A True Multi-Role Fighter In 1975 the U.S. Navy / Marine Corps competitively chose the F/A-18 Hornet to replace the F-4 Phantom II, A-4 Skyhawk, and A-7 Corsair II fighter and attack aircraft. The Hornet was seen as an affordable, single-seat aircraft that enabled its pilot to rapidly transition between "attack" and "fighter" roles. From 1979 to late 1982, the F/A-18A's extensive flight test program was centered at NAS Patuxent River. Over time, first generation F/A-18As, like the one before you, were succeeded by increasingly capable versions. The most recent versions are the larger single-seat F/A-18E and two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornets. F/A-18s have seen combat in nearly every U.S. campaign since 1986, and are currently operated by the Navy's Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Team and a number of foreign countries.
Our Display Aircraft F/A-18A Bureau Number 161353 was accepted by the Navy in June of 1981 and served with the fleet's West Coast training squadron, VFA-125. In March 1986, our Hornet was transferred to the Strike Aircraft Test Directorate of the Naval Air Test Center, where it performed mission system testing. It then flew with the Blue Angels from March 1990 until September 1991. Our Hornet was retired in August 1993, and was transferred to PRNAM in September 1996.
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Primary Mission: Fighter/Attack
· Crew: One Pilot (A- and C-versions); pilot and NFO (B- and D-versions)
· U.S. Service Timeline (F/A-18 Series): 1981 - Present
· Max. Gross Weight: 51,900 lb
· Dimensions: 56.0 ft length, 37.5 ft wing span
· Propulsion Two General Electric F404-GE-400 turbofan engines
· Max. Operating Speed: 800+ MPH (sea level); Mach 1.7 at altitude
· Armament: Internal M61A1 20mm cannon; up to 14,500 lb of air-to-air missiles and air-to-surface weapons
This aircraft is on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola, Florida
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