| Specifications |
|---|
Contractor |
Boeing [McDonnell Douglas
Aerospace] and
Northrop Grumman (Airframe),
General
Electric (Engines), and
Hughes (Radar)
| |
| F/A-18C/D
Hornet
| F/A-18E/F
Super Hornet
|
| Power Plant
|
Two F404-GE-402 afterburning engines, each in the 18,000 pound thrust class, which results in a combat thrust-to-weight ratio greater than 1-to-1. Depending on the mission and loading, combat radius is greater than 500 nautical miles.
|
Twin F414-GE-400 engines, each in the 22,000
pound thrust class. On an interdiction mission,
the E/F will fly up to 40 % further than the C/D.
|
| Accommodations |
The F/A-18C and F/A-18E are single seat aircraft.
The D and F models are flown by two crew members.
The aft seat in the D and F may be configured with a stick and throttle for the training environment (or without when crewed with a Weapons System Officer).
|
| Performance |
F/A-18C maximum speed
at level flight in altitudes of 36,089 ft.
Mach
1.7
|
F/A-18E maximum speed
at level flight in altitudes of 36,089 ft.
Mach
1.6
|
| Armament |
F/A-18C/D can carry
up to 13,700 pounds of external ordnance.
Weapon stations
include: two wingtip stations for Sidewinders;
two outboard wing stations for air-to-air or
air-to-ground weapons; two inboard wing stations
for fuel tanks, air-to-air, or air-to-ground
weapons; two nacelle fuselage stations for
AMRAAMs, Sparrows, or sensor pods; and one
centerline station for fuel or air-to-ground
weapons.
M61 Vulcan 6-barrel rotary cannon with 520 rounds of 20mm ammunition is internally mounted in the nose
AIM-9 Sidewinder
AIM-7F Sparrow
AIM-120 AMRAAM
AGM-65E Maverick
AGM-84 Harpoon
AGM-88A HARM
MK82
10 CBU-87
10 CBU-89
GBU-12
GBU-24
JDAM
B-57 or
B-61 Nuclear bomb
|
F/A-18E/F can carry
up to 17,750 pounds of external ordnance; two
additional wing store stations have been added.
|
| Mission and
Capabilities |
The F/A-18 Hornet can
perform both air-to-air and air-to-ground
missions.
Cockpit displays and
mission avionics are thoroughly integrated to
enhance crew situational awareness and mission
capability in high threat, adverse weather/night
environments.
Cockpits are night
vision goggle compatible.
Multi-Sensor
Integration and advanced data link capabilities
further enhance situational awareness.
|
The E/F model will be
able to perform a strike tanker mission while
carrying a self-protection air-to-air missile
loadout.
The E/F model will
also have greater payload flexibility, increased
mission radius, survivability, payload bring
back, and a substantial avionics growth
potential.
|
Unit cost $FY98
[Total Program] | $39.5 million.
| $60 million
|
| Program Summary |
F/A-18A/B first entered
operational service with the USN and USMC in 1982.
Since 1982, more than
1,458 F/A-18s have been procured for the USN and USMC and
for the armed services in Canada, Australia, Spain,
Kuwait, Switzerland, Finland, and Malaysia.
In 1987, the upgraded C/D
model (with enhanced mission avionics) was introduced and
upgraded with a night/adverse weather mission capability,
On Board Oxygen Generating System, APG-73 Radar Upgrade,
enhanced performance F404-GE-402 engines, and upgraded
mission computers.
|
The first flight of the
F/A-18E/F occurred in December 1995; received its "safe for flight" certification in June 2001.
|
External
Dimensions
|
F/A-18C/D
| F/A-18E/F |
| Wing span |
11.43 m |
| Wing span over
missiles |
12.31 m |
| Wing chord (at
root) |
4.04 m |
| Wing chord (at
tip) |
1.68 m |
| Wing aspect ratio |
3.52 |
| Width, wings
folded |
8.38 m |
| Length overall |
17.07 m |
| Height overall |
4.66 m |
| Tailplane span |
6.58 m |
| Distance between
fin tips |
3.60 m |
| Wheel track |
3.11 m |
| Wheelbase |
5.42 m |
|
| Wing span over
missiles |
13.62 meters |
| Wing aspect ratio |
4.00 |
| Width wings
folded |
9.32 m |
| Length overall |
18.31 m |
| Height overall |
4.88 m |
|
Areas
|
F/A-18C/D
| F/A-18E/F |
| Wings, gross |
37.16 m2 |
| Ailerons (total) |
2.27 m2 |
| Leading-edge
flaps (total) |
4.50 m2 |
| Trailing-edge
flaps (total) |
5.75 m2 |
| Fins (total) |
9.68 m2 |
| Rudders (total) |
1.45 m2 |
| Tailerons (total) |
8.18 m2 |
|
| Wings, gross |
46.45 sq. meters |
|
Weights and Loadings
|
F/A-18C/D
| F/A-18E/F |
| Weight empty |
10,810
kg |
| Maximum fuel
weight: |
Internal (JP5)
|
4,926
kg |
External:
F/A-18 (JP5)
|
3,053
kg |
CF-18 (JP4)
|
4,245
kg |
| Maximum external
stores load |
7,031
kg |
| Take off weight: |
Fighter
mission
|
16,651
kg |
Attack mission
|
Approx
23,541 kg |
Maximum
|
Approx
25,401 kg |
| Maximum wing
loading (attack mission) |
156,80
kg/kN |
|
| Weight, empty |
| Design target |
13.387
kg |
| Specification
limit |
13.865
kg |
| Maximum fuel
weight: |
Internal
|
6.531
kg |
External (JP5)
|
4.436
kg |
Maximum
external stores load (JP5)
|
8.051
kg |
| T-O weight,
attack mission |
29.937
kg |
| Maximum wing
loading |
620.0
kg/m2 |
| Maximum power
loading |
147.1
kg /kN |
|
Performance (At Maximum Takeoff Weight)
|
F/A-18C/D
| F/A-18E/F |
| Max level speed |
More
than Mach 1.8 |
| Max speed,
intermediate power |
More
than Mach 1.0 |
| Approach speed |
134
knots |
| Acceleration from
460 knots to 920 knots at 10,670 m |
under
2 min |
| Combat ceiling |
approx
15,240 m |
| T-O run |
Less
than 427 m |
| Minimum wind over
deck: |
Launching
|
35
knots |
Recovery
|
19
knots |
| Combat radius,
interdiction, hi-lo-lo-hi |
290
nm |
| Combat endurance,
CAP 150 nm from aircraft carrier |
1 h
45 min |
| Ferry range,
unrefueled |
More
than 1,800 nm |
|
| Maximum level
speed at altitude |
more
than Mach 1.8 |
| Combat ceiling |
13,865 m
|
| Minimum wind over
deck: |
- Launching
|
30
knots |
- Recovery
|
15
knots |
Combat radius
specification:
Interdiction
with four 1,000 lb bombs, two Sidewinders,
and two 1,818 liter (480 U.S. gallon: 400 Imp
gallon) external tanks,
navigation FLIR and targeting FLIR: Forward
Looking Infra-Red
hi-lo-lo-hi
|
390
nm |
Fighter escort
with two Sidewinders and two AMRAAMs
|
410
nm |
Combat endurance:
maritime air superiority, six AAMs,
three 1,818 liter external tanks, 150 nm from
aircraft carrier. |
2h
15 min |
|
