![]() The F/A-18 has a digital control-by-wire flight control system which provides excellent handling qualities, and allows pilots to learn to fly the airplane with relative ease. Intruder as these aircraft were retired during the 1990s. The F/A-18 Hornet replaced the F-4 Phantom II fighter and A-7 Corsair II light attack jet, and also replaced the A-6 Roles: air superiority, fighter escort, suppression of enemy airĭefenses, reconnaissance, forward air control, close and deepĪir support, and day and night strike missions. Multi-mission fighter/attack aircraft that can operate from eitherĪircraft carriers or land bases. Wing loading: 94.0 lb/sq ft (459 kg/m2) at max takeoff weight 127.The F/A-18 "Hornet" is a single- and two-seat, twin engine,.Combat range: 390 nmi (449 mi, 722 km) combat radius for interdiction with 4 x 1,000 pounds (450 kg) bombs and 2x AIM-9s.Powerplant: 2 × General Electric F414-GE-400 turbofans, 13,000 lbf (58 kN) thrust each dry, 22,000 lbf (98 kN) with afterburner.Crew: 2 (pilot and weapon systems officer).Three back seats at each show are available one of them goes to members of the press, the other two to "Key Influencers". The Blues use this jet for backup, and to give demonstration rides to VIP civilians. The show's narrator flies Blue Angel 7, a two-seater F/A-18D Hornet, to show sites. Control sticks are tensioned with 35 pounds (16 kg) of force installed on the control stick to allow the pilot minimal room for uncommanded movement. Modifications to each F/A-18 include removal of the weapons and replacement with the tank that contains smoke-oil used in demonstrations and outfitted with the control stick spring system for more precise aircraft control input. The team has been flying the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet since 1986, which had served in the fleet and has been constantly being maintained and updated to be combat-ready fighter aircraft. The F/A-18 Hornet served as the baseline for the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, its larger, evolutionary redesign. The Hornet first saw combat action during the 1986 United States bombing of Libya and subsequently participated in the 1991 Gulf War and 2003 Iraq War. Its versatility and reliability have proven it to be a valuable carrier asset, though it has been criticized for its lack of range and payload compared to its earlier contemporaries, such as the Grumman F-14 Tomcat in the fighter and strike fighter role, and the Grumman A-6 Intruder and LTV A-7 Corsair II in the attack role. The aircraft can perform fighter escort, fleet air defense, suppression of enemy air defenses, air interdiction, close air support, and air reconnaissance. The F/A-18 was designed to be a highly versatile aircraft due to its avionics, cockpit displays, and excellent aerodynamic characteristics, with the ability to carry a wide variety of weapons. ![]() Navy's Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels. The Hornet is also used by the air forces of several other nations, and since 1986, by the U.S. Designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing) and Northrop (now part of Northrop Grumman), the F/A-18 was derived from the latter's YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a twin-engine, supersonic, all-weather, carrier-capable, multirole combat jet, designed as both a fighter and attack aircraft (hence the F/A designation). ![]()
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