on September 13, 1978. First flight took place at Lambert Field, St Louis on November 18, 1978, with test pilot Jack E. Krings at the controls. Krings found the F-18 to be remarkably stable and easy to handle.

Beginning in January 1979, most flight development work was carried out at the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Maryland. Nine F-18A and two TF-18A two-seat FSD aircraft went into an intense flight test program. Navy pilots commented favorably on the stability of the F-18, particularly during landing approaches.

A total of nine FSD F/A-18As were built. Carrier qualifications began with the third FSD aircraft (Bu No 160777) aboard the USS America (CV-66) on October 30, 1979. These tests went extremely well. Before the carrier qualifications got under way, the Navy had determined that it would no longer be necessary to have distinct attack and fighter versions of the Hornet. The aircraft was deemed sturdy and versatile enough to carry out both jobs. Plans for separate F-18s in fighter (VF) squadrons and A-18s in attack (VA) squadrons were abandoned. The Navy introduced a new type of unit, the strike fighter squadron (VFA) to carry out both fighter and attack missions.

Some problems were turned up during early flight testing. The nosewheel lift-off speeds were excessively high and the takeoff roll was too long. These problems were solved by filling in the dogtooth on the inboard leading edge of the horizontal stabilator, which gave the stabilator greater authority at an earlier juncture during the takeoff run. The dogtooth had been added to the leading edge stabilator in anticipation of the same flutter problems that had affected the tailplanes of the F-15, but these problems did not materialize so it could be eliminated. In addition, a greater upward moment during the takeoff run was provided by automatically toeing in the rudders on takeoff. Problems with the flight control software that reprogrammed the leading edge flaps had to be corrected with internal programming changes. Insufficient acceleration speeds above Mach 1 were corrected through engine improvements. It turned out that the main undercarriage was insufficiently strong, which led to the use of a twin-chamber oleo leg. The cooling of the cockpit and the avionics bay was found to take up too much fuel, which adversely affected the range. The external tanks were unsatisfactory, which brought a switch from elliptical to circular cross-section tanks and a slight increase in their capacity from 315 to 330 US gallons.

The range was below requirements. In fact, the insufficient range of the Hornet has been its most-often criticized defect, and has never really been fully corrected despite numerous attempted fixes. Several engine and airframe modifications were carried out in an attempt to improve range performance. Perhaps the most significant of these was an alteration of the boundary layer air discharge slots. The service test machines originally flew with long boundary layer air discharge slots cut between the fuselage and the upper surface of the LERXes. These slots had the beneficial effect of generating a strong, high-enery vortex extending down each side of the fuselage, increasing directional stability at high angles of attack. Unfortunately, they also generated a log of aerodynamic drag, which adversely affected range and acceleration. Consequently, 80 percent of the length of the slots were filled in beginning with Hornet number 8, leaving only one small slot on each side whose function is to eject the boundary layer air bled from the engine intake.

The roll rate was found to be below requirements. The whole wing had to be redesigned to improve the roll rate. The wing of the initial FSD machines had a leading-edge dogtooth which was eliminated as part of an attempt to improve the roll rate. In addition, the outer wing panels were stiffened, the ailerons were increased in span and differential flap movement was programmed into the flight control software.

In spite of all these efforts, the range of the Hornet was still somewhat less than that which was desired. However, the range of the F/A-18A was still greater in the fighter escort role than that of the McDonnell F-4J Phantom which it replaced. In the strike role, the range of the F/A-18 was 10-12 percent shorter than that of the LTV A-7E. However, in other respects the F/A-18 met or exceeded specifications, with air combat capability and weapons delivery accuracy being particularly outstanding.

Costs began to rise during the period 1979-81, and Congress began to exhibit some concern. The Navy/Marine Corps order was now up from the original figure of 780 to 1366 aircraft (this was later reduced to 1157). The F-18, having originated from a supposedly low-cost lightweight fighter project, now cost almost as much as a Grumman F-14 Tomcat.

The first production Hornet took off on its maiden flight in April of 1980.

Later models of the F/A-18A have had a small wing fence added to the top of each LERX at the position of the wing leading edge in order to broaden the vortices generated, reducing loads on the tail unit and improving controllability at high angles of attack.

The Hornet came in for some criticism in the press, particularly for its range problems and its cost overruns. There was a chorus of misgivings about its high cost, and questions were asked about whether the performance it delivered was worth the amount of money being spent. Washington reporter Jack Anderson claimed that the aircraft used too much fuel to be a good attack plane. Much of the criticism from the press and from Congress was based on an early Patuxent report which expressed some concern over the F-18's performance in the attack role. As often happens, some of this press criticism was based on preliminary test results and complained about problems which had already been fixed.

The rather awkward "F/A" prefix --- meaning combined "fighter" and "attack" missions --- became official in an Department of Defense bulletin dated April 1, 1984. However, the aircraft continues to be referred to as the F-18 on McDonnell Douglas documents.

A total of 371 production F/A-18As were built in blocks 4 through 22 before production switched to the F/A-18C in 1987.

Bureau of Aeronautics numbers of F/A-18A Hornet:

  160775/160777   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-1-MC Hornet

  160778/160780   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-2-MC Hornet

                   - 160780 to NASA as 840 in 1985 

  160782/160783   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-3-MC Hornet

  160785          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-3-MC Hornet

  161213/161216   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-4-MC Hornet

                   - 161213 to NASA as 844. Crashed 10/7/88 

                   - 161214 to NASA as 842 in August 1987 

                   - 161215 w/o 11/14/80 over Cheasapeake Bay. 

                     C. Brannon ejected safely.

                   - 161216 to NASA as 841 in October 1985 

  161248          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-4-MC Hornet

  161250/161251   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-4-MC Hornet

                   - 161250 to NASA as 845 in October 1987. 

  161353          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-5-MC Hornet

  161358/161359   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-5-MC Hornet

  161361/161367   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-6-MC Hornet

  161519          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-6-MC Hornet

  161520/161528   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-7-MC Hornet

                   - 161520 to NASA as 847 in September 1989. 

  161702/161703   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-8-MC Hornet

  161705/161706   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-8-MC Hornet

  161708/161710   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-8-MC Hornet

  161712/161713   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-8-MC Hornet 

  161715          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-8-MC Hornet

  161716/161718   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-9-MC Hornet 

  161720/161722   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-9-MC Hornet 

  161724/161726   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-9-MC Hornet 

  161728/161732   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-9-MC Hornet 

  161734/161736   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-9-MC Hornet 

  161737/161739   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-10-MC Hornet 

  161741/161745   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-10-MC Hornet 

  161747/161761   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-10-MC Hornet 

  161925/161931   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-11-MC Hornet 

  161933/161937   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-11-MC Hornet 

  161939/161942   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-11-MC Hornet 

  161944          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-11-MC Hornet 

  161945/161946   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-12-MC Hornet 

  161948/161965   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-12-MC Hornet 

                   - 161949 to NASA as 848 in December 1989.

  161966/161987   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-13-MC Hornet 

  162394/162401   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-14-MC Hornet

  162403/162407   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-14-MC Hornet

  162409/162412   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-14-MC Hornet

  162414          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-14-MC Hornet

  162415/162418   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-15-MC Hornet

  162420/162426   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-15-MC Hornet

  162428/162444   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-15-MC Hornet

  162445/162477   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-16-MC Hornet

  162826/162835   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-17-MC Hornet

  162837/162841   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-17-MC Hornet

  162843/162849   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-17-MC Hornet

  162851/162852   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-17-MC Hornet

  162853/162856   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-18-MC Hornet

  162858/162863   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-18-MC Hornet

  162865/162869   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-18-MC Hornet

  162871/162875   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-18-MC Hornet

  162877/162881   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-18-MC Hornet

  162882/162884   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-18-MC Hornet

  162886/162909   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-19-MC Hornet

  163105/163109   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-20-MC Hornet

  163111/163114   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-20-MC Hornet

  163116/163118   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-20-MC Hornet

  163119/163122   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-21-MC Hornet

  163124/163145   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-21-MC Hornet

  163146/163175   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-22-MC Hornet

Specification of McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet:

Two General Electric F404-GE-400 turbofans, each rated at 10,600 lb.s.t. dry and 15,800 lb.s.t. with afterburning.

Performance: Maximum speed Mach 1.8 (1190 mph) at 35,000 feet. Landing speed 150 mph. Combat ceiling 50,000 feet. Combat radius 460 miles (air-to-air mission). Maximum range 2875 miles.

Weights: 28,000 pounds empty, 38,000 pounds gross, 56,000 pounds maximum takeoff.

Dimensions: maximum wingspan 40 feet 8 inches, length 56 feet 0 inches, height 15 feet 3 inches, wing area 400 square feet.

Fuel: 1670 US gallons internal. A total of three external 330 US gallon drop tanks can be carried, raising total fuel to 2660 US gallons.

Armament: One 20-mm M61A1 cannon in nose. Up to six AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles or up to four AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missiles. In addition, up to 17,000 pounds of fuel, missiles, and ordnance could be carried on four underwing hardpoints, two fuselage corner stations, one centerline point, and two wingtip points.

F/A-18B two seat fighter trainer

The F/A-18B is the two-seat combat trainer version of the F/A-18A.

Two full-scale development two-seaters (BuNos 160781 and 160784) ' were followed by 39 production F/A-18Bs in Blocks 4 to 21. Initially designated TF/A-18As, they were essentially intended as trainers, but retained full combat capability. To make room for the second seat, internal fuel capacity was reduced by about 6 percent.

Serials of F/A-18B:

  160781        McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-2-MC Hornet

                 - 160781 to NASA as 845 in July 1986 

  160784        McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-3-MC Hornet

                 - w/o 9/8/80 near Farnborough after engine failure. 

                   Jack Krings and Gary Post ejected safely

161217          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-4-MC Hornet

161249          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-4-MC Hornet

161354/161357   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-5-MC Hornet

161360          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-6-MC Hornet

161704          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-8-MC Hornet

161707          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-8-MC Hornet

161711          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-8-MC Hornet

161714          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-8-MC Hornet

161719          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-9-MC Hornet

161723          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-9-MC Hornet

161727          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-9-MC Hornet

161733          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-9-MC Hornet

161740          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-10-MC Hornet 

161746          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-10-MC Hornet 

161924          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-10-MC Hornet 

161932          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-11-MC Hornet 

161938          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-11-MC Hornet 

161943          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-11-MC Hornet 

161947          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-12-MC Hornet 

162402          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-14-MC Hornet

162408          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-14-MC Hornet

162413          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-14-MC Hornet

162419          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-15-MC Hornet

162427          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-15-MC Hornet

162836          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-17-MC Hornet

162842          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-17-MC Hornet

162850          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-17-MC Hornet

162857          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-18-MC Hornet

162864          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-18-MC Hornet

162870          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-18-MC Hornet

162876          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-18-MC Hornet

162885          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-19-MC Hornet

163104          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-20-MC Hornet

163110          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-20-MC Hornet

163115          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-20-MC Hornet

163123          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-21-MC Hornet

F/A-18C

Following the delivery of 371 F/A-18As in production blocks 4 to 22, manufacture turned to the F/A-18C version. The F/A-18C is the current production model of the single-seat Hornet, and was introduced beginning with Block 23.

