McDonnell Douglas F / A-18 (English. McDonnel Douglas F/A-18 Hornet (Russian. hornet, pronounced "Hornet") - US carrier-based fighter-bomber and ground attack aircraft, It developed in the 1970s. Today is the main combat aircraft of the US Navy. It is in service with a number of European and Asian countries, used in military operations in Libya, Iraq, Yugoslavia.
F / A-18 Hornet – video
Several sources mentioned aircraft like the F-18, which it is incorrect, since such a designation has been abolished in 1982 year. Proper identification of the aircraft in the US armed forces, according to the official list of designations of aircraft the US Department of Defense, (DoD 4120.15-L, 12 May 2004) - FA-18, but without writing slash few common and usually does not occur even in aircraft manuals. Currently, the designation F-18 is officially used the Finnish Air Force.
History of creation
F / A-18 to early roots project company Northrop, received the designation P.530 «Cobra" and is designed in the mid-1960s. Subsequently, the project was redesigned (P.600) and under the designation YF-17 took part in the US Air Force competition for the creation of a light fighter LWF (Lightweight Fighter). His rival made firm aircraft YF-16 General Dynamics. In January 1975 Year contest was won by the YF-16, Future F-16 Fighting Falcon. The story of the aircraft Northrop could end, However, around the same time air combat fighter program for the Navy was launched (NACF, Navy Air Combat Fighter). Due to the reduction of military spending in the period, the program provided for not developing a new aircraft from scratch, and the adaptation of existing projects. US naval forces were skeptical of the single-engine YF-16 and chose to select the twin-engine YF-17, which the, but, demanded significant changes to the Navy. Firm Northrop previously worked to create the deck of aircraft, so it was decided, that the work on redesigning YF-17 will be held in conjunction with the company McDonnell Douglas, has extensive experience working with the Navy.
1 Martha 1977 it was announced, The new aircraft will be called "Hornet" ("Hornet").
originally planned, that McDonnell Douglas would engage deck version for the US Navy, and Northrop - one F-18L land-based, intended for export. However, 1979 Northrop, the company filed a lawsuit, accusing companion is, that the use of its technology, embodiment designed for terrestrial, in violation of a bilateral agreement, and demanding a ban on the export of the deck modifications. The legal battle ended in 1985 year, when McDonnell Douglas agreed to pay 50 million dollars for technical information; this was the end of everything. Option F-18L and did not go into series, and "Hornet" project became fully McDonnell Douglas.
The plane was supposed to be released in three versions: fighter F-18A, A-18A attack aircraft, training and combat TF-18A. Company McDonnell Douglas succeeded in combining fighter and ground attack aircraft modifications in one, which with 1980 year referred to as the F / A-18A, although officially this designation was approved only in December 1982 of the year. Double TF-18A was renamed the F / A-18B.
Was built 9 single and 2 double experimental aircraft. The first flight of "Hornet" made 18 November 1978 of the year. The first production aircraft flew on 12 April 1980 of the year, and in May, the new machines have started to arrive in the Navy.
AT 1996 , the planes were modernized: It was reinforced airframe, established new internal fuel tanks made of polyurethane (which increased the supply of fuel to 160 kg and tactical range - on 5 %).
The prices 1979 , the purchase cost of the aircraft, excluding R & D costs, was 10,8 $ millions. USA
Cost F / A-18C and F / A-18D about 29 $ millions. (Data 2009 city)
The cost of F / A-18E / F «Super Hornet" about 57 $ millions. (Data 2009 city)
Design
By the US Navy requirement command when designing F / A-18, attention was paid to the reliability and survivability. The small dimensions of this aircraft, nedыmyashtie engines, small value of the effective area of the scattering (EPR), weak infrared radiation, the presence of airborne electronic warfare - all this complicates the detection and tracking of aircraft. Normal operating overload up 7,5 g.
The plane made by the normal aerodynamic configuration and mid trapezoidal wing. Glider is designed for resource 6 thousand. hours at 2 thousand. ups using catapults and 2 thousand. landings using retarding hook. The design of the aircraft airframe loads provided duplication power transmission paths.
Fuselage Semi-monocoque. pilot cabin compartment is in the form of damaged safe design. Swept tailplane. Differential all-moving stabilizer has a reverse V cross angle, equal 2 degrees. Vertical tail with two deflected outward on 20 degrees keels shifted forward relative to the stabilizer to output it from the wind shadow area of the wing and stabilizer for high angles of attack.
