Hobby Master 1/72 Air Power Series
HA3560F/A-18D Hornet 165685, VMFA(AW)-242, US Marine Corps, Yokota AB, August 2020
General Background
The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic twin engine all-weather night fighter and attack aircraft. The F/A-18s first flew in November 1978 and the first production flight on April 12, 1980. The first 380 aircraft were F/A-18As and in September 1987 production switched to the F/A-18C. Variants A and C are single-seat aircraft while B and D are tandem-seats. The Hornet can operate from either aircraft carriers or land bases with the capability of in flight refueling. A total of 1,480 A-D variants were built.
The Aircraft
The 242 Squadron began in 1943 as VMTB 242 equipped with Grumman TBM-3 Avengers using Bugs Bunny riding a torpedo as their patch. In 1960 the unit became Marine Attack Squadron 242 flying A-4D Skyhawks, in 1964 they became VMA(AW)-242 equipped with A-6A Intruders. During the Vietnam War they became known as the “Batmen” and later just “Bats”. In 1977 they equipped with the newer A-6E that they flew until 1990 when the F/A-18D arrived. F/A-18D Hornet 165685 joined VMFA(AW)-242 “Bats” on April 28, 2012 becoming DT-01 in July that year.
Hobby Master HA3560, F/A-18D Hornet 165685, VMFA(AW)-242, US Marine Corps, 1:72
Role: supersonic twin engine all-weather night fighter and attack aircraft
Crew: 1 x F/A-18C, 2 x F/A-18D (Pilot and Weapons Systems Officer – WSO)
Dimensions
Length: 56 ft (17.1 m)
Wingspan With AAMs: 40 ft 5 in (12.31 m)
Folded: 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
Height: 15 ft 4 in (4.7 m)
Weight:
Empty: 23,000 lb (10,400 kg)
Loaded: 36,970 lb (16,770 kg)
Maximum Take off: 51,900 lb (23,500 kg)
Performance
Power Plant: 2 x General Electric F404-GE-402 turbofan
Dry Thrust: 11,000 lbf (48.9 kN) per engine
After Burner Thrust: 17,750 lbf (79.2 kN) per engine
Maximum Speed: Mack 1.8 (1,190 mph) (1,915 km/h) @ 40,000 ft (12,190 m)
Range: 1,089 nmi (1,250 miles) (2,000 km) with 2 x AIM-9s
Combat Radius: 400 nmi (460 miles) (740 km) air-to-air missions
Ferry Range: 1,800 nmi (2,070 miles) (3,330 km)
Service Ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,240 m)
Rate of Climb: 50,000 ft/min (254 m/s)
Armament: 1 x 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon mounted in nose with 578 rounds
9 x Hardpoints - a capacity of 13,700 lb (6,215 kg) with external fuel tanks and ordnance
2 x wingtip missile launch rails
4 x under-wing
3 x under-fuselage
Rockets: 2.75 inch (70 mm) Hydra 70 rockets
5 inch (127 mm) Zuni rockets
Missiles: Air-To-Air
4 x AIM-9 Sidewinders or
4 x AIM-132 ASRAAM or
4 x IRIS-T or 4 x AIM-120 AMRAAM and 2 x AIM-7 Sparrow or
Additional - 2 x AIM-120 AMRAAM
Air-To-Surface: AGM-65 Maverick
Standoff Land Attack Missiles (SLAM-ER)
AGM-88 HARM Anti-radiation Missile (ARM)
AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW)
Taurus Missile (Cruise Missile)
Anti-ship: AGM-84 Harpoon
Bombs: JDAM Precision-Guided Munition (PGM)
Paveway series of Laser-guided bombs
Mk. 80 series of unguided iron bombs
CBU-87 cluster bombs
CBU-89 gator mine
CBU-97
Mk. 20 Rockeye II
B61/Mk. 57 nuclear bombs
Others: SUU-42A Flares/Infrared decoys dispenser pod and chaff pod Or
Electronic countermeasures (ECM) pod Or
AN/AAS-38 Nite Hawk targeting pod (USN only) to be replaced by AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR Or
LITENING targeting pod (only used by USMC, Royal Australian Air Force, Spanish Air Force and Finnish Air Force) Or
Up to 3 x 330 US gallons (270 imp gallons / 1,200 liters) Sargent Fletcher drop tanks for ferry flight Or Extended range/loitering time
Avionics: Hughes APG-73 radar
ROVER (Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receiver) antenna for use by USN F/A-18C strike fighter squadrons
Inertial Navigation System (INS)
GPS
2 x mission computers
HUD (Head Up Display) cockpit display
Very High Frequency (VHF) omni-directional landing system
Multiple-functioning Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) display