The differences between the F/A-18A and C were entirely internal. The F/A-18C featured a Martin-Baker NACES (Navy Aircrew Common Ejection Seat), an improved mission computer, an airborne self-protection jammer, and a flight incident recording and monitoring system. The F/A-18C is compatible with carriage of the AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile, and can carry the AGM-65F infrared Maverick and the AGM-84 Harpoon air-to-surface missiles.

The first F/A-18C (BuNo 163427) was flown on September 3, 1987. Production F/A-18Cs were initially powered by the General Electric F404-GE-400, the same engine which powered the F/A-18A.

The latest F/A-18C aircraft from FY 1988 onward have been equipped to full night-attack standard, with a Kaiser AV/AVQ-28 raster HUD that presents the images provided by the thermal imaging navigation set. The F/A-18C Night Attack Hornet has a pod-mounted Hughes AN/AAR-50 thermal imaging navigation set, a Loral AN/AAS-38 Nite Hawk FLIR targeting pod, and GEC Cat's Eyes pilot's night vision goggles. The

Night Attack Hornet also features two Kaiser 5in x 5in color multi-function displays (these were monochrome in previous Hornets) and a Smiths Srs 2100 color digital moving map navigation display. From January 1993 onwards, the AAS-38 pod added a laser target designator/ranger subsystem, allowing Hornets to deliver precision laser-guided weapons autonomously of an external laser source.

The first prototype Night Attack Hornet flew on May 6, 1988, and production deliveries began on November 1, 1989 with F/A-18C BuNo 163985, the first aircraft in Block 29. Squadron deliveries began on November 18, 1989, with 163992 going to VFA-146 "Blue Diamonds" at NAS Lemoore, California. The first Night Attack Hornet was delivered to the Marines on August 8, 1991, when VMFA-312 "Checkerboards".

Beginning in January 1991, with Block 36, the F/A-18C switched to the General Electric F404-GE-402 EPE (Enhanced Performance Engine) The EPE engine generates approximately 17,600 lb.s.t., as compared to only 16,000 lb.s.t. for the earlier -400 series.

The AN/APG-65 radar of the Hornet has now been superseded by the more capable AN/APG-73. This radar has greater speed and memory than the AN/APG-65 now in use. It has an changed bandwidth, increased internal operating rates of the receiver/exciter, an increased processing speed in the radar signal processor, new radar data processing hardware to increase the throughput speed and an expanded memory. There is an upgraded power supply. The first APG-73-equipped F/A-18 flew for the first time on April 15, 1992, and the first APG-73-equipped Hornets were delivered on May 25-26, 1994. They went to VFA-146 "Blue Diamonds" and VFA-147 "Argonauts" at NAS Lemoore, California. This radar is to be the standard fit in all new production F/A-18C/D fighters in the US Navy and US Marine Corps, and will be installed in those Hornets ordered by Finland, Malaysia, and Switzerland.

Aircraft built from 1993 onwards have improved defensive systems. Their AN/ALE-39 chaff dispensers were replaced by AN/ALE-47s and their AN/ALR-67 radar warning receivers were upgraded.

Specification of McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet:

Two General Electric F404-GE-400 turbofans, each rated at 10,600 lb.s.t. dry and 15,800 lb.s.t. with afterburning. Later versions of the F/A-18C are powered by the F404-GE-402 turbofan, rated at 17,700 lb.s.t with afterburning.

Performance: (-400 engine) Maximum speed Mach 1.8 (1190 mph) at 40,000 feet with AAMs on wingtip and fuselage stations. Combat radius 480 miles in air-to-air mission, 735 miles with three 330 US gallon drop tanks.

Weights: 23,050 pounds empty, 36,710 pounds loaded (air-to-air), 49,224 pounds loaded (ground attack), 56,000 pounds maximum takeoff. Dimensions: maximum wingspan 37 feet 6 inches, length 56 feet 0 inches, height 15 feet 4 inches, wing area 400 square feet.

Fuel: 1670 US gallons internal. A total of three external 330 US gallon drop tanks can be carried, raising total fuel to 2660 US gallons.

Armament: One 20-mm M61A1 cannon and up to 17,000 pounds of ordnance or fuel distributed on nine stations.

Serials of F/A-18C:

  163427/163433   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-23-MC Hornet

  163435          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-23-MC Hornet

  163437/163440   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-23-MC Hornet

  163442/163444   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-23-MC Hornet 

  163446          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-23-MC Hornet

  163448/163451   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-23-MC Hornet 

  163453          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-23-MC Hornet

  163455/163456   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-23-MC Hornet 

  163458/163459   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-24-MC Hornet 

  163461/163463   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-24-MC Hornet 

  163465/163467   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-24-MC Hornet 

  163469/163471   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-24-MC Hornet 

  163473          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-24-MC Hornet 

  163475/163478   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-24-MC Hornet 

  163480/163481   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-24-MC Hornet 

  163483/163485   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-24-MC Hornet 

                   - 163484 shot down 1/17/91 during Desert Storm

  163487          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-25-MC Hornet 

  163489/163491   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-25-MC Hornet 

  163493/163496   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-25-MC Hornet 

  163498/163499   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-25-MC Hornet 

  163502/163506   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-25-MC Hornet 

                   - 163502 shot down an F-7A during Desert Storm

  163508/163509   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-25-MC Hornet 

                   - 163508 shot down an F-7A during Desert Storm

  163699          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-26-MC Hornet 

  163701/163706   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-26-MC Hornet 

  163708/163719   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-26-MC Hornet 

  163721/163726   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-26-MC Hornet 

  163727/163733   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-27-MC Hornet 

  163735/163748   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-27-MC Hornet 

  163750/163754   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-27-MC Hornet 

  163755/163762   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-28-MC Hornet 

  163764/163770   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-28-MC Hornet 

  163772/163777   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-28-MC Hornet 

  163779/163782   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-28-MC Hornet 

  163985          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-29-MC Hornet

  163987/163988   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-29-MC Hornet

  163990          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-29-MC Hornet

  163992/163993   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-29-MC Hornet

  163995/163996   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-29-MC Hornet

  163998/163999   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-29-MC Hornet

  164000          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-29-MC Hornet

  164002/164004   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-29-MC Hornet

  164006/164008   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-29-MC Hornet

  164010          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-29-MC Hornet

  164012/164013   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-29-MC Hornet

  164015/164016   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-30-MC Hornet

  164018          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-30-MC Hornet

  164020/164021   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-30-MC Hornet

  164023          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-30-MC Hornet

  164025          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-30-MC Hornet

  164027          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-30-MC Hornet

  164029/164031   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-30-MC Hornet

  164033/164034   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-30-MC Hornet

  164036/164037   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-30-MC Hornet

  164039          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-30-MC Hornet

  164041/164042   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-31-MC Hornet

  164044/164045   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-31-MC Hornet

  164047/164048   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-31-MC Hornet

  164050          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-31-MC Hornet

  164052          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-31-MC Hornet

  164054/164055   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-31-MC Hornet

  164057          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-31-MC Hornet

  164059/164060   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-31-MC Hornet

  164062/164063   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-31-MC Hornet

  164065/164067   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-31-MC Hornet

  164197          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-32-MC Hornet

  164199/164202   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-32-MC Hornet

  164204/164206   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-32-MC Hornet

  164208/164210   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-32-MC Hornet

  164212/164215   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-32-MC Hornet

  164217/164218   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-32-MC Hornet

  164220/164223   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-33-MC Hornet

  164225/164227   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-33-MC Hornet

  164229/164232   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-33-MC Hornet

  164234/164236   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-33-MC Hornet

  164238/164240   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-33-MC Hornet

  164242/164244   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-33-MC Hornet

  164246/164248   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-33-MC Hornet

  164250/164253   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-34-MC Hornet

  164255/164258   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-34-MC Hornet

  164260/164262   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-34-MC Hornet

  164264/164266   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-34-MC Hornet

  164411/164414   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-34-MC Hornet

  164416/164421   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C-34-MC Hornet

  164627/164648   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 35-37 Hornet

  164654/164655   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 35-37 Hornet

  164657/164658   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 35-37 Hornet

  164660/164661   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 35-37 Hornet

  164663/164664   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 35-37 Hornet

  164666          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 35-37 Hornet

  164668/164669   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 35-37 Hornet

  164671          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 35-37 Hornet

  164673          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 35-37 Hornet

  164675/164676   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 35-37 Hornet

  164678          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 35-37 Hornet

  164680/164682   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 35-37 Hornet

  164684          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 35-37 Hornet

  164686/164687   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 35-37 Hornet

  164689          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 35-37 Hornet

  164691          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 35-37 Hornet

  164693          McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 38-40 Hornet

  164695/164698   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 38-40 Hornet

  164700/164701   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 38-40 Hornet

  164703/164704   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 38-40 Hornet

  164706/164710   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 38-40 Hornet 

  164712/164713   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 38-40 Hornet 

  164715/164716   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 38-40 Hornet

  164718/164722   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 38-40 Hornet

  164724/164725   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 38-40 Hornet

  164727/164728   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 38-40 Hornet

  164730/164734   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 38-40 Hornet

  164736/164737   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 38-40 Hornet

  164739/164740   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 38-40 Hornet

  164865/164900   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Block 41-43 Hornet

                   - C and D breakdown not known 

  164945/164980   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Block 41-43 Hornet

                   - C and D breakdown not known

F/A-18D two-seat Hornet

The F/A-18D is the two-seat version of the F/A-18C. Unlike the F/A-18B, the F/A-18D has flying controls only in the front cockpit and was intended as a two-seat night attack aircraft rather than as a two-seat trainer. The flight officer seated in the aft cockpit is provided with two stationary hand controls, one on each side of the seat, to operate the weapons systems. In addition, the moving map display is positioned higher. The F/A-18D is configured for the night attack role, with FLIR, TINS, raster HUD, and instrumentation and cockpit arrangements modified for use with night vision goggles.

The first 31 F/A-18Ds built featured improved avionics and featured AMRAAM and Infrared Maverick capability, but were not considered as being fully equipped for night-attack duties. The latest F/A-18D aircraft from Block 29 onward (like their single-seat F/A-18C cousins) have been equipped with full night-attack capability, with a Kaiser AV/AVQ-28 raster HUD, an AN/AAS-38 thermal imaging set, and color MFDs. The Kaiser AV/AVQ-28 raster HUD that presents the images provided by the thermal imaging navigation set. The F/A-18D Night Attack Hornet has a pod-mounted Hughes AN/AAR-50 thermal imaging navigation set, a Loral AN/AAS-38 Nite Hawk FLIR targeting pod, and GEC Cat's Eyes pilot's night vision goggles. The Night Attack Hornet also features two Kaiser 5in x 5in color multi-function displays (these were monochrome in previous Hornets) and a Smiths Srs 2100 color digital moving map navigation display. From January 1993 onwards, the AAS-38 pod added a laser target designator/ranger subsystem, allowing Hornets to deliver precision laser-guided weapons autonomously of an external laser source.

