MCDONNELL DOUGLAS F/A-18 HORNET

US Navy/Marine Corps designation: F/A-18A, B, C, D
Royal Australian Air Force designation: AF-18A and ATF-18A
Canadian Forces designation: CF-18A and CF-18B
Spanish Air Force designation: C.15 and CE.15

TYPE:

• Carrierborne and land-based attack/fighter.

PROGRAMME:

• US Navy study of VFAX low-cost, lightweight multimission fighter was accepted in 1974, but terminated in August 1974 and replaced by the derivative of either General Dynamics YF-16 or Northrop YF-17 prototypes.
• McDonnell Douglas proposed F-17 derivative with Northrop as associate, with the resultant Navy Air Combat Fighter called Hornet.
• Two accepted versions: F-18 fighter and A-18 attack aircraft. Single F/A-18 selected to fill both roles.
• McDonnell Douglas was prime contractor with Northrop as principal subcontractor in 1985. In 1997, the programme was passed to Boeing.
• First Hornet flight on November 18, 1978.
• Delivery of F/A-18A/B to US Navy and Marines began May 1980 and ended in 1987.
• Millionth flying hour achieved on April 10, 1990, two millionth on September 17, 1993.

VERSIONS:

F/A-18A/B

• Single (A) and two seat (B) versions.
• Total of 370 F/A-18As and 40 F/A-18Bs (plus 11 prototypes) for USN and USNC as escort fighters to replace F-4s and A-7s.
• Two-seater originally designated TF-18A with internal fuel capacity reduced by 6%.

F/A-18C/D

• Single and two seat versions.
• Overall total of 582 F/A-18C/Ds including Night Attack variant.
• First flight of production F/A-18C on September 3, 1987.
• Modifications include:
• Provision for up to six AIM 120 AMRAAM missiles.
• Up to four imaging IR Maverick missiles.
• Provision for reconnaissance equipment.
• Upgraded stores management set with 128 KB of memory.
• Intel 8086 processor.
• MIL-STD-1553B armament multiplex bus with MIL-STD-1760 weapons interface capability.
• Flight incident recorder and monitoring set (FIRAMS) with integrated fuel/engine indicator.
• Data storage set for recording maintenance and flight incidents data.
• Signal data processor interfacing with fuel system to provide overall system control.
• New faster XN-6 mission computer with twice the memory of XN-5.
• Upgraded to XN-8 from FY91.
• Structural changes included a small rectangular fence retrofitted to USN aircrafts just ahead of wing leading-edge, which reduces fatigue and improves directional control at AoF higher than 45°.

F/A-18C/D NIGHT ATTACK

• First flight of prototype on May 6, 1988.
• All F/A-18Cs and Ds delivered after FY88 have all-weather night attack avionics.
• Hughes AN/APG-73 radar (first flight test on April 15 1992) was standard from May 1994.
• Deliveries of night-capable versions to fleets began in 1990.
• Marine Corps replaced 6 squadrons of A-6Es, OA-4s and RF-4Bs in recon and forward air controller roles with 96 Hornets, with 48 authorized in 1990.
• Night Attack system includes:
• GEC Cat's Eyes pilot's night vision goggles.
• Hughes AN/AAR-50 thermal imaging navigation set (TINS) presenting forward view in Kaiser AN/AVQ-28 raster HUD.
• Colour multifunction displays and Smiths colour digital moving map.
• External sensor pods comprise Loral AN/AAS-38B NITE Hawk targeting FLIR and TINS.
• NITE Hawk added laser target designator/ranger subsystem from January 1993.
• USMC version of F/A-18D has mission-capable rear cockpit with no control column, instead replaced with sidestick weapons controllers and two Kaiser 12.7 cm (5 in) colour MFDs in addition to Smiths Srs 2100 colour map display. Can also be converted to dual control with stick and throttles for pilot training.

F/A-18D(RC)

• Simple reconnaissance version launched in 1982 and first flown in 1984.
• Included a twin-sensor package replacing gun in nose.
• Was to be fitted with Martin Marietta Advanced Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance System (ATARS) centreline pod.
• First sensor capable aircraft delivered in February 1992.
• Original ATARS programme suspended in June 1993. Instead, 31 F/A-18Ds of USMC to receive partial ATARS fit, comprising of a pod with:
• An IR linescanner.
• Low and medium altitude elctro-optical sensors.
• Long-range optical sensor.
• Modified version of Hughes AN/APG-73 radar capable of producing high resolution strip-maps.
• And a Lockheed Martin Aeronautics pod-mounted digital datalink.

