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[2004.206.001] Aircraft - 'F/A-18A Hornet' |
| Accession Number |
2004.206.001 |
| Accession Date |
09/11/2004 |
| Creator |
| Creator |
Creator Role |
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Manufacturer |
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| Object Desciption |
FA-18A Hornet painted in the markings of the Blue Angels Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron to which it was assigned before transfer to the museum. |
| Notes |
During the mid-1970s the Navy was directed to evaluate two aircraft then under consideration by the U.S. Air Force to fulfill its requirement for a lightweight fighter. While the Air Force selected the F-16 Falcon, the Navy chose to pursue development of the Northrop YF-17, which after McDonnell-Douglas was selected as the prime contractor for production, became the F/A-18 Hornet. A true multi-mission platform capable of delivering ordnance against land targets and engaging enemy aircraft in air-to-air combat, the F/A-18 is a pilot-friendly aircraft. Featuring a Heads-Up-Display (HUD), the aircraft embodies the HOTAS (Hands on Throttle and Stick) concept that gives the pilot control of the major sensors, weapons and displays without moving his hand from the stick. Sensory systems include APG-65 radar and a Forward Looking Infra Red Radar (FLIR). In various configurations the F/A-18 can carry an ordnance load of approximately 17,000 lbs including a mix of weapons for air-to-air combat (Vulcan cannon and guided missiles) as well as air-to-ground ordnance (Harm/Maverick missiles and a wide array of conventional weapons).
Hornets have appeared in a number of versions since their initial delivery in May 1980, including single-seat and two-seat aircraft, the latter used for training and as the primary platforms for attack, tactical air control, forward air control and reconnaissance missions. Larger than its predecessors and possessing greater ranger, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet first deployed in 2001 and has replaced the F-14 Tomcat on carrier decks. Capable of carrying various combinations of some twenty-six weapons, it can be configured to complete any mission required and ensures that the Hornet's sting will be an integral part of naval aviation into the 21st century.
Both Navy and Marine Corps aircraft figured prominently in the Gulf War, where they delivered over 17,500 tons of ordnance and scored the Navy's only MiG kills, and Hornets continue to provide vital air support in the skies over Afghanistan and Iraq. The F/A-18 has also equipped the Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron since 1987, serving longer than any other aircraft in the squadron's more than six decades of flying air shows.
Specifications for F/A-18C
Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas Corporation (now Boeing)
Dimensions: Length: 56 ft.; Height: 15 ft., 4 in.; Wingspan: 40 ft., 5 in.
Weights: Empty: 23,050 lb.; Gross (fighter mission) 36,410 lb.; (attack mission): 51,900 lb.
Power Plant: Two 17,700 lb. static thrust with afterburner General Electric F404-GE-402 turbofans
Performance: Maximum Speed: 1,190 M.P.H. at 45,000ft.; Service Ceiling: 50,000 ft.; Range
1,253 miles
Armament: One M61 20mm cannon and provision for 17,000 lb. of ordnance
Crew: Pilot
Aircraft in the Museum Collection
F/A-18A (BuNo 161955)- On outdoor static display
F/A-18A (BuNo 161961) - On loan to Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida
F/A-18A (BuNo 161367) - On loan to Naval Test Wing, Atlantic, Patuxent River, Maryland
F/A-18A (BuNo 162454) - On loan to Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia
F/A-18A (BuNo 161941) - On loan to Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida
F/A-18A (BuNo 162448) - On loan to Naval Air Facility El Centro, California
F/A-18A (BuNo 161712) - On loan to Naval Air Station/Joint Reserve Base Ft. Worth, Texas
F/A-18A (BuNo 161708) - On loan to Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada
F/A-18A (BuNo 161957) - On loan to Naval Air Station Atlanta, Georgia
F/A-18A (BuNo 161725) - On loan to Hill Aerospace Museum, Hill Air Force Base, Utah
F/A-18A (BuNo 161726) - On loan to Naval Air Station/Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, Louisiana
F/A-18A (BuNo 161353) - On loan to Naval Test Wing, Atlantic, Patuxent River, Maryland
F/A-18A (BuNo 161366) - On loan to Naval Air Station Lemoore, California
F/A-18A (BuNo 160775) - On loan to Naval Weapons Test Squadron, Naval Weapons Center China Lake, California
YF-17 (F/A-18 Prototype) - On loan to Battleship Memorial Park, Mobile, Alabama |
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