Aircraft Gallery
F/A-18 Hornet
SPECIFICATIONS:
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
Height: 15 ft 5 in (4.7 m)
Gross weight: 36,970 lb (16,769 kg)
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
Maximum speed: Mach 1.8
Range: 1,089 nmi (1,253 mi; 2,017 km)
Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m)
The F/A-18 Hornet was the first carrier aircraft designed to combine both fighter and bomber missions. Entering service in 1983, the F/A-18 gradually took over from other aircraft and is now the dominant manned fighter-bomber flying off carriers. This particular Hornet is painted to resemble a late-model MiG fighter for air combat training at Top Gun.
