![]() The dual-engine arrangement allowed the aircraft to continue on a single engine in the event of a loss of one powerplant. Power for the aircraft came from 2 x General Electric GE404 series afterburning turbofan engines allowing for speeds to reach Mach 1.8 - nearly 1,200 miles per hour at 40,000 feet altitude. Within the nose cone of the aircraft was a powerful Hughes AN/APG-65 series radar system for interception of incoming aerial threats above or below the aircraft. HOTAS (Hands-On Throttle and Stick) allowed for both of the pilot's hands to rest on the most important control systems of their aircraft - the throttle and flight stick while a HUD (Head-Up Display) system placed much pertinent mission information ahead of the pilot without the need for him to look down at the instrument panel. Fly-By-Wire (FBW) controlling was standard and allowed for the necessary agility required of fighter types during air-to-air combat. As with all Navy aircraft, the design featured folding wing sections for improved carrier hangar storage. Eleven aircraft in this mold then followed for developmental purposes, the first of these flying on November 18th, 1978.Īs completed, the F/A-18 proved a whole new aircraft when compared to its YF-17 Cobra roots. From this then stemmed the idea that two distinct versions of the platform would emerge - the fighter-minded "F-18" and the ground-attack-minded "A-18" until the move proved cost prohibitive resulting in a dual-purpose airframe designated as the "F/A-18 Hornet". Between the General Dynamic and McDonnell Douglas/Northrop designs, the USN elected on May 2nd, 1975 to pursue the YF-17 Cobra model. McDonnell Douglas found much success in these Cold War years selling the various American military branches on such classic aircraft as the F-4 Phantom II and the F-15 Eagle. While Northrop led the way as the primary contractor of the YF-17, it held little experience in delivering USN aircraft and partnered with Navy powerhouse McDonnell Douglas to finalize their Cobra. The YF-17 was revised for the USN requirement, becoming a dimensionally larger and heavier product. These aircraft then evolved along their own lines, the YF-16 becoming the USAF's F-16 "Fighting Falcon" with the YF-17 growing into the USN's F/A-18 "Hornet". ![]() With the project's ballooning costs and ultimate termination during August of 1974, the USN was forced to review two competing United States Air Force (USAF) aircraft - the General Dynamics YF-16 and the Northrop YF-17 "Cobra". The F/A-18 emerged from the ashes of the terminated VFAX (Naval Fighter-Attack, eXperimental) program which sought a new lightweight, multirole-minded fighter for the USN to replace it aged stock of fighter/strike platforms then in service. This benefitted the United States Navy (USN) who relied on specialized products like the Grumman F-14 Tomcat for the fleet defense role and the Grumman A-6 Intruder/Vought A-7 Corsair II for its carrier strike arm (the Tomcat received its "Bombcat" strike capability only late in its service career). It was developed from the outset with a multi-role capability, able to undertake the fleet defense interceptor role as well as the ground attack role with minimal configuration. The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing F/A-18 "Hornet" emerged as one of the very successful 4th Generation Fighter entries of the latter Cold War years.
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