Wing - mnogolonzheronnoe, develops along the lines of, passing through the inner chord ailerons to turn on the console 90 degrees. On the wing installed deflected socks across the span, odnoschelevye flaps and ailerons freezes. Socks and deflected flaps automatically depending on the angle of attack and Mach number to improve the maneuverability in combat and aerodynamic control in cruise flight. One of the distinguishing features of the aircraft is the presence of sagging of complex shape in the plan before the wing root. Nodules create a vortex lift force and provide the flight of the aircraft at high angles of attack. Between the influx and the fuselage has a gap for removing the boundary layer of air intakes fuselage.
Output nozzle F / A-18 Australian Air Force, March 2009 g.
The power plant of the aircraft It consists of two engines F404 modular construction, developed by General Electric specifically for the F / A-18. Engines divided titanium fire wall. The thrust of the engine is sufficient to return the aircraft to its base. All engine units are located at the bottom, a compressor. The power unit compartment available systems for detecting and extinguishing fire. Air intakes lateral semicircular unregulated, excrescence located under the root of the wing.
Fuel F / A-18 system It consists of six fuselage-sealing tanks and wing caisson tanks soft. All fuel tanks in order to avoid the explosion damage when fighting filled sponge. Both fuselage tank supplies, containing fuel, needed to return to base, roll over. Feeding of both engines is possible from any supply tank. The fuel system is equipped with a shut-off valves, a fuel tank from the engine placement area. There is a control system damage air path channel walls, adjacent to the fuel tanks. Internal compartments free, adjacent to the fuel tanks, in order to avoid a fire in their joint battle damage filled with rigid foam. Consumables fuel also covered protector.
The plane is made, basically, Aluminum alloys (mass fraction 49,6 %), used high strength steels (16,7 %), titanium alloys (12,9 %), composite materials (9,9 %) and other materials (10,9 %). All control surfaces, tail flaps and - a layered structure with an aluminum honeycomb core and the cladding of an epoxy CFRP. Part of the wing skin and fuselage cover inspection hatches are also made of CFRP. Socks stabilizers and fins are made of titanium alloys. In the design of aircraft landing gear (cylinders main landing) applied high strength steel AerMet 100 Carpenter Technolodgy company with a tensile strength 200 kgf / mm2.
Planting F / A-18B Hornet on an aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan
On-board equipment
On the F / A-18 is a digital wire control system with redundancy fourfold.
Powerful computing complex plane includes more than 20 Computers with shared memory volume 741 000 16-bit words. Are two main computer AN / AYK-14 (Control Data company) with a storage capacity of 64 000 16-bit words. In the flight control system onboard computer provide four control plane F / A-18 roll, pitch and yaw. Each computer works independently and is located in a separate compartment, that provides increased survivability by-wire aircraft control system. production control commands carried by the signals from the average of all the on-board computer. Failure of one, two or three remaining computer controlled computer. In case of failure of the computer pilot switches on the mechanical control system. Some F / A-18D intelligence ATARS complex was equipped with IR sensors installed. All Hornet equipped with radar and onboard complexes of protection - warning systems irradiated enemy and set for release heat flares and chaff.
F / A-18 from the 212th Fighter-Bomber Squadron US Marine Corps
modifications
F/A-18A - the first production version. constructed 371 a car.
F/A-18B - Double combat training variant F / A-18A.
F/A-18C - version with improved avionics and armament (can carry AIM-120C UR, AGM-65).
F/A-18D - Double combat training variant F / A-18C.
F/A-18E Super Hornet - further development of the embodiment of F / A-18C.
F/A-18F Super Hornet - further development of the embodiment of F / A-18D.
EA-18 Growler - Double aircraft EW developed on the basis of F / A-18F
armed with
Australia - 55 F/A-18A, 16 F/A-18B и 24 F/A-18F, as of 2016 year
Spain - 20 F/A-18A (EF-18A) and 54 EF-18A, as of 2016 year. Some components manufactured by Spanish company CASA. Besides, received more 24 American assembly machine completely from the US Navy
Canada - 59 F/A-18A (CF-18AM) and 18 F/A-18B (CF-18BM), as of 2016 year
Kuwait - 31 F/A-18C и 8 F/A-18D, as of 2016 year
Malaysia - 8 F/A-18D, as of 2016 year
US - 272 F/A-18F, 288 F/A-18E, 375 F/A-18C, 56 F/A-18A++, 30 F/A-18A/A+, 16 F/A-18B и 133 F/A-18D, as of 2016 year
Finland - 55 F/A-18C и 7 F/A-18D, as of 2016 year
Switzerland - 25 F/A-18C и 6 F/A-18D, as of 2016 year
At different times, the possibility of acquiring F / A-18 viewed Austria, Hungary, Poland, Singapore, Philippines, Czech Republic, Chile. Several aircraft have been ordered by Thailand, but the order was canceled after the Asian financial crisis 1997 of the year.