The prototype for the fully-capable night attack F/A-18D was created by modifying the first F/A-18D (BuNo 163434). This was flown for the first time at St Louis on May 6, 1988. The first production night attack F/A-18D (BuNo 163986, first D in Block 29) was turned over to the Navy at NATC Patuxent River, Maryland on November 1, 1989.

The primary user of the Night Attack F/A-18D is the Marine Corps. 96 examples were ordered for all-weather attack units previously operating the A-6E Intruder, plus one ex-Phantom reconnaissance unit. In addition, the F/A-18D aircraft have replaced OA-4 Skyhawks for fast-jet forward air control and have taken over some of the roles carried out by OV-10A and OV-10D Broncos.

The first Night Attack F/A-18D was delivered to VMA(AW)-121 "Green Knights" on May 11, 1990. This unit previously operated A-6 Intruders, and was redesignated VMFA(AW)-121 upon receipt of the F/A-18D. This unit took part in Operation Desert Storm, carrying out fast forward air control missions in which they sought out small, mobile targets and marked them for destruction by Harriers, Skyhawks, Intruders, Thunderbolt IIs, F-16s and other Hornets.

There is also a reconnaissance version of the two-seat F/A-18D. With the amended designation F/A-18D(RC), some 48 F/A-18D Hornets have their M61A1 cannon replaced by a pallet-mounted electro-optical suite comprising a blister-mounted IR linescan and two roll-stabilized sensor units, all of these units recording onto video tape. A datalink pod can be added to the centerline pylon for instantaneous transmission of data, but the same position can also be used for a Loral AN/UPD-8 side-looking airborne radar. The F/A-18D(RC) can be reconfigured for standard attack operations in only a few hours.

The ability to carry the Martin Marietta ATARS (Advanced Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance System) centerline pod was added starting with BuNo 164649, the first aircraft in Block 36.

F/A-18D serial numbers:

  163434         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-23-MC Hornet

  163436         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-23-MC Hornet

  163441         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-23-MC Hornet

  163445         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-23-MC Hornet

  163447         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-23-MC Hornet

  163452         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-23-MC Hornet

  163454         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-23-MC Hornet

  163457         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-23-MC Hornet

  163460         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-24-MC Hornet

  163464         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-24-MC Hornet

  163468         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-24-MC Hornet

  163472         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-24-MC Hornet

  163474         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-24-MC Hornet

  163479         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-24-MC Hornet

  163482         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-24-MC Hornet

  163486         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-24-MC Hornet

  163488         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-25-MC Hornet

  163492         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-25-MC Hornet

  163497         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-25-MC Hornet

  163500/163501  McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-25-MC Hornet

  163507         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-25-MC Hornet

  163510         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-25-MC Hornet

  163700         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-26-MC Hornet 

  163707         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-26-MC Hornet 

  163720         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-26-MC Hornet 

  163734         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-27-MC Hornet 

  163749         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-27-MC Hornet 

  163763         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-28-MC Hornet 

  163771         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-28-MC Hornet 

  163778         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-28-MC Hornet 

  163986         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-29-MC Hornet

  163989         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-29-MC Hornet

  163991         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-29-MC Hornet

  163994         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-29-MC Hornet

  163997         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-29-MC Hornet

  164001         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-29-MC Hornet

  164005         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-29-MC Hornet

  164009         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-29-MC Hornet

  164011         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-29-MC Hornet

  164014         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-29-MC Hornet

  164017         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-30-MC Hornet

  164019         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-30-MC Hornet

  164022         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-30-MC Hornet

  164024         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-30-MC Hornet

  164026         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-30-MC Hornet

  164028         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-30-MC Hornet

  164032         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-30-MC Hornet

  164035         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-30-MC Hornet

  164038         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-30-MC Hornet

  164040         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-30-MC Hornet

  164043         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-31-MC Hornet

  164046         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-31-MC Hornet

  164049         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-31-MC Hornet

  164051         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-31-MC Hornet

  164053         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-31-MC Hornet

  164056         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-31-MC Hornet

  164058         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-31-MC Hornet

  164061         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-31-MC Hornet

  164064         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-31-MC Hornet

  164068         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-31-MC Hornet

  164196         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-32-MC Hornet

  164198         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-32-MC Hornet

  164203         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-32-MC Hornet

  164207         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-32-MC Hornet

  164211         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-32-MC Hornet

  164216         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-32-MC Hornet

  164219         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-32-MC Hornet

  164224         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-33-MC Hornet

  164228         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-33-MC Hornet

  164233         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-33-MC Hornet

  164237         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-33-MC Hornet

  164241         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-33-MC Hornet

  164245         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-33-MC Hornet

  164249         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-33-MC Hornet

  164254         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-34-MC Hornet

  164259         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-34-MC Hornet

  164263         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-34-MC Hornet

  164267         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-34-MC Hornet

  164272         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-34-MC Hornet

  164279         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-34-MC Hornet

  164415         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-34-MC Hornet

  164422         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D-34-MC Hornet

  164649/164653  McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 35-37 Hornet

  164659         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 35-37 Hornet

  164662         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 35-37 Hornet

  164665         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 35-37 Hornet

  164667         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 35-37 Hornet

  164670         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 35-37 Hornet

  164672         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 35-37 Hornet

  164674         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 35-37 Hornet

  164677         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 35-37 Hornet

  164679         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 35-37 Hornet

  164683         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 35-37 Hornet

  164685         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 35-37 Hornet

  164688         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 35-37 Hornet

  164690         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 35-37 Hornet

  164692         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 35-37 Hornet

  164694         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 38-40 Hornet

  164699         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 38-40 Hornet

  164702         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 38-40 Hornet

  164705         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 38-40 Hornet

  164711         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 38-40 Hornet

  164714         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 38-40 Hornet

  164717         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 38-40 Hornet

  164723         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 38-40 Hornet

  164726         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 38-40 Hornet

  164729         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 38-40 Hornet

  164735         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 38-40 Hornet

  164738         McDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Block 38-40 Hornet

  164865/164900  McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Block 41-43 Hornet

                  - C and D breakdown not known 

  164945/164980  McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Block 41-43 Hornet

                  - C and D breakdown not known

F-18L land-based version

While the carrier-based F-18A Hornet was being designed, a land-based version known as the F-18L was also planned. Since it did not have to carry any equipment for carrier-based operations, the F-18L was expected to be significantly lighter and better-performing than the carrier-based version. Although no orders had actually been received, it was anticipated that the F-18L would be an attractive proposition for those foreign air forces who wanted and could afford an aircraft with greater capabilities than those of the F-5.

As part of the original partnership arrangement between McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, it had been agreed that McDonnell Douglas would be the prime contractor for the carrier-based F-18A version of the Hornet, with Northrop being the prime contractor for the F-18L land-based version. The partnership between these two aerospace giants did not always go smoothly, and strains between the two corporations began to show almost immediately. In particular, a major disagreement arose over sales of the F-18L. It seemed that whenever foreign purchasers showed an interest in acquiring the land-based version of the F-18, McDonnell would often mount an active sales effort, putting the carrier-based McDonnell F-18 in direct competition with the land-based Northrop F-18L. Northrop management became very unhappy about what it perceived to be McDD's violation of the terms of their agreement, and in October 1979, a series of lawsuits was launched, with Northrop claiming that McDonnell was unfairly using Northrop technology developed for the F-18L to sell its own F-18A abroad. Northrop also charged that McDonnell was trying to sell Israel a version of the F-18 that competed directly with the Northrop F-18L. Northrop asked the courts to restrain McDonnell from trying to sell to any foreign government any version of the F-18 which took advantage of Northrop technology to the detriment of the latter company. The case dragged on in the courts for years, and was not settled until April of 1985. At that time, it was agreed that McDonnell Douglas would be prime contractor for all existing and future versions of the Hornet, and Northrop terminated all work on its F-18L land-based version.

Reconnaissance Hornets

The F/A-18(R) is a single-seat reconnaissance version of the Hornet.

In order to test the feasibility of the concept, McDonnell modified a single Block 4 F/A-18A (BuNo 161214) with a twin-sensor package in place of the 20-mm cannon. Sensors included low-altitude cameras, low-to medium-altitude panoramic cameras, and infrared linescan. The aircraft could be converted back to stock fighter configuration in only a few hours. The modified aircraft flew for the first time on August 15, 1984.

The F/A-18D(RC) is a reconnaissance version of the two-seat F/A-18D, with a dedicated back-seat crewman who operates the reconnaissance equipment full-time. The M61A1 gun is replaced by a pallet-mounted electro-optical suite with a blister-mounted infrared linescan and two roll-stabilized sensor units. These units record onto video tape, but a datalink pod can be added to the centerline for instantaneous transmission of images to ground stations. This version was intended for the Marine Corps, with the F/A-18D(RC) initially replacing the aging RF-4B Phantoms which served with VMFP-3 at MCAS El Toro, California. When the squadron was re-established on July 1, 1991, it was redesignated VMFA(AW)-225 ("Vagabonds").

The initial aircraft (BuNo 164649, first in block 36) capable of carrying the Martin Marietta Advanced Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance System (ATARS) centerline pod was delivered to the squadron on February 14, 1992. They would also supplement TARPS-equipped F-14 Tomcats in Navy service.

Hornet with US Navy and US Marine Corps

The story of the F/A-18 Hornet now continues with an account of its service with the US Navy and the US Marine Corps.

The F/A-18 Hornet had originally been ordered as a dual-role fighter and attack aircraft intended to replace the Vought A-7 Corsair II and the McDonnell F-4 Phantom in Navy service, and to augment the more costly Grumman F-14 Tomcat. In Marine Corps service, the Hornet now forms the backbone of the Corps' air power.

Following trials at NATC Patuxent River in Maryland and follow-on test and operational evaluations by test squadrons VX-4 and VX-5 at PMTC Point Mugu and NWC China Lake, California, the Hornet was declared ready for service. Some of the test results coming out of VX-4 and VX-5 did seem to indicate that the range of the F/A-18 was too small. Range has been one of the weak points of the Hornet ever since, and the range is still considered too small in spite of numerous attempts to fix it.

The first production F/A-18 was delivered to the Navy in May 1980. It had NAVY painted on one side and MARINES on the other, indicating that both services were to receive the aircraft. When either VF or VA Navy squadrons received the Hornet, they were redesignated VFA squadrons, indicating that they could perform both fighter and attack missions.

