F/A-18 Hornet | The American Twin Engine, Supersonic Combat Jet Made By McDonnell Douglas

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). 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 Hornet is also used by the air forces of several other nations, and formerly, by the U.S. Navy's Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels.

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. The aircraft can perform fighter escort, fleet air defense, suppression of enemy air defenses, air interdiction, close air support, and aerial reconnaissance. 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 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. The F/A-18 Hornet served as the baseline for the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, its larger, evolutionary redesign.

The U.S. Navy started the Naval Fighter-Attack, Experimental (VFAX) program to procure a multirole aircraft to replace the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, the A-7 Corsair II, and the remaining McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIs, and to complement the F-14 Tomcat. Vice Admiral Kent Lee, then head of Naval Air Systems Command, was the lead advocate for the VFAX against strong opposition from many Navy officers, including Vice Admiral William D. Houser, deputy chief of naval operations for air warfare – the highest-ranking naval aviator.

In August 1973, Congress mandated that the Navy pursue a lower-cost alternative to the F-14. Grumman proposed a stripped F-14 designated the F-14X, while McDonnell Douglas proposed a naval variant of the F-15, but both were nearly as expensive as the F-14. That summer, Secretary of Defense James R. Schlesinger ordered the Navy to evaluate the competitors in the Air Force's Lightweight Fighter (LWF) program, the General Dynamics YF-16 and Northrop YF-17. The Air Force competition specified a day fighter with no strike capability. In May 1974, the House Armed Services Committee redirected $34 million from the VFAX to a new program, the Navy Air Combat Fighter (NACF), intended to make maximum use of the technology developed for the LWF program.

The F/A-18 is a twin engine, midwing, multimission tactical aircraft. It is highly maneuverable, due to its good thrust-to-weight ratio, digital fly-by-wire control system, and leading-edge extensions, which allow the Hornet to remain controllable at high angles of attack. The trapezoidal wing has a 20-degree sweepback on the leading edge and a straight trailing edge. The wing has full-span, leading-edge flaps and the trailing edge has single-slotted flaps and ailerons over the entire span.

Canted vertical stabilizers are another distinguishing design element, one among several other such elements that enable the Hornet's excellent high angle of attack ability, including oversized horizontal stabilators, oversized trailing-edge flaps that operate as flaperons, large full-length leading-edge slats, and flight control computer programming that multiplies the movement of each control surface at low speeds and moves the vertical rudders inboard instead of simply left and right.

General characteristics

Crew: 1 (C)/2 (D - pilot and weapon systems officer)
Length: 56 ft 1 in (17.1 m)
Wingspan: 40 ft 4 in (12.3 m) with AIM-9 Sidewinders on wingtip LAU-7 launchers
Width: 27 ft 7 in (8.4 m) wing folded
Height: 15 ft 5 in (4.7 m)
Wing area: 410 sq ft (38 m2)
Aspect ratio: 4
Airfoil: root:NACA 65A005 mod.; tip:NACA 65A003.5 mod.
Empty weight: 23,000 lb (10,433 kg)
Gross weight: 36,970 lb (16,769 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 51,900 lb (23,541 kg)
Fuel capacity: 10,860 pounds (4,930 kg) internally
Powerplant: 2 × General Electric F404-GE-402 afterburning turbofan engines, 11,000 lbf (49 kN) thrust each dry, 17,750 lbf (79.0 kN) with afterburner
Performance

Maximum speed: 1,034 kn (1,190 mph, 1,915 km/h) at 40,000 ft (12,000 m)
Maximum speed: Mach 1.8
Cruise speed: 570 kn (660 mph, 1,060 km/h)
Range: 1,089 nmi (1,253 mi, 2,017 km)
Combat range: 400 nmi (460 mi, 740 km) air-air mission
Ferry range: 1,800 nmi (2,100 mi, 3,300 km)
Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m)
Rate of climb: 50,000 ft/min (250 m/s)
Wing loading: 93 lb/sq ft (450 kg/m2)
Thrust/weight: 0.96 (1.13 with loaded weight at 50% internal fuel)

#f18hornet #f18 #f18superhornet

[ndtimesttime]

Watching this video it brings my right back on deck, from being a plane captain on the Kitty Hawk for OSW, learning to keep my head on a swivel and taking any chance I could to help the ordies rack 500lb LGB’s the old fashioned way. Writing “love” notes to Saddam on the ordnance with chalk. Feeling the adrenaline rush every time I stepped on deck. Later being an airframe troubleshooter and walking down our jets for final checks as it taxis on the cat. Doing the final flight control check, the giving the “thumbs up “ to the shooter and grabbing a pad eye as the jet launched. Strangely enjoying smell of fresh steamed grease and aviation fluids. Taking a cat shot off the Independence in a COD on my final cruise. Crazy to think that was over 25 years ago and the F/A-18’s that were the most high tech members of the fleet are now “legacy” Hornets and all but fully retired in the US. Even though they are 30-40 years old a few still continue to fly with the RCAF and the Finnish AF. Proud to say I was a Hornet Handler and would gladly do it again if I had the chance. Love and respect to all the past and present Hornet and Super Hornet handlers out there. Stay safe. If you are doing this now, save the memories while you can, 30 years goes by in a flash.

[ndtimesttime]

This really brings back the memories. I was an airframe troubleshooter/final checker with VFA-27 Royal Maces.
F/A-18C were gradually replacing A-6 and F-14 squadrons when I served. For those unfamiliar, they were equipped with 2 engines, APU, 2 independent hydraulic systems, and 4 channel fly wire. They only needed 1 of each to stay flying. They were/are both durable and reliable which is why current air wings are composed primarily of the E/F Super Hornets.

