Air Power Series>1:72 die-cast display model>F-18E/F>HA5108
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18F AG 200/166620, VF-103 "JR", NAS Fallon, July 2015
General Background
The McDonnell Douglas Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet is a twin-engine multi-role carrier-based
aircraft. The “E” variant is single-seater while the “F” variant is a tandem-seat configuration. The
“E” is a much larger, more advanced and more capable variant of the F/A-18C. The Super variant
can carry a larger array of weapons as well as more of them and is capable of returning to the
carrier while still carrying unspent munitions, a big savings in dollars. The first F/A-18E flight was
in 1995 and began delivery to the USN in 1999.
The Aircraft
In December 2004 VF-103 “Jolly Rogers” completed their last deployment onboard the carrier
USS John F. Kennedy CV-67 and returned to their home base at NAS Oceana. In 2005 VF-103
became VFA-103 and in 2006 VFA-103 retired their F-14Bs for the F/A-18F Super Hornet. In July
2015 while waiting to deploy with the carrier USS Harry S. Truman CV-75, VFA-103 did some
practice flying at NAWDC Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center at NAS Fallon,
Nevada. F/A-18F AG 200/166620 c/n F113 was the CAG’s aircraft.
Specifications :
| Role: | Multi-role attack and fighter |
| Crew: | F/A-18E x 1 / F/A-18F x 2 |
| Dimensions | |
| Length: | 60.3 ft (18.5 m) |
| Height: | 16 ft (4.87 m) |
| Wingspan: | 44.9 ft (13.68 m) |
| Weight: | Maximum Gross Take-off 66,000 lbs (29,932 kg) |
| Performance | |
| Power Plant: | 2 x F414-GE-400 turbofans |
| Thrust (Static): | 22,000 lbs (9,977kg) per engine |
| Ceiling : | 50,000 ft + |
| Speed: | Mach 1.8 + |
| Armament: | 1 x M61A1/A2 Vulcan 20mm cannon (internal) |
| Possible External Payload: | AIM 7 Sparrow |
| AIM-120 AMRAAM | |
| Harpoon | |
| HARM | |
| Shrike | |
| SLAM | |
| SLAM-ER | |
| Walleye | |
| Maverick | |
| JSOW (Joint-Stand-Off Weapon) | |
| JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munitions | |
| An assortment of bombs, mines and rocket |