The Hornet was initially to be issued to training and fleet replacement squadrons (FRS), starting with VFA-125 "Rough Riders" which was commissioned as a FRS at NAS Lemoore, California on November 13, 1980. The first Hornets were issued to this squadron three months later. VFA-125 initially provided conversion training for pilots transitioning from Marine VMFA squadrons and from Navy VA and VF squadrons. Later, VFA-125 concentrated on training new pilots with no Fleet experience. In this role, they were later joined by an Atlantic Fleet FRS, VFA-106 "Gladiators" based at NAS Cecil Field in Florida and by a Marine Training Squadron, VMFAT-101 "Sharpshooters" at MCAS El Toro in California. These three replacement training units train pilots from both the Marine Corps and the Navy.

The initial experience with VFA-125 was more favorable than that with VX-4 and VX-5, and showed that the initial concerns about the range of the Hornet were somewhat exaggerated. The range of a "clean" Hornet could usually exceed that of a "clean" F-4 Phantom, and an Hornet with drop tanks could carry the same bombload as a A-7 Corsair without tanks. The Hornet was extremely easy to fly, and pilots could often achieve high bombing accuracy with relatively little practice. Although the F/A-18 had less range than the A-7 Corsair in some mission configurations, it could do more over target on less fuel. During air-to-air combat exercises, the Hornet could outstay the A-4, F-4, and F-14. In air-to-air engagements against the F-14, the F-18 pilot was usually able to outmaneuver the Tomcat and was able to get into a firing position in the rear hemisphere on most occasions. The requirement for the combat radius in the fighter escort role was 400 nautical miles --- the Hornet actually achieved 380.

The Marine Corps was actually ahead of the Navy in getting the Hornet into actual operational service. The first operational units to convert to the Hornet were VMFA-314 "Black Knights" and VMFA-323, both based at El Toro, California. They received their first Hornets in January and March 1983 respectively. They were deployed aboard the USS Coral Sea for its 1983 Mediterranean cruise, during which they were deployed in operations against Libya.

The Navy received its first operational Hornets later in 1983. Navy squadrons VA-113 and VA-25 at NAS Lemoore converted from A-7Es to Hornets in the fall of 1983, being redesignated VFA-113 and VFA-25 respectively.

The Marines were very happy with their new mounts, finding them easier to fly, easier to fight, and easier to maintain than the F-4 Phantoms that they had replaced. During the early days of Marine Corps service, a VFMA-314 Hornet pilot got into an air-to-air furball with a MiG-23 operated by the USAF 4470th Test Group at Tonopah, Nevada, and supposedly "waxed the MiG all over the sky".

With increased service experience, an unexpected problem appeared. It turned out that the Hornet was flown more than initially anticipated in the high angle of attack regime, where aerodynamic loads on the tail from turbulent air generated by the LERX were particularly severe, resulting in fatigue-related cracks in the tail area. The F/A-18 fleet was grounded for a brief time in late 1984 while a fix was developed. In order to correct the problem, McDonnell developed a modification kit which consisted of the addition of four-inch long steel doublers to two of the tail mountings and replacing a non-structural fairing with a stronger fairing. Later, an airflow fence was added to the top of the LERXs to divert airflow away from the fins and enabling pilots to continue to fly their aircraft at high angles of attack without risking damage to the tail.

The first operational cruise by Navy Hornet squadrons took place in February-August 1985, with VFA-25 and VFA-113 deploying aboard the USS Constellation (CV-64), which went to the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans. This cruise established the Hornet as an extremely reliable aircraft requiring much less maintenance than the F-14A and the A-6E. Mission capable rates were 89 percent.

The next Hornet cruise was with Navy squadrons VFA-131 and VFA-132 and Marine Corps squadrons VMFA-314 and VMFA-323 as part of CVW-13 aboard the USS Coral Sea (CV-43) for what was expected to be a routine deployment to the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. However, in 1986, the United States government convinced itself that Libya's Colonel Khaddafi was an important source of support for anti-US terrorist activity in Europe. In addition, Colonel Khaddafi claimed the Gulf of Sidra as Libyan territorial waters, declaring a "Line of Death" across the entrance to the gulf beyond which ships of other nations would not be allowed to enter. In response, President Ronald Reagan ordered the Sixth Fleet to begin Freedom of Navigation maneuvers in the Gulf of Sidra to demonstrate American resolve to operate freely in what it believed to be international waters. F/A-18s from the Coral Sea flew combat air patrols, protecting the carrier group from Libyan aircraft. The Hornets were frequently called upon to intercept and challenge numerous MiG-23s, MiG-25s, Su-22s, and Mirages sent out by Libya to harass the fleet. The Hornets often flew only a few feet from their adversaries, ready to shoot if need be.

In Operation Prairie Fire on March 24/15, 1986, the Hornets went into action for the first time, flying several ship-to-shore air strikes against Libyan shore installations that were harassing the fleet. During this action, the Hornets attacked the SA-5 missile site at Sirte which had been "painting" US aircraft on its radars. This was the combat debut for the Hornet, and incidentally marked the first combat use of the AGM-88A HARM anti-radiation missile. The Hornets attacked the SAM sites in bad weather and at wavetop heights. All Hornets returned to their carriers without mishap.

On April 15, 1986, Operation Eldorado Canyon was staged, which was a combined USAF/Navy attack on targets in and around Tripoli and Benghazi. The Hornets teamed up with A-7E Corsairs from other carriers to strike at Libyan SAM sites using HARM missiles. Numerous SA-2 missiles were fired at the Hornets, but they all missed. Again, the Hornets acquitted themselves without mishap.

The first Naval Air Reservice squadron was equipped with the Hornet in September of 1985. This was VFA-303 "Golden Hawks", based at NAS Lemoore, California.

The first F/A-18C version was delivered to the Navy on September 23, 1986, being turned over to the Naval Weapons Center at China Lake.

The 500th Hornet reached the service on May 15, 1987. This was delivered to VMFA-145 at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina. The first squadrons to transition from the A to the C model made the switch in 1989. These were VFA-25 "Fist of the Fleet" and VFA-113 "Stingers".

The first night-attack F/A-18C (BuNo 163985) was delivered to NATC Patuxent River, Maryland on November 1, 1989.

During the Gulf War of 1991, 190 Navy and Marine Corps Hornets were used in the action --- 106 on aircraft carriers and 84 with land-based Marine Corps units. One was lost in combat, and two were lost in non-combat accidents. Three more F/A-18s were hit by infrared-homing surface-to-air missiles, but were able to made it back to their launch points where they were repaired and used again, demonstrating the essential robustness of the airframe. The Hornets flew six types of missions --- fleet air defense, SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses), interdiction, self-escort, offensive and defensive counter-air, and close support. On a typical SEAD mission, the Hornet carried two drop tanks, two AGM-88A HARM antiradiation missiles, two AIM-7 Sparrow missiles, and two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. On interdiction missions, they would typically carry three Mk 20 Rockeye cluster bomb units, two drop tanks, two AIM-7s and two AIM-9s. In attacks on Silkworm anti-ship missile sites, the Hornets used AGM-142 Walleyes, SLAM (Standoff Land Attack Missile, a ground attack version of the AGM-84 Harpoon antiship missile), and Mk 80 iron bombs. Two F/A-18Cs scored air-to-air kills. Four Navy Hornets from VFA-81 "Sunliners" were on their way to a target on January 17, 1991 (the first day of the war) when two of them were engaged by Iraqi F-7As (Chinese-built MiG-21). LtCdr Ed Fox in F/A-18C BuNo 163508 and Lt Nick Mongillo in F/A-18C BuNo 163502 got a MiG apiece with AIM-9 Sidewinder shots without having to dump their bombs and then pressed on to their targets. Unfortunately, F/A-18C BuNo 163484 and its VFA-81 pilot Lt Cdr Michael Speicher were lost to ground fire (some sources say this plane was shot down by missiles fired by an Iraqi MiG-25 that was in the area).

A milestone was crossed on April 22, 1992, when the Marine Corps received the 1000th Hornet. This was F/A-18D BuNo 164237, which was delivered to VMFA(AW)-242 at MCAS El Toro. The Marine Corps has been the primary user of the F/A-18D, preferring the second crewman as a dedicated WSO. The Marine Corps has by now completely replaced its fleet of A-6 Intruders and RF-4B Phantoms by F/A-18Ds.

The Blue Angels flight demonstration team converted from Douglas A-4Fs to F/A-18As in the winter of 1986. The Hornet is still operated by the team today. The team has nine Hornets, with one of them being a two-seat F/A-18B and two being held in reserve. The single seat aircraft are early F/A-18As which are no longer considered capable of carrier operation. They have new flight control system software optimized for aerobatics. The gun is removed, and new seat harnesses are fitted to help the pilot handle the weightlessness caused by some maneuvers, and civilian ILS and navigation equipment is fitted. A smoke generation system is fitted for use during aerial displays.

United States Marine Corps squadrons using the Hornet:

VMFA-314 "Black Knights"

Converted to F/A-18A in 1982-83.
Based at MCAS El Toro

VMFA-323 "Death Rattlers"

Converted to F/A-18A in late 1983.
Based at MCAS El Toro

VMFA-531 "Grey Ghosts"

Converted to F/A-18A in summer of 1983
Based at MCAS El Toro
Stood down March 31, 1992 as part of general round of defense cuts.

VMFA-115 "Silver Eagles"

Transitioned to Hornet from F-4S in 1985.
Based at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina

VMFA-122 "Crusaders"

Transitioned to Hornet from F-4S in 1986.
Based at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina
Decommissioned in 1991.

VMFA-251 "Thunderbolts"

Transitioned to Hornet from F-4S in 1986.
Based at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina

VMFA-451 "Warlords"

Transitioned to Hornet from F-4S in 1987.
Based at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina

VMFA-333 "Shamrocks"

Transitioned to Hornet from F-4S in 1987.
Based at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina
Stood down on March 31, 1992 as part of general round of defense cuts.

VMFA-312 "Checkertails"

Transitioned to Hornet from F-4S in 1988.
Based at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina

VMFAT-101 "Sharpshooters"

USMC Fleet Replacement Squadron Received Hornets in late 1987.
Based at MCAS El Toro, California

VMFA-212 "Lancers"

Converted to F/A-18C in 1988/99
Based at MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii

VMFA-232 "Red Devils"

Converted to F/A-18C in mid-1989
Based at MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii

VMFA-134 "Hawks"

First USMC Reserve unit to receive Hornet
Converted to Hornet from Phantom in early 1989.
Based at MCAS El Toro, California

VMFA-235 "Death Angels"

Transitioned to F/A-18C in Summer of 1989.
Based at MCAS Kaneohe Bay

VMFA(AW)-121 "Green Knights"

Transitioned to F/A-18D
Stationed at Iwakuni in Japan.
Now at MCAS El Toro, California.

VMFA(AW)-202

To receive F/A-18D

VMFA(AW)-224

To receive F/A-18D

VMFA(AW)-225 "Vagabonds"

Operates F/A-18D(CR). Based at MCAS El Toro, California.

VMFA(AW)-242 "Batmen"

Operates F/A-18D. Based at MCAS El Toro, California.

