Page 44 - Aviation News - September 2017

(CAS), forward air control (FAC) and tactical A Hornet assigned to VFA-37 is readied on a the airframe with perforated panels.
reconnaissance. Although the F/A-18Ds USS George H W Bush waist catapult. The These features combined to reduce the
‘Ragin’ Bulls’ are one of four Atlantic Fleet
can be returned to trainer configuration, the squadrons that continues to operate the F/A- Super Hornet’s radar cross-section (RCS)
rudder pedals are disconnected and the aft 18C. US Navy/MC3 Christopher Gaines by upto 25% over the ‘classic’ Hornet’s
cockpit control sticks and throttle quadrants depending upon which quadrant it is viewed
are replaced by a pair of side-mounted stabilisers and its rudders are 34%, 15%, from.
hand controls units (HCUs) used by the 36% and 54% larger, respectively, than the With a maximum take-off weight of
weapons system officer (WSO) to operate Hornet’s. 66,000lb (29,937kg) the Super Hornet is
the armament controls. Weapons cannot be Both variants feature a fly-by-wire flight considerably heavier than the Hornet, which
launched/released from the rear cockpit of control system (FCS); however, the Super is weighs in at 51,900lb (23,541kg).
the two-seat trainers, though can be from the equipped with a four-channel system which The classic Hornet has nine stations for
USMC F/A-18Ds. increases reliability. In addition, a direct stores and the Super Hornet 11. The latter’s
The US Navy first considered an electrical link to the flight control actuators 34in (86.4cm) fuselage plug meanwhile
advanced, more capable version of the strike superseded the ‘classic’ Hornet’s provides space for nearly 3,600lb (1,633kg) of
fighter as part of the Hornet 2000 study, which manual reversion system. additional internal fuel.
began in May 1987, and formal development The earlier model’s speed When external tanks are added, the
of the Super Hornet began five years later in brake was also eliminated F/A-18E can carry about 6,600lb (2,994kg)
May 1992. – the Super Hornet instead more fuel than the older C-model, while
The F/A-18E first flew on November 29, generating drag through the two-seat F/A-18F’s internal fuel load is
1995 and the two-seat ‘F’ model followed the computer- controlled around 850lb (386kg) less than the E-model’s.
on April 1 the next year. Deliveries of both deployment of opposing By comparison the F/A-18C can carry a
variants began in September 1999. The flight control surfaces. maximum of 10,860lb (4,926kg) of fuel
Super Hornet achieved initial operational internally, whereas the F/A-18E can carry
capability (IOC) in 2001 and began its first 14,400lb (6,532kg).
deployment in July 2002. The fighter’s combat Depending upon the mission profile, the
debut followed when VFA-115 flew strikes in additional fuel increases the Super Hornet’s
Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring range and endurance by as much as 50%,
Freedom four months later. and the jet can remain on station 200nm
Boeing delivered 147 Block I Super (370km) from its home carrier for 1.8 hours,
Hornets – 64 F/A-18Es and 83 F/A- 40% longer than the Hornet.
18Fs – before production switched to Moreover, its carrier recovery
the Block II variant in Lot 26. Whereas payload is 9,900lb (4,491kg), enabling
Block I variants retained the F/A- it to return to the vessel with costly,
18C’s Hughes (now Raytheon) AN/ unexpended weapons. The legacy
APG-73 radar, the forward fuselage models are limited to just 5,500lb
of the Block II – first delivered in (2,495kg).
October 2002 – was redesigned to Performance is similar, although the
accommodate a new active electronically Super Hornet doesn’t require afterburner for
scanned array (AESA) radar. carrier launches, and its larger wing reduced
Although similar in configuration, the approach speed to just 128kts (237km/h)
Hornet and Super Hornet are essentially compared to the F/A-18C’s 140kts (259km/h).
different aircraft and share few structural Legacy Hornets were originally powered
components. At 60.3ft (18.38m), the F/A- by two General Electric F404-GE-402
18E’s fuselage is 4.3ft (1.31m) longer than the A plan view of a US Navy F/A-18C with the low-bypass turbofans, each delivering a
F/A-18C’s and 7in (17.8cm) taller, measuring outline of an F/A-18E overlaid for comparison. maximum thrust of 16,000lb/st (71.17kN).
16.0ft (4.88m) to the top of the vertical Andrew Hay/Flying Art From 1991, F/A-18Cs were delivered with
stabilisers. Survivability enhancements made to the F404-GE-402 Enhanced Performance
The Super Hornet’s wing has a span of the Super Hornet included radar-absorbent Engine (EPE), which improved fuel efficiency
42.8ft (13.06m), increased chord and an area material in the engine inlets, which were and yielded 17,700lb/st (78.73kN) of thrust.
of 500sq ft (46.45m²) – 25% larger than the designed to scatter and divert radar beams; The EPE was later retrofitted to the earlier
F/A-18C’s, which spans 37.5ft (11.43m) with serrated edges to access doors and panels; Hornets.
an area of 400sq ft (37.16m²) – while the eliminating or filling unnecessary surface gaps Two 22,000lb/st (97.86kN) General
area of the Super Hornet’s leading-edge root and resonant cavities; and replacing grilles Electric F414-GE-400 turbofans power the
extensions (LERX), horizontal and vertical covering accessory exhausts and inlets on Super Hornet. Derived from the F404, this

44 Aviation News incorporating Jets September 2017

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