| McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18 Hornet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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"You're carrying four tons of explosives and people are shooting at you. No problem. You're in an F/A-18 Hornet" (from a McDonnell Douglas advertisement).About the models: This is a very straightforward kit, and was the 3rd airplane I've done. I certainly made a few mistakes along the way, but have since rebuilt, repainted, and redecaled it into something presentable. The kit is typical of Revell-Monogram, and would be an excellent choice for a first plane. Good directions, good decals, good engineering. The only "problem" is a lack of weapons. It includes only a single drop tank, four bombs, and two Sidewinders. The 1:72 Italeri Hornets are a real mixed bag. They are OK detail wise, and build pretty well, but the engineering is iffy in that some putty work is needed. The landing gear doors leave a LOT to be desired for those wishing to build gear down. You have to cut the doors apart for a gear down presentation; good luck making them look right. Even more annoying are the fuselage side rails. They are molded to accept the Nighthawk pod system rather than missiles. Oops. But despite that, Italeri makes about the best 1:72 F-18 on the market. Out of the box, you can build ANY subtype of Hornet you want (except the E/F), with or without LEX fences. The decals are nice, and the weapons mix is pretty decent. Plus it's cheap. So with a little experience, you can make a good plane with it, and thus I'd recommend the Italeri kit. About the F/A-18 Hornet: As its unusual designation indicates, the F/A-18 Hornet is equally capable of performing both the air-to-air fighter and air-to-ground attack missions, and takes over the role of the Vought A-7 Corsair II. This multi-role combat aircraft is now one of the most important weapons systems in the Navy and Marine Corps' arsenal. Originally developed from the YF-17, a Northrop design (which was produced for the USAF air defense fighter competition that was eventually won by the F-16), the F/A-18A single-seat version and the F/A-18B two-seat trainer variant became the first Hornets to reach operational service. Although these early versions of the Hornet remain in service, the F/A-18C single-seater and F/A-18D two-seater have become the mainstay versions of the Hornet. While the F/A-18D is a specialized version in service mainly with the Marines, the F/A-18C now equips most front-line fighter/attack squadrons in both the Navy and the Marines. This version has been produced in greater numbers than any other Hornet variant Speed of mission change is one of the F/A-18's strongpoints: for example, being able to land from a bombing mission and be reconfigured with air-to-air missiles in a matter of minutes. The versatility of the F/A-18C was demonstrated on January 17, 1991, during the opening hours of Operation Desert Storm. As two Hornets prepared to attack an Iraqi airfield with Mark 84 2000 lb bombs, they were attacked by two Iraqi MiG-21 Fishbeds. One of the F/A-18Cs destroyed the first MiG with an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile, while the second Hornet shot down the other MiG with an AIM-7 Sparrow missile. The two F/A-18Cs retained their bombs during the engagement, and after destroying the two Fishbeds went on to attack the airfield. The F/A-18C carries a wide variety of weapons. 17,000 lbs of standard and laser-guided bombs ranging in size from 500 to 2,000 lbs can be delivered by the Hornet to destroy targets on the ground. For suppressing enemy air defenses, the AGM-88 HARM (high-speed anti-radiation missile) can be employed, and in the anti-shipping role, the AGM-84 Harpoon missile is used. Various cluster bomb units can also be delivered against a range of targets. For the air-to-air mission, the AIM-9L Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) missiles can be used. Other weapons, ranging from the AGM-84E SLAM (stand-off land attack missile) to the AGM-62 Walleye II electro-optically guided glide bomb, and from mines to rocket pods, are also certified for use on the F/A-18C. All of these weapons are carried externally and are in addition to the aircraft's internal 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan cannon. In addition to weapons, the F/A-18C can carry three different pod systems to help it employ its ordnance in any weather conditions day or night. These pods help the pilot navigate, locate and designate the target, guide weapons, and even photograph the results of the attack. Few aircraft have this kind of sophistication. An interesting feature of the F/A-18 is the LEX (leading edge extension) fences on the upper fuselage. These were added after cracks were found in the leading edges of the Hornet's vertical tails. LEX fences were first seen on the F/A-18C, and have since been retrofitted to all existing Hornets. The F/A-18C has already replaced the A-6E Intruder and is itself soon to be replaced by the F/A-18E single-seat and F/A-18F two-seat Hornets. These Hornets have a slightly longer fuselage, carry more ordnance, and deliver weapons much better than other Hornets. Hornet will also replace the F-14 Tomcat by 2010.
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Copyright ©2003 David Jong [Jong Productions, Ltd.], All Rights Reserved. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Updated: December 8, 2003. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