VMFA(AW)-332

To receive F/A-18D

VMFA(AW)-553

To receive F/A-18D

VFMA-112 "Cowboys"

Operates F/A-18A. Marine Corp Reserve, based at NAS Dallas, Texas

VFMA-142 "Flying Gators"

Operates F/A-18A Marine Corps Reserve, based at NAS Cecil Field, Florida

VFMA-321 "Black Barons"

Operates F/A-18A. Marine Corps Reserve, based at NAF Washington

VFMA-322

Operates F/A-18A. Marine Corp Reserve, based at NAS Dallas, Texas

Squadrons operating the Hornet with the United State Navy:

VFA-125 "Rough Raiders"

Activated with Hornet in November 1980.
Fleet Replacement Squadron for Pacific Fleet
NAS Lemoore, California

VX-4 "Evaluators"

NAS Point Mugu, California

VX-5 "Vampires"

NAS China Lake, California

VFA-113 "Stingers"

Previously VA-113 with A-7E Corsair II, redesignated VFA-113 when re-equipped with Hornet in March 1983.
Air Wing Fourteen (previously on USS Independence, now shore based at NAS Lemoore).

VFA-25 "Fist of the Fleet"

Previously VA-25 with A-7E Corsair II, redesignated VFA-25 when re-equipped with Hornet in July 1983.
Air Wing Fourteen (previously on USS Independence, now shore based at NAS Lemoore).

VFA-131 "Wildcats"

Established at NAS Lemoore October 1983.
Air Wing Seven (USS Dwight D. Eisenhower)

VFA-132 "Privateers"

Established at NAS Lemoore January 1984.
Transferred to Air Wing Six in 1990.

VFA-303 "Golden Hawks"

Naval Air Reserve Previously VA-303 with A-7, redesignated VFA-303 when reequipped with Hornet at NAS Miramar in January 1984. First Reserve Hornet unit. Stationed at NAS Lemoore.

VFA-106 "Gladiators"

Formed April 1984 at NAS Cecil Field, Florida as Atlantic Fleet Replacement Unit.

VFA-195 "Dambusters"

Previously VA-195 with A-7E Corsair II, redesignated VFA-195 when re-equipped with Hornet in April 1985.
Reassigned to CVW-5 at Atsugi, Japan in November 1986.
Air Wing Five (USS Independence), Pacific Fleet

VFA-136 "Knight Hawks"

Established at NAS Lemoore July 1985.
Reassigned to NAS Cecil Field, Florida.
Air Wing Seven (USS Dwight D. Eisenhower), Atlantic Fleet

VFA-137 "Kestrels"

Established at NAS Cecil Field, Florida July 1985.
Air Wing Six

VFA-192 "World Famous Golden Dragons"

Previously VA-192 with A-7E Corsair II, redesignated VFA-192 when re-equipped with Hornet in April 1985.
Moved to Atsugi in November 1986.
Air Wing Five (USS Independence), Pacific Fleet

VFA-87 "Golden Warriors"

Previously VA-87 with A-7E Corsair II, redesignated VFA-87 when re-equipped with Hornet in May 1986
Air Wing Eight (USS Theodore Roosevelt), Atlantic Fleet

VFA-151 "Vigilantes"

Formerly VF-151 equipped with F-4 Phantom, redesignated VFA-151 when re-equipped with Hornet June 1986. Moved to Atsugi, Japan. First ex-Phantom unit to transition to Hornet.
Air Wing Five (USS Independence), Pacific Fleet Transferred from Atsugi to Lemoore in September 1991.

VFA-161 "Chargers"

Formerly VF-161 equipped with F-4 Phantom, redesignated VFA-151 when re-equipped with Hornet June 1986. Moved to Atsugi, Japan.

VFA-15 "Valions"

Previously VA-15 with A-7E Corsair II, redesignated VFA-15 when re-equipped with Hornet in October 1986 at NAS Cecil Field, Florida.
Air Wing Eight (USS Theodore Roosevelt), Atlantic Fleet

VFA-305 "Lobos"

Naval Air Reserve
Previously reserve unit VA-305 with A-7E Corsair II, redesignated VFA-305 when re-equipped with Hornet in January 1987 at NAS Point Mugu, California.

VFA-82 "Marauders"

Previously VA-82 with A-7E Corsair II, redesignated VFA-82 when re-equipped with F/A-18C in July 1987 at NAS Cecil Field, Florida.
First US Navy unit to receive F/A-18C.
Air Wing One (USS America), Atlantic Fleet.

VFA-86 "Marauders"

Previously VA-86 with A-7E Corsair II, redesignated VFA-86 when re-equipped with Hornet in July 1987 at NAS Cecil Field, Florida.
Air Wing One (USS America), Atlantic Fleet

VFA-81 "Sunliners"

Previously VA-81 with A-7E Corsair II, redesignated VFA-81 when re-equipped with Hornet in February 1988 at NAS Cecil Field, Florida.
Air Wing Seventeen (USS Saratoga), Atlantic Fleet

VFA-83 "Rampagers"

Previously VA-83 with A-7E Corsair II, redesignated VFA-83 when re-equipped with Hornet in February 1988 at NAS Cecil Field, Florida.
Air Wing Seventeen (USS Saratoga), Atlantic Fleet

VFA-27 "Royal Maces"

Previously VA-27 with A-7E Corsair II,
Air Wing Fifteen (USS Carl Vinson), Pacific Fleet

VFA-97 "Warhawks"

Formed at Lemoore in 1991
Air Wing Fifteen (USS Carl Vinson), Pacific Fleet

VFA-37 "Bulls"

Formed at Cecil Field in 1991
Air Wing Three (USS John F. Kennedy), Atlantic Fleet

VFA-47

To form at Cecil Field in 1991

VFA-72

To form at Cecil Field in 1991

VFA-105 "Gunslingers"

Formed at Cecil Field in 1991 with F/A-18C.
Air Wing Three (USS John F. Kennedy), Atlantic Fleet

VFA-204 "River Rattlers"

Naval Air Reserve unit formed at New New Orleans in 1991. Replaced A-7, finally retiring the last Corsair IIs from the Naval Air Reserve.

VFA-22 "Fighting Redcocks"

Formed at Lemoore at 1992 with F/A-18C
Air Wing Eleven (USS Abraham Lincoln), Pacific Fleet

VFA-94 "Shrikes"

Formed at Lemoore at 1992
Air Wing Eleven (USS Abraham Lincoln), Pacific Fleet

VFA-146 "Blue Diamonds"

Transitioned to F/A-18C
Air Wing Nine (USS Nimitz), Pacific Fleet

VFA-147 "Argonauts"

Transitioned to F/A-18C
Air Wing Nine (USS Nimitz), Pacific Fleet

VAQ-24 "Electric Horsemen"

Naval Air Reserve, NAS Lemoore, California

VFA-203 "Blue Dolphins"

Naval Air Reserve, NAS Cecil Field/NAF New Orleans

This information is a couple of years old, and I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has any additions or corrections.

Hornet in service with Canada

The first export customer for the Hornet was Canada. In March of 1977, the Canadian government authorized the Department of National Defense to start looking for a New Fighter Aircraft (NFA) to replace the CF-101 Voodoo, CF-5 Freedom Fighter, and the CF-104 Starfighter with the Canadian Forces. Canadian officers looked at several different fighter designs, but very rapidly the primary competitors for the Canadian order became the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. Northrop attempted to push its F-18L land-based Hornet derivative, but this was ruled out on technical legal grounds, although Canadian pilots were very enthusiastic about the YF-17 when they evaluated it while it was serving as the F-18L demonstrator.

On April 10, 1980, Canada announced that the F/A-18 Hornet had been selected as the winner of the contest. The initial order was for 113 single-seaters and 24 two seaters, with options being taken for 20 more. Later, another 11 single-seaters were ordered.

The Canadian F/A-18 is essentially identical to the US Navy version, but has an Instrument Landing System (ILS) in place of the Automatic Carrier Landing System (ACLS). In addition, a 600,000-candlepower spotlight is fitted on the port side of the forward fuselage to enable night identification of other aircraft. It has provision for LAU-5003 rocket pods (containing 19 Bristol Aerospace CRV-7 2.75-inch rockets) and BL-755 cluster bombs.

The aircraft is designated CF-188 (single seat) and CF-188B (two seat) in Canadian Armed Forces service. The two-seater was initially designated CF-188D, the D standing for "Dual", following previous Canadian practice. However, this was eventually changed to CF-188B, lest the aircraft be confused with the D model of the F/A-18. The name of the aircraft is CF-18 (single-seat) and CF-18B (two-seat) in Canadian service. The name Hornet is deliberately not used in Canadian service, since the French translation of "Hornet" is "Frelon", which has already been assigned to a French-built Aerospatiale helicopter.

The first production CF-18 aircraft for Canada took off on its first flight at St Louis on July 29, 1982, and was delivered on October 27. All CF-18s were built by McDonnell in production blocks 9 to 23, the last of 98 examples being delivered in September of 1988. They were assigned Canadian military serials 188701 through 188798. The 40 two-seat CF-18Bs were built in Blocks 8 to 25, and were assigned Canadian military serials 188901 through 188940.

Canada had planned to order 11 of the aircraft on which it had options, but allowed its option to lapse on April 1, 1985. At the same time, the original contract was modified to 98 single seaters and 40 two-seaters, for a total of 138.

The first Canadian Armed Forces unit to be equipped with the CF-18 was the No 410 "Cougar" Operational Training Squadron based at Cold Lake, Alberta, this unit receiving its first planes on October 30, 1982. The first year of service was spent training instructors on the new aircraft in preparation for the conversion of other squadrons to the type.

The CF-18 has served with No 416 "Lynx" and No 441 "Silver Fox" Tactical Fighter Squadrons based at Cold Lake, Alberta, with No 425 "Alouettes" and No 433 "Porcupine" Tactical Fighter Squadrons based at Bagotville, Quebec, and with No 409 "Nighthawk", No 421 "Red Indian", and No 439 "Tiger" Tactical Fighter Squadrons stationed at Baden-Sollingen in Germany.

The CF-18s of No 409 Squadron were transferred from Baden-Sollingen to Qatar on October 7, 1990 during the buildup of Coalition forces for Desert Storm. 20 aircraft were involved. Personnel from No 439 Squadron took over in mid-December. The primary mission of the CF-18s was to protect Canadian Forces warships against Iraqi Mirage F1EQs carrying AM 39 Exocet antiship missiles. No Canadian Forces CF-18s were lost during the Gulf War.

Following its participation in Desert Storm, No 409 Tactical Fighter Squadron was disbanded in 1991, turning over some of its aircraft to Nos 421 and 439 Squadrons. No 421 Squadron disbanded in June of 1992, and No 439 stood down in December of 1992. Following the end of the Cold War, Baden-Sollingen closed down in 1994, and all the Hornets based there were returned to Canada.

Once the European- based aircraft returned home, the CF-18 force was now down from seven to four active duty squadrons --- Nos 416, 441, 425, and 433 Squadrons --- plus the No 410 training squadron at Cold Lake. Two of these squadrons will be on notice for a quick return to Europe if an emergency breaks out, and the other two will be assigned to the support of maritime operations. The primary role of all four squadrons, however, will be the aerial defense of Canada.

