F/A-18 Hornet

McDonnell Douglas · United States · first flew 1978 · fighter

The F/A-18 Hornet is a twin-engine multirole carrier fighter that combines fighter and attack roles in a single rugged airframe.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	2 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	17.07 m fuselage
T — Tail	Twin fin

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Twin canted vertical fins
Leading-edge extensions to canopy
Boxy twin intakes under wing roots

Recognise it by the pair of outward-canted vertical fins and the prominent leading-edge extensions that sweep up toward the canopy. The boxy intakes beneath the wing roots and twin-engine tail mark it clearly.

Specifications

The F/A-18 Hornet has a length of 17.07 m (56 ft).
It has a wingspan of 12.3 m (40 ft).
Its maximum speed is 1915 km/h (1190 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Derived from the Northrop YF-17, the Hornet first flew in 1978 and entered US Navy and Marine Corps service in the early 1980s. It was the first aircraft designed from the outset for both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. Its reliability and ease of maintenance made it popular with operators worldwide.

Variants

The single-seat F/A-18A and C and the two-seat B and D made up the original 'legacy' Hornet family. Export customers included Australia, Canada, Spain, Finland, Switzerland and Kuwait. The larger Super Hornet later succeeded it in US Navy service.

Where you'll see it

The Hornet was not a UK type, but it has appeared at RIAT Fairford with Finnish, Swiss and Spanish air forces over the years. US Marine Corps Hornets have operated from UK bases during exercises. Its blue Blue Angels display heritage is well known to British enthusiasts.

Related aircraft

Compared head-to-head

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