5518 a RESIS Hornet oeWalk Around Chior by on Greet F-18 Hornet Illustrated by Richard Hudson = ~~ Walk Around Number 18 A s quadron/signal publicationsIntroduction The US Navy and Maine Cops FYA-18 Home was orginally concive and ult by the ‘Nohop Corporation asthe YF-T7 Cabra daring the 1970s. The VF? was designed to meet regiments ofthe US Ale Force's Lightweight Fighter competition —a campeon event aly won by the General Dynamics (ater Locked Mai) F-16 Fighting Falco, Despite ts apparent fairest» contending USAF fghe, the YF was resected tofu ‘1 US NavyMarine Corps requirement fra modern cair-ased fighter and tack icra to replace bot the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Il and A-4 Skyhawk. MeDonnell ‘Douglas max brought no the program since Norhp laced experience in developing caer sirraft. Although the YF-I7's general configuration remained the sme, the ater venta Iy gow into larger eave, apd more powerfol muli-roleFgher and atack sera desi tied the FIA18 Hornet “The FA-I8 Hornet hasbeen progressively upgraded ovr the years and has found iself esoming one of he het and mos cee igheatack strat ofthe late twentieth cn tury. The US Navy and US Marine Coep have operate six diferent etsions— the F/A-18A, through the PIA-I8F — bh in singe and to-seatconiuratins. New and unique systems hve Bren employed to tur the Horst int ul oe combat irra espable of Fadi and ‘king targets nthe lon land and a se, daring both day and night The F/A-I8 Homet ‘a extensive combat during the Persian Gulf War of erly 1991 aswell as ding a series of fow-interity conics sige thea. Addionally, the Hormet has been widely expated — ‘Aqsala Canada, Finland, Kua Sai, and Swizedand al have Homet nest Fllowing ‘on the els of ts predecessors, the - Phantom I and At Skyhswk, the F/A18 Hore wil rovidecuttandig service wel ie the twenty-first ena. Acknowledgements [NAS Pensacola Pine persons acy Stephenson/McDonnel Doles Vee Bracken Aerospace AmeriaSth & ASoees Self Rankin LowesIRIUS NASA= Ames DrydenPublic Afr Geshu Lang Cantss Knowles David F. Brown Kelly AFB Public Affairs and Transient Alert personne! NAF Atos Pubic Asie Denise Dow/PAX River FVA-I8_program Public Aftaie Randy HeppUSN Kevin FynnBoeing Ensign Mike Blineaship LL Erick GoaVAIRPAC Public Affis Dedications: ‘Greg L: Davis woud like wo dedicat this book to his grandparents, Lt Col and Mis, Chas EDavis, (USAF. Reo, foc theirlflon inspiration and genuine suppor (Cape Mike “Homey” Ceol, VMFA-I12 (Capt Mick “Sumo” Beckwith, VMFA-112 ‘Malnenance Deparment, VNIFA-112 In aditon, we thank the numerous individuals ofthe Navy an Marines, anal thee tioned, that assisted us in btanng information and images fr this project. Your tremendous efforts were a valuable ase to the compl ofthis book. "THANK You! ‘Chris Neil would ike to dedicate his book to his wonderful wife for her encouragement and support unselfishly given wo this and all projects Also wo is newborn daugher and speci thanks to his best tend Greg fr his dedication, rive, and tivation, Thanks again! ‘COPYRIGHT 199 SQUADRONSIGNAL, PUBLICATIONS, INC ISHN ossrer ann Ayo have any phograps of areal arr slr ship ‘mapsot, why bot share them with and help ake Sadia s books al the mare a ‘Sting ad