Summary
The F/A-18 Hornet is a twin engine all-weather carrier capable multirole fighter developed and designed by McDonnell Douglas (Now Boeing) and Northrop. It was derived from the earlier YF-17 design designed by the latter in the 1970s for use by the US Navy and Marine Corps. It has also seen service in use by several other nations, and first flew in 1978, entering service for the first time in 1983.
Powers and Stats
Tier: Varies from at least 9-B to 8-C with conventional armament, 8-A to High 7-C with B61, up to Low 7-B with B83
Key: F/A-18C/D Hornet | F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
Name: F/A-18 Hornet
Origin: The Real World
Classification: Carrier-capable Multirole Fighter
Height: 4.7 meters | 4.88 meters
Length: 17.1 meters | 18.31 meters
Weight: Empty weight is 10.4 metric tons, loaded is usually 16.77 metric tons, maximum takeoff weight is 23.5 metric tons | Empty weight is 14.552 metric tons, loaded is usually 21.32 metric tons (In fighter configuration), maximum takeoff weight is 29.937 metric tons
Pilot(s): 1-2 depending on variant
Needed Prerequisite for Use: 1 pilot, some variants require 2 crew members
In use by: U.S. Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, Canadian Air Force, and various others | U.S. Navy, Royal Australian Air Force
Powered by: Jet fuel powering either 2 General Electric F404-GE-402 turbofans (F/A-18C/D) or 2 General Electric F414-GE-400 turbofans (F/A-18E/F Super Hornet)
Operational Timeframe: Several hours, higher with mid-air refueling
Attack Potency: Varies from at least Wall level with Air to Air missiles and M61 cannon (Able to destroy aircraft this large in as little as one to two hits), Small Building level with Air to Ground missiles (Capable of carrying AGM-65 missiles, which are designed to penetrate and destroy tanks) to Building level with Air to Surface payload (A bomb such as the Mark 84 is packed with around 428.6 kg of Tritonal high explosive (which would produce about 1882.92552 megajoules upon detonation), and most Harpoon missiles carry a yield of 1.355 gigajoules), Multi-City Block level to Large Town level with B61 Nuclear Bomb (The B61 Nuclear Bomb has yields of 0.3-340 kilotons), up to Small City level with B83 Nuclear Bomb (Maximum yield of 1.2 megatons of TNT)
Range: Varies from Kilometers to Thousands of Kilometers (Up to a kilometer with M61 Vulcan, up to dozens of kilometers with missiles, AIM-120 can reach up to 105 km and over 180km with the AIM-120D. Range varies depending on weight and fuel, but with a clean configuration + 2 AIM-9s, the Hornet has a combat range of 2,003km, while the Super Hornet has a combat range of 2,346km. With two AIM-9s and three 480 gallon tanks for ferrying, C/D Hornets have a ferry range of 2,844km, whereas E/F Super Hornets can reach 3,054km. Service ceiling is in excess of 15,000 meters for both the Hornet and Super Hornet)
Speed: Subsonic+ to Transonic cruising speeds (Around 1,062 kph for the C/D models; the Super Hornet has a cruising speed of around 1,250 kph) with Supersonic top flight speeds (Maximum air speed of the E/F models is Mach 1.8 at 12,190 meters. For the earlier C/D variants, maximum air speed is Mach 1.7 at similar altitudes. Maximum air speed at lower altitudes is slower). Supersonic+ attack speed with AAMs, Subsonic+ to Transonic with larger missiles (for example, AGMs)
Terrain: Air
Material: Aluminum, steel, titanium, and various other materials
Durability: Wall level (Is this large)
Weaknesses: None notable
Weaponry: F/A-18C/D | F/A-18E/F
Discussions
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