[johnshields]

My uncle piloted the F4 phantom in Vietnam so I'm bias to that plane but the Hornet is the icon of our military might, serving for so long, updated constantly, such a great design.🇺🇸

[toddm]

Saw the Blue Angels in Grand Junction Colorado last Sunday as we were coming in from Iowa. We were so impressed. It was an airshow. Unreal.

[kellywilson]

I was in the first F-18 squadron on the east coast NAS Cecil Field fla VFA -131 Wildcats 1984-1988, Also the the first to be carrier born aboad the USS Coral Sea CAG -13 to see combat against Libya operation el-dorado canyon 1986, Airlants first and finest proudly served, Also won the battle E and S .

[moreycleveland]

I FIRST FEEL IN LOVE W/ AVIATIONS BACK IN 1988 WHEN I WAS STATIONED MERIDIAN MISSISSIPPI LEFT THEIR & WAS STATIONED IN OAKLAND ALAMEDA STATIONED ON THE USS CARL VINSON CVN 70 I THANK GOD I SERVED MY COUNTRY 22YRS RETIRED ARMY I DID 14 YRS IN NAVY 3 YRS ACTIVE DUTY 11 YRS RESERVES GOT RELEASE FROM NAVY BECAUSE HIGH YEAR TENURE E4 14YRS THANK GOD 4 THE ARMY NATIONAL GUARD THEY TOOK ME IN & I DID 13 YRS W/ THEM 3YRS ACTIVE DUTY RETIRED IN 8 AUG 2015 W/ 22 GOOD YRS

[SJR_Media_Group]

Former Boeing here.... I have been up close and personal with the F/A 18 Super Hornet, from pile of very expensive parts to final certification. I was part of Lean Manufacturing at Boeing Everett Commercial. We had been conducting workshops at various Commercial Assembly Plants. We had reduced build time on all Commercial Aircraft drastically with Lean Manufacturing.

We got a call from Boeing St Louis Military to come and help sort assembly problems they were having on the F/A 18 Super Hornet. Plane had 1 window, 1-2 seats, 2 tiny turbojet engines, no kitchens, no bathrooms, no crew rest compartments, no luggage compartments, and no flight deck. It was taking 1 1/2 years to build one. We could build a 747 with 200 windows, 400 seats, 2 kitchens, 8 bathrooms, an upstairs and downstairs, 4 giant turbofan engines, cargo area big enough to hold entire F/A 18 with room to spare. We could do final assembly in a week. That got everyone's attention.

Boeing was finishing last few Super Hornets on current first order contract and Navy needed the price to be cut... a lot. Only way to achieve that was to streamline assembly, reduce mistakes, reduce waste, better manage requirements, and train entire plant in Lean. We did it in time, Boeing got the 2nd Navy Contract, prices were reduced, everyone was happy.

It's ironic... when I was in St Louis, they were finishing final (4) F-15's. Contracts were completed and entire line shutting down. Years later, F-15's got reborn into the F-15 E and the F/A 18's were being phased out. They were being replaced with F-35 B for Navy Carrier Operations. There is also a F/A xx (6th generation stealth) in the works that will replace the F-35's because of limited range. Carrier Operations now has to remain 1, 000 miles away from China and it's sophisticated anti-ship hyper-sonic missiles. The new F/A xx will be much larger, carry more fuel and munitions, and even better stealth than F-35's and F-22's.

[michaelpaige]

My Father was an electrical engineer for McDonnell Douglas. I have awesome test flight pictures of the F-18. The aircraft is painted white with blue and gold stripes. A hornet and the word Navy was also on the aircraft.

[rich]

I was a yellow shirt on the USS. RANGER V1 FLY 3, 72 at the end of the f4, so proud of our advancement

[nexpro]

if my math is correct, having the center line tank on the fighter uses up about an extra 1700 pounds of fuel in drag to fly until landing time. (obviously with no air refueling)

[BradLatham-qk]

Angels of the sky. Absolutely a team of heros

[skipssmn]

It was such a good plane that they made a super version of it. That doesn't happen often in aircraft evolution.

[bennett]

he said amwam😭😭 but great show, gets me hooked right away

[Ded]

Thank you for calling it the McDonnell Douglas F-18!!! Props to Northrop as well

[jayrag]

Military channels need to make some videos on how life sucks on a Aircraft carrier. I still can't sleep good because of my two times in sea duty. 12 hour work shifts plus you have to do your turn standing night watch every now and then. The worst part were those day or night flight operations when you try to sleep. Those dang planes got on my last nerve when out to sea. But I loved when my squadron was not on a ship. Party time!
(USS Nimitz CVN 68/VA-86 an A-7 squadron out of Cecil Field, FL. / I was in Navy around 1980)

[mikeallensonntag]

One thing hornet and super hornet are good at is being good all around. It can dog fight, it's fairly good at long distance and it does bombing missions very well. It's a all around aircraft unlike in 1960s where navy owned aircraft to do each task. Hornet is really good at nothing but it can perform everything well.

[airprok]

Can’t wait to see the 10” by 19” touch screen displays in the block 111’s

[moreycleveland]

AVIATORS R THE TRUE PROFESSIONAL ATHELES W/ MAD SKILLS

[motsielonyane]

I love this air Force especially Hornet ❤

[keithprinn]

after a massive project consideration Australia went with the 18 over the F16 in the 70s and now have added super hornet despite having no carriers. the 35 is coming in despite not meeting essential requirements massive issues and cost increases. this is why we train with the USN on developing new aircrafy coimg on line the growlers are particularly important and housed where the F111C was housed for decades at Amberley not with the other fighter jocks.