AF-18A and ATF-18A

• Royal Australian Air Force versions.
• Decision to purchase 75 announced on October 20, 1981.
• Deliveries started May 17, 1985.
• First flight of ATF-18A assembled by AeroSpace Technologies of Australia (ASTA) in February 26, 1985.
• First flight of Australian manufactured aircraft on June 3, 1985.
• Hornets replaced Dassault Mirage IIIO.
• Last of 57 single-seat and 18 two-seat Hornets delivered on May 16, 1990.

CF-18A/B

• Canada's purchase of 138 Hornets (finalized as 98 CF-18As and 40 two seat CF-18Bs) announced on April 10, 1980.
• First flight on July 29, 1982.
• Differences from USN variant include:
• ILS, in-flight identification spotlight in port side of fuselage.
• Provision for LAU-5003 19-tube pods for CRV-7 70 mm (2.75 in) high-velocity submunition rockets.

EF-18A/B

• Spanish versions. Purchasing of 60 single-seat and 12 two-seat Hornets known as C.15 and CE.15 was announced under Futuro Avion de Combate y Ataque on may 30, 1983.
• First flight in December 1985.
• First 36 aircrafts have Sanders AN/ALQ-126B deception jammers with fianl36 received Northrop Grumman AN/ALQ-162(V) systems.
• All have AN/ALR-67 RWR, yet being replaced by AN/ALR-67B(V)2.

Following applies to F/A-18C

DESIGN FEATURES:

• Sharp-edged, cambered leading-edge extensions (LEX), slots at fuselage junction and outward-canted twins fins are designed to produce high agility and docile performance at AoF over 50°.
• Wings have 20° sweepback at quarter-chord and fold up 90° at inboard end of ailerons.
• Landing gear designed for unflared landings on runways as well as on carriers.
• Full digital fly-by-wire controls are used.
• USN F/A-18s can land automatically using carrier-based guidance system.

STRUCTURE:

• Multispar wing mainly of light alloy with graphite/epoxy inter-spar skin panels and trailing-edge flaps.
• Tail surfaces mainly graphite/epoxy skins over aluminium honeycomb core.
• Graphite/epoxy fuselage panels and doors.
• Titanium engine firewall.

POWER PLANT:

• Two General Electric F404-GE-400 low bypass turbofans initially, each producing approx. 71.2 kN (16,000 lb st) with afterburning.
• F404-GE-402 EPE (Enhanced Performance Engine) standard from early 1992, rated at approx. 78.3 kN (17,600 lb st).
• Self-sealing fuel tanks and fuel lines.
• Foam in wing tanks and fuselage voids.
• Internal fuel capacity approx. 6,061 litres (1,600 US gallon; 1,333 Imp gallon).
• Provision for up to three 1,250 litre (330 US gallon; 275 Imp gallon) external fuel tanks.
• Canadian Hornets carry three 1,818 litre (480 US gallon; 400 Imp gallon) external tanks.
• Flight refuelling probe retracts into upper starboard side of nose.

ARMAMENT:

• Nine external weapon stations, comprising two wingtip stations for AIM-9 sidewinders, two outboard wing stations for AA/AG weapons, including:
• AIM-7 Sparrows.
• AIM-9 Sidewinders.
• AIM-120 AMRAAMs.
• AGM-84 Harpoon.
• AGM-65F Maverick and Boeing Stadoff Land Attack Missle (SLAM).
• Two inboard wing stations for external fuel tanks, air-to-ground weapons or IMI ADM-141 TALD tactical air-launched decoys.
• Two nacelle fuselage stations for Sparrows or Lockheed Martin AN/ASQ-173 laser spot tracker/strike camera (LST/SCAM) or AN/AAS-38B and AN/AAR-50 sensor pods.
• A centreline fuselage station for external fuel or weapons. Air-to-ground weapons include: GBU-10/-12 laser-guided bombs, Mk 82 and Mk 84 general purpose bombs, and CBU-59 cluster bombs.
• An M61A1 20 mm six-barrel gun with 570 rounds is mounted in the nose and has a Boeing director gunsight with conventional sight as back-up.