F/A-18F Super Hornet Part 1

It's May 2002 and this is my first opportunity to see a Super Hornet in the flesh. I managed to convince my better half that we should make a pilgrimage to the Joint Services Open House (read Air Show) at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. After enduring the 14-hour trip from our home to Andrews, the aforementioned other half was not in the best of moods. Being greeted with thunderstorms and the thought of standing around in soaking wet conditions for a whole day did nothing to improve the situation.

The weather didn't phase me though. After all, I was on a mission. The quest for the Super Hornet - she won't be flying today, but I have my camera with me in hopes of a static display. The tarmac is wet and the sky is grey and there she sits across the way. She's right beside an F-14. She's a beauty and seems to dwarf the mighty Tomcat, if only in my mind since the Super Hornet is actually a bit more than 2 feet shorter than the F-14. The Super Hornet is, however, four feet longer and four feet wider than her predecessor, yielding 100 square feet more wing area, more fuel capacity and a stronger airframe.

Debuting in 1995 and heading into its first operational service with VFA-115 in late 2001, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is awesome to behold. With 44,000 pounds of thrust from the pair of F414-GE-400, it would have been even more awesome to actually see (and hear) her fly - alas the ceiling is too low for any action today.

I marvel at the size of the air intakes. Though no weapons are present, when combat loaded she could have all eleven weapons stations (two more than the first Hornet version) packed with GBU-12, 16, 24 or 72 'smart' bombs, AGM-65, 84, or 88 missiles and any number of jamming and reconnaissance pods. The possibilities are almost endless.

Perhaps I can talk the other half into a big trip again next year "honest honey, we'll get to see it fly this time".

Readers are encouraged to "surf the net" for plenty of further information and images of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

Above is a full side view of the 60 foot long airframe of the twin seat F/A-18F Super Hornet. This aircraft is from VFA-122 - the Flying Eagles of NAS Lemoore, California. Note the angle of the tailwings (or are they elevators?). All weapons pylons are empty except for the central fuel tank.

Shown here is the port side main landing gear assembly. In the upper right of the photo is the most inboard of the three underwing weapons pylons.

One of the huge rectangular air scoops that feed the powerful General Electric F414 turbofan engines of the Super Hornet.

The elongated canopy of the twin-seat version of the Navy's newest multi-role, all-weather fighter is shown here. Note the anti-slip patch on the top surface of the forward strake.