Following the disestablishment of the European-based CF-18 squadrons, some of their planes were redistributed to the surviving four Canadian-based squadrons, whereas others were placed in storage. By the end of 1994, out of the 125 CF-18s originally in the Canadian inventory, only about 72 remained in operational squadrons, with the remainder serving with the training unit at Cold Lake or else being placed in storage.

In 1995, The Canadian Forces Air Command announced that a further 12 CF-188 s would be withdrawn from active service and placed into ready reserve storage. This now leaves only 60 of the CF-18 fighters in four operational squadrons, each with 15 rather than 18 CF-18s. Some 23 additional CF-18s serve with No 410 Squadron at Cold Lake, with another 23 being either already in storage or under repair.

The reduced utilization should extend the lifetime of the CF-18 until 2014. In the meantime, an upgrade program is being planned which will probably include APG-65 radar improvements, modification of the ALR-67 radar warning receiver, and expanded capability for the mission computer and stores management system.

Serials of CF-18A:

  188701          McDonnell Douglas Block 9 CF-18A

  188702/188706   McDonnell Douglas Block 10 CF-18A

  188707/188713   McDonnell Douglas Block 11 CF-18A

  188714/188720   McDonnell Douglas Block 12 CF-18A

  188721/188727   McDonnell Douglas Block 13 CF-18A

  188728/188734   McDonnell Douglas Block 14 CF-18A

  188735/188740   McDonnell Douglas Block 15 CF-18A

  188741/188747   McDonnell Douglas Block 16 CF-18A

  188748/188754   McDonnell Douglas Block 17 CF-18A

  188755/188761   McDonnell Douglas Block 18 CF-18A

  188762/188768   McDonnell Douglas Block 19 CF-18A

  188769/188774   McDonnell Douglas Block 20 CF-18A

  188775/188782   McDonnell Douglas Block 21 CF-18A

  188783/188790   McDonnell Douglas Block 22 CF-18A

  188791/188798   McDonnell Douglas Block 23 CF-18A

Serials of CF-18B:

  

  188901/188904   McDonnell Douglas Block 8 CF-18B

  188905/188909   McDonnell Douglas Block 9 CF-18B

  188910/188912   McDonnell Douglas Block 10 CF-18B

  188913/188914   McDonnell Douglas Block 12 CF-18B

  188915          McDonnell Douglas Block 13 CF-18B

  188916          McDonnell Douglas Block 14 CF-18B

  188917/188918   McDonnell Douglas Block 15 CF-18B

  188919          McDonnell Douglas Block 16 CF-18B

  188920/188921   McDonnell Douglas Block 17 CF-18B

  188922          McDonnell Douglas Block 18 CF-18B

  188923          McDonnell Douglas Block 19 CF-18B

  188924/188925   McDonnell Douglas Block 20 CF-18B

  188926/188934   McDonnell Douglas Block 24 CF-18B

  188935/188940   McDonnell Douglas Block 25 CF-18B

Hornet in service with Australia

After a six-year evaluation period, on October 20, 1981, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) announced that they had selected the F-18 Hornet as the replacement for the Dassault Mirage IIIO. The Hornet was selected over its rival, the F-16, by virtue of its ground-attack avionics, BVR missile capability, and twin-engined safety. This choice was made before the Hornet had achieved IOC with any US service.

The initial order was for 57 single seaters and 18 two-seaters. The single seater is sometimes listed as AF/A-18A, the two-seater as AF/A-18B, with the A standing for "Australia", although these designations are not official DoD designations. As part of the Australian Hornet deal, a complex offset arrangement was arranged, with as much as 40 percent of the components being manufactured in Australia. McDonnell was to be responsible for the manufacture of the first few examples, with the Government Aircraft Factory (later renamed Aerospace Technologies of Australia, or ASTA) at Avalon, Victoria being responsible for the assembly of the remainder out of parts supplied by both US and Australian factories. There was to be extensive local input, with ASTA being responsible for final assembly, as well as the manufacture of forward fuselage installations, trailing edge flaps, and shroud assemblies, radome assemblies, and all transparencies. Dunlop Aviation Australia was to make the wheel and brake assemblies as well as the airspeed indicator. Software was to be done by Computer Sciences Australia, and electronic components were provided by Morris Productions, Philips, Thorn EMI Electronics Australia, and Standard Telephones and Cables. The F404 turbofans were to be built under license by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation, with the radar and other avionics being built by British Aerospace Australia, Ltd.

In May of 1984, McDonnell shipped components for the first two AF/A-18As to Avalon. The first two fully-assembled Hornets for Australia were manufactured by McDonnell in St Louis, and were handed over on October 29, 1984. These were both two-seat AF/A-18Bs. They were retained at St Louis for training until May 17, 1985, when they were transferred to RAAF Williamtown. The remaining planes on the order were all assembled in Australia. The first Australian-assembled Hornet was flown on February 26, 1985 and was delivered on May 4. The first completely all-Australian Hornet took off on its maiden flight on June 3, 1985.

The Australian Hornet deletes the catapult launch equipment, has a conventional ILS/VOR, has landing lights, is equipped with a fatigue recorder, and has an added high-frequency radio for long-range communications, but is otherwise identical to the Navy/Marine Corps version. Australian Hornets are fully compatible with the AGM-65 Maverick air-to- surface missile and the AGM-84 Harpoon anti-shipping missile. In addition, it is equipped so that it can carry a reconnaissance pod in place of the internal cannon.

The 57 single-seat AF/A-18As are Block 14 to 28 aircraft, and are assigned RAAF serials A21-1 through A21-57. The 18 two-seat AF/A-18Bs were assigned RAAF serials A21-101 through A21-118. Production shifted to the F/A-18C/D standard in FY1986, with the use of a modified Flight Incident Recorder and Monitor System, provision for AIM-120 AMRAAM, improved fuel systems, and an Airborne Self-Protection Jammer. The last example was delivered by ASTA on May 16, 1990.

First to receive the Hornet was No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit based at RAAF Williamtown in New South Wales, which began training Hornet pilots in the summer of 1985. Hornets currently serve with No 3 and No 77 Squadrons at RAAF Williamtown in New South Wales and with No 75 Squadron at RAAF Tindal in the Northern Territory near Darwin.

Almost immediately after the delivery of the last Australian Hornet, ASTA began an upgrade for the Hornet fleet, bringing them all up to the operational equivalent of the F/A-18C/D. This included provision for carrying the AIM-120 AMRAAM, which has yet to be utilized. New mission computers, armament control processor, stick-top controls to enhance HOTAS capabilities, data storage and data transfer equipment, a revised flight management system, improved electronic countermeasures equipment, and target designation capability have all been incorporated. RAAF Hornets have added the ability to integrate a Northrop AN/ALQ-162 radar jammer and to carry the new Loral AN/AAS-38 Nite Hawk FLIR pod equipped with Laser Target Designator/Ranging equipment that make it possible for the Hornet to do its own target marking for precision delivery of laser-guided weapons.

23 examples had provision for reconnaissance systems, with provision for the nose-mounted gun to be interchangeable with a sensor pallet. Sensor systems that are available are KA-56 3-inch panoramic camers, KS-87 6-inch side oblique camers, KA-93 24-inch sector panoramic cameras, and KS-87 12-inch split vertical cameras.

Some of the two-seat Australian Hornets were provided with night-attack capability, with the configuration being quite similar to that of the USMC Night Attack aircraft. These include night vision goggles, modified cockpit lighting, modified HUD displaying FLIR information, and digital color map display for both cockpits. However, the FLIR is the AAS-38 rather than the AAS-50.

Future plans are to upgrade the AN/APG-65 radar to AN/APG-73 standards and to upgrade the F-404-GE-400 turbofans to -402s.

Two A models and two B models have been lost in crashes. A21-104 was lost in November 1987, and A21-41 was lost in a midair collision with A21-29 (A21-29 landed at Tindal) in August 1990. A21-41 was lost in June 1991, and A21-106 was lost in May 1992.

Serials of AF/A-18A:

  A21-1/A21-3      McDonnell Douglas AF/A-18A Block 14 Hornet

  A21-4/A21-7      McDonnell Douglas AF/A-18A Block 15 Hornet

  A21-8/A21-11     McDonnell Douglas AF/A-18A Block 16 Hornet

  A21-12/A21-18    McDonnell Douglas AF/A-18A Block 17 Hornet

  A21-19/A21-21    McDonnell Douglas AF/A-18A Block 19 Hornet

  A21-22/A21-27    McDonnell Douglas AF/A-18A Block 20 Hornet

  A21-28/A21-32    McDonnell Douglas AF/A-18A Block 21 Hornet

  A21-33/A21-36    McDonnell Douglas AF/A-18A Block 22 Hornet

  A21-37/A21-40    McDonnell Douglas AF/A-18A Block 23 Hornet

  A21-41/A21-44    McDonnell Douglas AF/A-18A Block 24 Hornet

  A21-45/A21-49    McDonnell Douglas AF/A-18A Block 25 Hornet

  A21-50/A21-53    McDonnell Douglas AF/A-18A Block 26 Hornet

  A21-54/A21-56    McDonnell Douglas AF/A-18A Block 27 Hornet

  A21-576          McDonnell Douglas AF/A-18A Block 28 Hornet

Serials of AF/A-18B:

  A21-101/A21-107  McDonnell Douglas AF/A-18B Block 14 Hornet 

  A21-108/A21-112  McDonnell Douglas AF/A-18B Block 18 Hornet 

  A21-113/A21-114  McDonnell Douglas AF/A-18B Block 19 Hornet 

  A21-115/A21-116  McDonnell Douglas AF/A-18B Block 22 Hornet 

  A21-117/A21-118  McDonnell Douglas AF/A-18B Block 23 Hornet

Hornet in Service with Spain

The first European customer for the Hornet was the air force of Spain, the Ejercito del Aire Espanol.

Spain did not join NATO until May of 1982, but even before that date the Spanish government had issued a requirement for a new fighter/attack aircraft that would replace its fleet of F-4C Phantoms, F-5 Freedom Fighters, and Mirages. In response to the announced requirement, the US government initially offered Spain an interim loan of 42 ex-USAF F-4E Phantoms, followed by the sale of 72 F-16s. However, the F-18 entered the competition in 1980, offering the benefit of a twin-engine safety margin.

In December of 1982, Spain announced that they had selected the Hornet, and made plans to order 72 single-seaters and 12 two-seat versions. However, this proved more than the Spanish government could afford, and the order was reduced to only 72 aircraft of both types on May 31, 1983.

As part of an offset agreement reached with Spain, Construcciones Aeronauticas SA (CASA) at Gefale is responsible for the maintenance of EdA Hornets. CASA is also responsible for major overhauls of Canadian Hornets based in Europe, as well as the Hornets of the US 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean.

