Multirole fighter aircraft F/A-18C HORNET COBI 5819 - Armed Forces

You know that:

• Developed by McDonnell Douglas in the 1970s, the aircraft was intended to replace the retiring F-4 Phantoms of the US Marine Corps.
• The brief for the new Marine Corps aircraft was clear: performance + survivability and cost.
• McDonnell, with a history dating back to 1920, created an extremely reliable fighter with perfect wing leading edge shaping.
• First flight took place on 18 November 1978.
• Compared to its predecessors such as the F-4 Phantom II, A-7 Corsair II and other aircraft of the time, the Hornet had modern shapes still in use today.
• The F-18 fighter is made of 21% titanium alloy, 31% aluminum alloy and 19% carbon composite.
• The designers used large parts as much as possible, reducing the number of parts from 14,100 to 8,100.
• The C version is fitted with newer avionics for night missions.
• The Swiss Army operates 33 Hornets.
• The reduction in radar reflectivity from 400 m2 for the F-14 to 1.02 m2 makes the aircraft difficult to see for radar.
• Overstress during fly-by-wire is limited to +7/-1.7G, but the airframe can sustain up to an incredible +12/-4.9G.
• Aero Vodochody, a Czech company, is also involved in the development and production of the Super Hornet.
• A little over 1,400 have been produced in various versions so far.
• If you want to buy one, you have to prepare about 72 000 000 €.

Technical parameters:

• span 12.3 m, length 17.1 m, height 4.7 m
• weight 11 200 kg (empty)
• maximum take-off weight 23 400 kg 
• power unit 2 x General Electric F404-GE-402 turbojet engines with afterburner with a thrust of 2x 79.2 kN
• maximum speed 1,8M (1 915 km/h)
• maximum flight level 15 000 m
• climb rate 254 m/s
• range 2,246 km (3,035 km with auxiliary tank)
• armament 6 barrel M61A1 Galting 20mm calibre rotary cannon and 6 slings for air-to-air, air-to-surface and smart bombs
• crew 1