complete i the future Any photograph sent to us wl be copied ad the evga ‘etroed The dor vil fly redid for ny phn ned Pease ed em er Squadron Signal Publstons, ie carr, F010 cam y nac ects ¢ororpagnm caMoneTon, poopyxxeHis, conta Hat Kopa0eMt 100 crpaus, ocoGenmo, crmwxit npeMet Bom, oxemmreck € HAMICH HOwOrwTe cxeHaTS HoBMe KHMTH HoRaTeNKeTHA Sexanpon/CurHan ene wTepectee. Mut nepecmen aun Gororpaguor u nepuiem opurwniamy. Vea npueranuntx c1uDAKH SyayT conponoxaaTt pee onyauKoramnue goTorpagit. Noxanyacra, npuewaanre gororpagim no apecy’ Sees Coy Dh carta, PX FSO S018 HM, AEH AE REL ORME MAL HON EFIENOLeNReAw? LORD LOTACT, MUFCRBENLLOEMER ITT. Sqndmn/SeROOET 6AM EBT. COLE RREAEE MER L WRACT ECE TAT. ANC RO Me aid, WORSE LOR LET, RNC TRE AML, eTRARON AEE SEUHSET, HFALTRESEM GHEY Svat aban, carton T750115010 (Fron Cover) Lt Car Man MET Fox, of VERS, Scores the fst of two US Navy artoaie lls dur OPERATION DESERT STORM in ary 1091. LU Nicholas MONGO' Mongilo of ‘the same Unit flamed another W1G-21 seconds ler (Previous Page) A two-seat TF-18 awaits crow under cloudless bie sles. Continuing ‘nodiietions and upgrades wil allo the curent /A-18 Hornet to remain a deadly con ‘et arrat wel note 211 Century. The boarding ladder, which provides access 6 bath ‘eck, els up under the port useage Leading Edge Exonsion (LEX), (@1ek Cover An FIRBC of VFA-113 wat it plot onthe deck of the USS CARL VINSON ‘Unde cloudy dawn skies. Aftar a bref spt, he constant eyel of lunehings andro ‘res wil bain for anher 24-hour period.(Above) The proteype FIA-1, sven ner in 1978, wat larger and far heavier than the Nontvap Ver. Teng rovesid tat he tanding gear was inaufcir o wietand the Fors of opened are lakes and landings. A complet ecesign othe landing gear traits stowage wae necessary fo umn the Homer ino a carer Ske igh. a, in sme rapes, bayend the cape “sxpeencad ncaror Higher dovley seen herein a blanche test pintfour ANATF Spartow mishles sn. pel of AN-SL Sidewinder mission (. Know F-18 Fuel Capacity Fuselage (four tanks Wing (one tank per Centerline Drop Tan! Port Wing Drop Tank:. Starboard Wing Drop Tan| 1,419 Gallons nee170 Gallons. Total 2612 Gallons Tho Fit8can carry approximately 1600 gallons (1040s) of internal fuel, wie {he tre ester! tanta san nt tnater 280 gals (6199 Is). Both Inerslan umd within ne erbeard le ofthe scat ose ft ao he radona ‘Anvil stained and wosthared F/AT8C approaches 9 USAF tanker to {eceve us! curing ay of "802. Hornets are nly sean then they fst (Geploy.Duriog extended carter operations, phasis pieced on Keeping ‘ham Sombatreay not prety (6 Knows) ‘An FIAI84 approaches 2 tanker to tke on a lod of Wel The refusing [be cover door, ust o starboard of he gun muzzle begining to open ‘iso visbe are the tree angles brackets sea te rine the vera th {otusioge Joint on the FA-18A uting cause by si wing aed the racing E290 Extensions (LEX) le to premature fatigue aching n te {elage join. Tho cracking problem mee solve whon these brackets ere added onthe assembly ine and verted Yo ear Homets ater, “Ema fone wore seed tothe LEX to smooth out the sflon: Later pr ‘Suton F/A10Gs ad intra stifnersadaed tote useage fat and ‘lminated he external bracket. Tvs ome a earring Mule Ejector eck ER) onto