The Spanish Hornets are sometimes referred to as EF-18A and EF-18B, the "E" standing for "Espana" (Spain) rather than for "Electronic" as would normally be the case for an official Department of Defense designation. They have local EdA designations C.15 and CE.15 respectively. Serial numbers are C.15-13 thru C.15-71 and CE.15-1 thru CE.15-12 respectively.

The first EdA Hornet, EF-18B CE.15-01, was presented in a formal ceremony at St Louis on November 22, 1985, and made its initial flight in December. The first few two-seaters were sent to Whiteman AFB in Missouri, where McDonnell Douglas personnel assisted in the training of the first few Spanish instructors. The first two-seater was flown to Spain on July 10, 1986. By early 1987, all 12 two-seaters had been delivered to Spain, after which the single-seaters were delivered. A total of 60 EF-18As and 12 EF-18Bs have been delivered, the last planes being delivered in July of 1990.

The Hornet serves with Escuadron 151 and Escuadron 152 of Ala de Caza 15 at Zaragoza-Valenzuela and with Escuadron 121 and Escuadron 122 of Ala de Caza 12 at Torrejon de Ardoz.

Spain has ordered 80 Texas Instruments AGM-88 HARM antiradiation missiles and 20 McDonnell Douglas AGM-84 Harpoon anti-shipping missiles. The Spanish Hornets carry the Sanders AN/ALQ-126B deception jammer and on the last 36 aircraft, Northrop AN/ALQ-162(V) systems.

In 1993, plans were announced for the EdA's fleet of EF-18A/B Hornets to be upgraded to F/A-18C/D standards. McDonnell Douglas will rework 46 of these planes, with the remainder being upgraded by CASA. Most of the changes involve computer improvements and new software, although some changes are required to the weapons delivery pylons. Following the rework, the planes will be redesignated EF-18A+ and EF-18B+.

Worried about a "fighter gap" opening up early in the next century because of delays in the Eurofighter 2000 program, Spain has gone in search of additional fighter aircraft. Spain has acquired some additional Mirage F1s from Qatar and France. The USAF has offered Spain 50 surplus F-16A/B Fighting Falcons and the US Navy has offered about 30 F/A-18As. These would appear to have the advantage, since Spain already operates the Hornet.

Serials of EF-18A:

  C.15-13           McDonnell Douglas EF-18A Block 18 Hornet

  C.15-14/C.15-16   McDonnell Douglas EF-18A Block 20 Hornet

  C.15-17/C.15-21   McDonnell Douglas EF-18A Block 21 Hornet

  C.15-22/C.15-30   McDonnell Douglas EF-18A Block 22 Hornet

  C.15-31/C.15-39   McDonnell Douglas EF-18A Block 23 Hornet

  C.15-40/C.15-45   McDonnell Douglas EF-18A Block 24 Hornet

  C.15-46/C.15-47   McDonnell Douglas EF-18A Block 25 Hornet

  C.15-48/C.15-52   McDonnell Douglas EF-18A Block 26 Hornet

  C.15-53/C.15-57   McDonnell Douglas EF-18A Block 27 Hornet

  C.15-58/C.15-64   McDonnell Douglas EF-18A Block 28 Hornet

  C.15-65/C.15-66   McDonnell Douglas EF-18A Block 29 Hornet

  C.15-67/C.15-70   McDonnell Douglas EF-18A Block 30 Hornet

  C.15-71/C.15-72   McDonnell Douglas EF-18A Block 31 Hornet

Serials of EF-18B:

  CE.15-1/CE.15-2   McDonnell Douglas EF-18B Block 17 Hornet

  CE.15-3/CE.15-4   McDonnell Douglas EF-18B Block 18 Hornet

  CE.15-5/CE.15-8   McDonnell Douglas EF-18B Block 19 Hornet

  CE.15-9           McDonnell Douglas EF-18B Block 20 Hornet

  CE.15-10/CE.15-12 McDonnell Douglas EF-18B Block 21 Hornet

Hornet for Kuwait

In August of 1988, the Al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Kuwaitiya (Kuwait Air Force) ordered 40 Hornets. These aircraft were to be built to F/A-18C and D standards and were to be equipped with more powerful F404-GE-402 turbofans. The Kuwaiti Hornets were in fact to be the very first Hornets that would be powered by this version of this engine. The Kuwaiti Hornets are sometimes referred to as KAF-18C and D, although these are not official DoD designations.

Delivery had originally been scheduled to commence in August of 1991, but the occupation of Kuwait by Iraq and the ensuing Gulf War delayed the delivery of the Hornets. However, even during the time of the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait, the manufacture of the Kuwaiti Hornets still continued despite the uncertainty.

Following the ejection of Iraqi occupation forces from Kuwait, the delivery program went forward. The first KAF-18D (serial number 441) was flown on September 19, 1991, and officially presented to the KAF on October 8. The early KAF aircraft were Block 35 aircraft, but were fitted with the -402 powerplant in a production line which otherwise used the -400. The first three Hornets were flown to Kuwait on January 25, 1992, and the last of the initial batch (from Block 40) arrived in Kuwait on August 21, 1993. completing the initial order for 32 KAF-18Cs and eight KAF-18Ds.

The Hornets first received were given to No 25 Squadron operating from Kuwait International Airport, but they are ultimately destined for Ali Al Salem military air base. Later machines went to No 4 Squadron. Both of these squadrons previously operated the A-4KU Skyhawk.

Hornet for Switzerland

Switzerland has been neutral since 1815, but has a policy of remaining sufficiently militarily strong so that it would be an unattractive prospect for any aggressor to try and overrun this landlocked European nation.

In search of a new fighter aircraft, the Swiss government looked at the Dassault Mirage 2000, the Israel Aircraft Industries Lavi, the Northrop F-20, and the SAAB JAS-39 Gripen. These aircraft were all deemed unsuitable to Swiss requirements. In April/May of 1988, the Swiss government held a fly-off between the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18. In October of 1988, the government of Switzerland announced that the Hornet would be the next fighter of the Schweizerische Flugwaffe/Troupe d'Aviation Suisse (Swiss Air Force). 34 F/A-18C and D aircraft powered by F404-GE-402 turbofans were to equip three squadrons of the Swiss Air Force beginning in 1993. They will replace the Mirage IIIS and will fly alongside the Northrop F-5E Tigers acquired during the early 1980s.

In 1991, the competition was reopened so that the MiG-29 and the Dassault Mirage 2000-5 could be considered. However, even a personal appeal on the part of French President Francois Mitterand could not overturn the original plan to buy 26 F/A-18Cs and 8 F/A-18Ds. The formal contract was expected to be signed in 1992. However, the Hornet order remained controversial, and was even the subject of a popular referendum held on June 6, 1993, which finally approved the program.

The delay allowed Switzerland to specify the APG-73 radar for its Hornets, which should be delivered between 1996 and 1999. Three squadrons at Payerne, Sion, and Meiringen will operate the Hornets in the air defense role, allowing some of the F-5E/F Tiger IIs to be transferred to ground attack roles.

No Hornets for Korea

In the late 1980s, the Republic of Korea held a competition for its next fighter aircraft. The F/A-18C Hornet was announced as the winner of the Korean Fighter Program contest in December of 1989. The Hornet had experienced stiff competition from the F-16, a type which was already in service with the Republic of Korea Air Force. Among the attractive features of the Hornet was its twin-engined safety and its ability to carry out maritime anti-shipping missions. In addition, the South Korean government regarded the adverse-weather performance of the F/A-18 as being superior to that of the F-16, which meant that it would be better equipped to carry out poor-weather interceptions. Also, since at that time the F/A-18 was able to carry a forward-looking infra-red pod but the F-16 was not, it was thought that the Hornet would be more effective than the F-16 against North Korea's fleet of Antonov An-2 fabric-covered biplanes which have a very small radar cross section but which could be spotted via infrared. Finally, the Koreans felt that the F/A-18 would be more capable than the F-16 against North Korean MiG-29s in air-to-air combat.

120 Hornets were ordered. According to the original plan, the first 12 Hornets for the Republic of Korea were to be manufactured by McDonnell, with 36 Hornets then being assembled by Samsung Aerospace Industries at Sachon from kits supplied by McDonnell. The final 72 were to be manufactured from scratch under license at Samsung. 27 F404-GE-402 turbofans were be supplied by General Electric, with Samsung building 10 engines from General Electric-supplied components, and 144 being wholly manufactured in Korea.

However, the 120 Hornets planned for Korea underwent a series of increases in cost and by early 1991 they were 50 percent more expensive than when initially ordered. By March of 1991 the South Korean government was so unhappy about the whole F/A-18 deal that they decided to switch to the competing General Dynamics F-16C. The revised contract duplicated the original Hornet contract in many respects, with an initial delivery of 12 F-16s provided from the USA, followed by 36 kits for assembly by Samsung, and 72 more being built entirely at Samsung. One advantage of the change in contract is that there will be an additional commonality with the 40 F-16C/Ds already in RoKAF service.

Hornets for Finland

On May 16, 1992, Finland announced that it had selected the F/A-18C/D Hornet to replace the entire front-line Ilmavoimat fighter force of two SAAB J-35 Draken squadrons and one squadron of MiG-21bis fighters. The Hornet won in a flyoff against the F-16A MLU, SAAB Gripen, Dassault Mirage 2000-5, and Mikoyan MiG-29.

A letter of acceptance was signed on June 5 for a total of 64 aircraft, with the first seven F/A-18Ds being built by McDonnell and the remaining 57 F/A-18C single seaters all being assembled by the Valmet Aircraft Industry Co. of Kuorevesi from McDonnell-supplied kits. The first four Hornets (all McDD-built F/A-18D two seaters) will arrive in Finland in November of 1995. The first Valmet-assembled F/A-18C is scheduled for delivery in September of 1996, with the order being completed in August of 2000. The F404-GE-402 engines will also be assembled locally, with General Electric supplying 137 kits. The AN/APG-73 fire-control radar will be built entirely in the USA. However, the Hornet's onboard computer will be manufactured by Valmet. The computer is known as Dlec, and is reported to be of a new and revolutionary type.

The first F/A-18 Hornet for Finland's Ilmavoimat, an F/A-18D two-seater, was flown at St Louis on April 21, 1995. Pilots were McDD test pilot Fred Madenwald and Navy officer Dave Stuart. The first four F/A-18D aircraft are scheduled for delivery to Finland by November 1995, with the remaining three following in January of 1996.

The Ilmavoimat Hornets will be used solely for air defense, and will be capable of carrying and firing the AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile. The AIM-9 L/M/S Sidewinder missiles, as well as the AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles which will arm the Finnish Hornets, will be manufactured in the USA.

The Finnish Hornets to be equipped with the ITT/Westinghouse ALQ-165 Advanced Self-Protection Jammer (ASPJ). The ASPJ contract was signed on September 30, 1994. The Ilmavoimat is the first customer for the ASPJ, the US Navy having cancelled its order in 1992. The ASPJs will cost about two million dollars apiece. Integration of the ASPJ with the Finnish Hornets will be handled by the US Navy. The aircraft will be equipped with a Finnish-built datalink.

