F / A-18 Fighter Bomber Celebrates Anniversary

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The F / A-18 fighter-bomber, created almost forty years ago, celebrated a kind of anniversary. 6 September, Boeing Corporation announced the achievement of an important stage in the program F / A-18 - the total raid of all aircraft in 10 million hours.

Just a few hours apart, Boeing Corporation (aircraft manufacturer) and command aviation The U.S. Navy has published congratulatory posts on the social network Twitter. According to the manufacturer, who confirmed the military command, the F / A-18 Hornet fighter-bombers and its deeply modernized version of the F / A-18 Super Hornet spent 10 million hours in the sky.

F / A-18 Fighter Bomber Celebrates Anniversary


The first flight of the F / A-18 Hornet took place on November 18 1978 of the year, and its mass production started in the 1983 year. In total, during production, which continues to this day (Boeing Corporation has orders for several years to come), the 2000 "Hornets" of all modifications have already been assembled, including Super Hornet and Growler. Thus, on average, each of the machines flew 5000 hours.
The Boeing F / A-18 Hornet and its more modern version of the F / A-18E / F Super Hornet are in service with the US Navy since 1983, and will soon have to "give way" to the new F-35C Lightning II carrier-based fighter. However, the program to create fighters of the fifth generation behind the original schedule for several years, which allowed the corporation Boeing not only to extend the program F / A-18E / F Super Hornet, but also to develop its new modification, reports "Warspot".

15 comments
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  1. +8
    7 September 2017 11: 23
    One of the most successful aircraft in history!
    1. +3
      7 September 2017 11: 49
      Yes, his luck was that he did not take part in a real war with modern air defense systems, as, for example, about 10 American planes and helicopters of all types were shot down in Vietnam ...
      1. +1
        7 September 2017 11: 51
        luck is that he did not take part in a real war with modern air defense systems
        And EW didn’t smell, right?
    2. 0
      8 September 2017 09: 40
      US stories.
  2. +4
    7 September 2017 11: 36
    Nice plane. And not very cheap. Only very poor countries were able to purchase it for their Air Force.
    1. +5
      7 September 2017 12: 02
      Quote: irazum
      Nice plane. And not very cheap
      I managed to see these cars in flight. Sometime in the 90s, Blue Angels performed on the F-18 at the air show in Tushino, as well as Vityaz on the Su-27 and Swifts on the MiG-29. They all worked very well, but IMHO, in my opinion, " hornets "are very inferior in maneuverability to Russian cars. So MiG and Su were turning literally over the airfield. and the “Angels” this maneuver covered the entire surrounding residential sector.
  3. +8
    7 September 2017 11: 47
    The workhorse of the fleet --- in peacetime, and especially in wartime, these planes are heavily loaded and fly, scum))) What would American AUGs be like for, if not for this plane?
    1. +3
      7 September 2017 11: 56
      Vaistina kyrasavtsy.
    2. +2
      7 September 2017 12: 32
      Well, they had intruders, corsairs and tomkets.
      also good cars for its time.
      1. +4
        7 September 2017 12: 58
        F-18 is the first machine on which a program was introduced to reduce costs and time for ground preparation of the aircraft and increase its reliability. Moreover, the program was introduced at the stage of development and design of the aircraft and its equipment ....
    3. +1
      7 September 2017 23: 23
      Beautiful and dangerous tricks. Super-maneuverability does not smell, but really beautiful and dangerous tricks.
  4. 0
    7 September 2017 12: 42
    Quote: xetai9977
    One of the most successful aircraft in history!

    Well, they got quite a few in the seas and oceans ...
  5. 0
    7 September 2017 13: 15
    I hope we will not meet with him.
    1. +1
      8 September 2017 08: 58
      and you know what they hope))
  6. 0
    7 September 2017 19: 38
    Quote: Bronevick
    I hope we will not meet with him.

    his happiness if we do not meet .....