ort outr wing pylon. MER are normaly use to etry Tight practes nomn,Sandard wen om, ranging fom 200 to 2000 oe ‘gach are cared ona Verteal Ejector Rack (VER). Each VER cree wo Bombs and up of recs canbe eae by en FIA. Knows),37 feet, 6 inches (11.43 m) (w/o launchers) 56 feet (17.06 m) 15 feet, 3.5 inches (4.66 m) 'y):....23,000 Ibs (10,433 kg) Weight (Combat):..Up to 51,900 (23,541 kg) Powerplant: Two x GE F404-GE-400 turbofan engines w/ approximately 16,000 Ibs thrust each (Jater F404-GE-402 engines produce 17,600 Ibs thrust) Armament: One x 20mm M-61 rotary cannon w/ 570 rounds External Stores: Unguided bombs/rockets, precision guided bombs, air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles Max Speed:. Ceiling: Range ( 1122 mph (1805 kmh) 0,000 feet (15,240 m) three ext tanks): Approximately 2000 miles (3219 km) Crew: OneInto the undersie of he pot LEK. Theerate formar, wis he main gra gins af vetacton ah 0 rotation cyteLl “Te yee aeMartin-Baker SJU-5/6 Series Ejection Seatvertical tns ae bull vslg etl spars skinned wih graphieepony exterior panels The upper section of dona tothe starboard with the oxcap- ‘tam eosing edge Te fn sao teres a a cas for ne Hornet's tt ot Un of the AWALOTES high bond ertana aring mounted tthe top nau ofthe whe [Cuigument Navy Honteatne Squndron "a2 (VFAe2) to uns troteer code navigation Hat {Gir} tn asignd sera emer (USS tnaopondonc) ana th ues numbe (30) 6FiR106 (16462) was assigned o VEA-1S VALIONS! Inert Ae 3 igeinders. is scraf ione of perhaps two aera pe squadron hat ‘Cine parted beyond the senda ace! camouage end markings scheme “The Commander, Ale Group (CAG) tes "WILDCATS The Hone! Is caring righty marked FIATEC of VEAISY ‘AGMOcE Suand-OT Land Attack Mose (Suan tobe launched uring a weapons mest. The SLAM, based on te earer AGN [Se vtarpoonan-anip male optimed fore agaiat ona targets using an AGM 450 Wnverck secher head, an AGM? Waleye gunnce recever, and iobal Pontloning System reelver. 0 nVuFA-118 “COWBOYS ts» Marne Reserve Coronal Joint Reserve Base, Fe Worth Tes. VMPACTI2 ope both FIATEA end WA 4B Hemet\ura281 THUNDERBOLTS: ew this F/AYEA Hornet while part of Marine Ale Group Uh) a eno, oun Caran Th mt coon OW pated nny ne ne “The US navy operates this F/A-TOA Hornet inthe aggressor ole wheres own in ‘Combat agnna ther US Novy and marine gers end atack ara The dows’ spline ‘Some emulates compost ofthe camouage schemes found nthe Mile East ‘Canadas te largest operator othe F/A-18 Hore outside ofthe United Sts v8 ie ofthe orcer Ths Hornet it telgned fo Ye Squngren The squadron ‘Bobet for the unt signi. 18‘The Kuna Ae Fore racaved two of F/-18 when twas rebut following rst to be equippee wih the enhened per “Tose engines ee being revotted to esng USN sind USMC T/A-18Ca. External. these engines oe charactor Oya white cea Coat ing on he nie ofthe aerbune pte ‘Spain operates two squadrons of EF-1AS inthe ar dofons and ground atck roles. ‘ometso la 12 and 18 have dployedto Aviano AB, aly to tau prt in UNNATO Com: [bt operations over Bosnia, Rove, and Serb This EF-18A I assigned to Ale 12 To Swiss Air Force opertes two squedrons of FiA-18Ce — Fipgerstatiel 16 end Fogortatte 17. Deliveries Bogan in 1669 and wile sshd by Novemeo 1998 Sas n