The first Finnish Hornet crews will be trained by VFA-125 based at NAS Lemoore. Three fighter squadrons are scheduled to receive the Hornet --- HavLlv 11 of the Lappi Wing, HavLlV 21 with Satakunta Wing, and HavLlv 31 of the Karelian Wing. The first two currently operate the SAAB 35 BS and S, whereas the third operates the MiG-21bis. First to convert will be HavLlv 11. These three squadrons are currently the only fighter squadrons operated by the Finnish Defense Forces. A Finnish fighter wing operates a single fighter squadron of 12 to 20 planes, plus a few liaison planes, as well as maintenance, logistics, administrative, and base defense personnel.

Hornets to NASA

In the mid to late 1980s, the Navy transferred eight F/A-18As and one F/A-18B to NASA to be used by the Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility for chase and proficiency flying. They eventually replaced all of the F-104 Starfighters that had previously been operated by NASA. NASA has also used its Hornets for a variety of research projects, the first of these being the High Alpha program begun in 1987 to study airflow surrounding the aircraft in high angle-of-attack attitudes.

The Bureau of Aeronautics serials of the Hornets assigned to NASA were:

  160780   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-2-MC Hornet

            - to NASA as 840 in 1985 

  160781   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B-2-MC Hornet

            - to NASA as 845 in July 1986

  161213   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-4-MC Hornet

            - to NASA as 844. Crashed 10/7/88

  161214   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-4-MC Hornet

            - to NASA as 842 in August 1987

  161216   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-4-MC Hornet

            - to NASA as 841 in October 1985

  161250   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-4-MC Hornet

            - to NASA as 843 in October 1987.

  161520   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-7-MC Hornet

            - to NASA as 847 in September 1989.

  161949   McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A-12-MC Hornet 

            - to NASA as 848 in December 1989. 

This list is short by one plane. I wonder if it is NASA 846. Can anyone help out?

One of the F/A-18As (160780) was later converted into the HARV research aircraft, which is the subject of the next post.

HARV Hornet for NASA

NASA's High Angle of Attack Research Vehicle (HARV) program involved the use of a modified Hornet to explore the use of thrust vectoring in the high angle of attack regime. The goal was to achieve better maneuverability in conventional non-V/STOL aircraft, in the hope of giving aircraft designers a better understanding of aerodynamics, flight controls, and airflow at high angles of attack.

The HARV program was a joint effort between NASA's Dryden, Ames, Langley, and Lewis research centers. The Navy loaned a YF-18A (BuNo 160780) to NASA for the tests. It had been serving with the Naval Air Test Center at Patuxent River, Maryland, and had been in storage pending further use. It arrived at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Facility in September of 1985, and was assigned the NASA number of 840.

NASA 840 required 18 months of work to be refurbished. The HARV program began in 1987 with an unmodified aircraft. 840 was finally fit with thrust vectoring equipment in 1991. This consisted of a set of three spoon-shaped paddle-like vanes fitted around each engine's exhaust to provide pitch and yaw forces in those flight regimes where the conventional flight controls tend to lose their effectiveness. In order to shorten the distance that the vanes must be cantilevered, the external exhaust nozzles were removed. This makes supersonic flight impossible, but does not have any effect on the subsonic performance. The flight control computers had to be modified to accommodate the vanes.

The aircraft is equipped with camera pods on the wingtips in lieu of the Sidewinder missiles. These cameras are there to view streams of white smoke that are emitted from the forward fuselage to give information about the airflow patterns. In order to make the smoke trails stand out better, the upper surfaces of the aircraft are painted matte black. In order to provide details about on-surface flow patterns, a special red liquid can be emitted from dozens of tiny holes in the aircraft's nose and filmed as it streams out over the surface of the fuselage.

With the thrust-vectoring vanes, the F-18 HARV has achieved stable flight at angles of attack as high as 70 degrees (previous maximum for conventional F/A-18 was 55 degrees). High roll rates can be achieved at 65-degree angles of attack, whereas controlled rolling was impossible above 40 degrees angle of attack for a conventional F/A-18.

Hornet for Malaysia

After months of debate on re-equipment of the Tentara Udara Diraja Malaysia (TUDM, or Royal Malaysian Air Force), the Malaysian Defense Minister confirmed on July 1, 1993 that they would order both MiG-29s and F/A-18s. On December 9, 1993, Malaysia signed a letter of offer and acceptance for eight F/A-18D Hornets. The first four will be delivered to the US Navy in October of 1996 and then passed along to the TUDM. The remainder will follow four months later. On June 7, 1994, Malaysia announced that they would also order 18 MiG-29 Fulcrums from Russia.

Hornets for Singapore?

The government of Singapore has announced that it might be interested in acquiring 18 F/A-18C/D Hornets. Singapore has also expressed interest in buying 18 F-16s, but is delaying a purchase decision until it completes an evaluation of the Hornet.

Hornet 2000

McDonnell Douglas is attempting to market an advanced version of the F/A-18 known as the Hornet 2000. It is espected to have a larger wing and horizontal tail, two fuselage plugs for more internal fuel, more powerful engines, and an improved cockpit.

In 1987, a Pentagon delegation went to Europe in an attempt to interest the French in codevelopment of the Hornet 2000. No solid customers appeared at that time, but work on the Hornet 2000 was used as the basis for the F/A-18E/F proposal, which is the subject of the next (and last) post in the Hornet series.

F/A-18E/F

On January 7, 1991, the troubled General Dynamics/McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II attack aircraft was cancelled. McDonnell Douglas immediately proposed an an alternative a stretched version of the F/A-18 optimized for the attack role. Although it was essentially a new aircraft, it was assigned the designation F/A-18E (single seat) or F/A-18F (two-seat), implying that the proposal was merely a modified version of an already tried and true design.

The F/A-18E/F was an outgrowth of the Hornet 2000 design study of the 1980s. The F/A-18E/F is designed to perform some of the duties originally planned for the F-14D and the A-12. One of the more important goals of the project is a 40 percent increase in the Hornet's range, which is often quoted as the Hornet's primary weakness.

In order to provide more space for internal fuel, an extra fuselage plug is added, increasing the overall length of the F/A-18E/F by 2 feet 10 inches. over that of the F/A-18C/D. The wing is proportionally enlarged by 25 percent, with an increase in wingspan of 4 feet 3 1/2 inches and an increase of 100 square feet in area. The increase in wing size is accompanied by a deepening at the roots to take extra loads. The new wing has no twist or camber and is stressed for extra operating weight. The wing of the F/A-18E/F has an outboard leading edge chord extension, leading to a definite "dogtooth" which is not present on the F/A-18C/D.

By enlarging the wing area and adding a fuselage plug, 3000 pounds of additional internal fuel can be carried, which is 33 percent more than the capacity of the standard Hornet. A fleet air defense F/A-18E/F carrying four AMRAAMS, two AIM-9s and external tanks would be able to loiter on station for 71 minutes at a distance of 400 nautical miles from its carrier, as opposed to only 58 minutes for the F-14D.

The F/A-18E/F is provided with two extra underwing hardpoints (Nos 2 and 10) at about two-thirds of span, outboard of the existing pylons. This raises the total external stores carriage capability to 17,750 pounds. The gross weight is increased by about 11,600 pounds. The aircraft has a higher landing weight, which allows it to return to its carrier with an increased weight of unexpended ordnance (up to 9000 pounds).

Increased space for chaff and flares is provided. The increase is from 60 to 120 canisters. A simplified and strengthened undercarriage is to be fitted, enabling takeoff weights as high as 66,000 pounds.

The F/A-18E/F will be powered by a pair of uprated General Electric F414-GE-400 turbofans. The F414 engine is in the 20,000 to 22,000 lb.s.t. class, offering 35 percent more thrust than the F404 from which it is derived. It incorporates some of the features intended for the F412, the powerplant of the now-cancelled A-12.

A completely re-designed engine air intake of trapezoidal configuration replaces the D-shaped intakes of the earlier Hornets. These intakes will provide 18 percent more air to the uprated engines and will give better performance at high speed.

The area of the twin vertical fins is increased by 15 percent. The rudder area is increased by 54 percent and the range of movement is such that they can be deflected 10 degrees more, up to 40 degrees. The tailplane will be made of improved composites, and the area of the tailplanes is increased by 36 percent. The areas of the leading edge root extensions was increased by 34 percent in order to restore the degree of maneuverability at 30-35 degree angles of attack enjoyed by the current Hornet.

Some stealth technology will be incorporated in the F/A-18E/F, notably on the wing leading edges to augment the beneficial effect of skinning with large areas of carbon epoxy. The radar cross section is expected to be approximately that of the F-16.

The radar is to be the Hughes AN/APG-73 that is used by later-build F/A-18Cs. The single seat F/A-18E will have the 5 x 5-inch central display of the F/A-18C replaced by a new 8in x 8in flat panel active matrix LCD. The two other 5in x 5in multipurpose CRT screens are retained, as is the existing HUD, except that the control panel just below it will be replaced by a monochrome touch-sensitive screen. All displays (two CRTs, one color LCD, and one monochrome LCD) will be made by Kaiser. The rear cockpit of the F/A-18F had identical instrumentation, except that it has no HUD and the 8in x 8in screen is located above the landscape-format touch screen.

The definitive F/A-18E/F development contract was signed on December 7, 1992. It calls for three static test airframes, five F/A-18Es, and three F/A-18Fs. McDonnell Douglas opened the F/A-18E/F Hornet assembly line in St Louis on September 23, 1994. Production of the center/aft fuselage began in May 1994 at Northrop Grumman in Hawthorne, California. First flight is scheduled for December 1995. As many as a thousand F/A-18E/F Hornets may eventually be purchased, at a total cost of 49 billion dollars, in a program lasting until 2014.

Some critics accuse the F/A-18E/F for providing not much more than an increased range and a larger bring-back weight for such a high cost. In addition, it is essentially a non-stealthy aircraft that will have to fly in a combat environment in which low-observability will be increasingly vital for survival.

Sources:

• Vespidae Varius --- Recent Variations in the Hornet Family, Paul Jackson, Air International, December 1993, p. 301
• Hornet, Robert F. Dorr, World Air Power Journal, Spring 1990, p. 38.
• McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume II, Rene J. Francillon, Naval Institute Press, 1990.
• The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and Peter Bowers, Orion, 1987.
• F/A-18 Hornet, Lindsay Peacock, Osprey Combat Aircraft Series, Osprey, 1986.
• The Fury of Desert Storm --- The Air Campaign, Bert Kinzey, McGraw-Hill, 1991.
• Jeff Rankin-Lowe, Letter to the Editor, Air International, July 1994, p. 63.
• The Royal Australian Air Force, Matthew Wright, Air International, August 1994, p 109.
• Flying the Frontiers --- NACA and NASA Experimental Aircraft, Arthur Pearcy, Naval Institute Press, 1993.
• Thrust Vectoring Trio, Frank B. Mormillo, Air International, July 1994, p 22.

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