Air Power Series>1:72 die-cast display model>F-18E/F>HA5132
F/A-18F Super Hornet VF-102, US Navy, Atsugi Air Base, 2005
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
VF-102 was established on July 1, 1955 in Jacksonville, Florida equipped with the F2H Banshee and then the F4D-1 Skyray followed by the F-4 Phantom II and the F-14A. After Jacksonville their home bases have been NAS Oceana, Virginia Beach, Virginia, NAS Lemoore, California where they were renamed VFA-102 training to use the new F/A-18F. Finally in 2003 the Diamondbacks moved to Atsugi, Japan. In 2005 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the squadron F/A-18F 165882 received an eye-catching paint scheme of red and white with a Diamondback snake on the tail.
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 |