Exploitation
The first squadron of F / A-18 has received the status of combat-ready 7 January 1983 year - it was the 314 th Fighter Bomber Squadron of the US Marine Corps 'Black Knight' (VMFA-314 Black Knights). IUD in the squadron and the ILC "Hornet" gradually replaced F-4 fighter and attack aircraft A-4 and A-7. After removal from the A-6 attack aircraft weapons in the 1990s "Hornet" was the only specialized aircraft shock IUD, and after completion of the F-14 fighter in operation 2006 , he remains the only fighter planes, based on US aircraft carriers. This situation will persist until the entry into operation of fighter F-35 Lightning II.
FROM 1986 , the aircraft F / A-18 uses a group of aerobatics US Navy "Blue Angels".
By the end of the 1990s, "Hornet" were in service 26 fighting squadron of the US Navy, 4 Reserve squadrons of US Navy, 16 combat squadrons of the US Marine Corps.
Some F / A-18A flew already 8500 hours
The cost of one hour of flight 18 700$
combat application
– "Operation El Dorado Canyon" - Libya, April 1986
– The Gulf War - the liberation of Kuwait, 1991. F / A-18 is widely used to bomb and air cover during operation "Desert Storm". On their account 2 downed Iraqi MiG-21, And both the MiG-21 shot down during a bombing on departure; "Hornet" carried bombs, and after the destruction of missiles "air-to-air" Iraqi fighters continued to combat the problem, thus confirming its versatility - it was the first time in history, When the plane with a heavy bomb load in a dogfight won a victory over the lungs fighters. Also, F / A-18 destroyed soaring MiG-23 airfield, with one "Hornet" was hit by a missile S-75. On the first day of the war a group of 10 "Hornets", intercepted by MiG-25 interceptor single, one of the F / A-18 gets a missile hit and falls to the ground, pilot dies, becoming the first casualty in the operation "Desert Storm". Iraqi MiG returned to the airfield. the loss amounted to 7 "Hornet" destroyed and more 10 damaged.
– Operation "deliberately force" - the bombing of Bosnian Serb positions, 1995
– "Operation Desert Fox" - bomb attacks on military targets in Iraq, 1998
– The military operation in Afghanistan - with 2001.
– Iraq war - an operation to overthrow the regime With. Hussein, 2003—2010. TO 2008 year lost at least 5 F/A-18.
– Operation Odyssey Dawn - the bombing of facilities of the Gaddafi regime's military capabilities, Libya, 2011
– 4 July 2003 , the American F / A-18 fighter jet was intercepted by Air Force F-16A Indonesia. The aircraft broke up and before opening fire is not reached.
Result MPADS missiles hit "Arrow-2" in the F / A-18 left engine nozzle arrangement in the "Gulf War" (1991). Aircraft, serial number 164051 He returned to base and was renovated
F / A-18 Performance characteristics
Crew F / A-18
– 1 (F/A-18C) 2 (F/A-18D)
Dimensions F / A-18
– Length 17.1 m
– Wingspan 12.3 m
– Height 4.7 m
– wing area 38 m²
Weight F / A-18
– empty weight 10,400 kg
– Wet weight 16,770 kg
– Maximum take-off weight 23,500 kg
F / A-18 Speed
– Maximum speed at an altitude 12190 meters - 1.8 maha (1915 kmh)
– Maximum speed at ground level - 1.2 maha (1473 kmh)
– Operational overload - 7.5 (electronically limited)
– Cruising speed 1060 kmh
– Skoropodъёmnost 50.000 feet per minute (near the ground: 254 meters per second)
– Wing loading 454 kg/m²
– thrust-weight ratio - 1.13 (empty, on with full afterburner 50 % fuel)
Ceiling F / A-18
– 15240 m
Ferry range F / A-18
– at high altitude with three PTB - 3200 km
Combat radius F / A-18
– 720 km
F / A-18 Armament
– 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan six-barreled gun, 578 shells
– on 9 suspension points is possible installation in different configurations:
– Guided missiles AIM-B-9, AIM-7, AIM-120 different modifications
– Guided missiles, AGM-65 W, AGM-88, AGM-84, AGM-154, AGM-158, KEPD-350 of various modifications
– Television-guided bombs type GBU-10 and AGM-62, Paveway laser-guided type and GPS-guided JDAM type calibres 2000 pounds
– such as MK and CBU caliber unguided bombs to 2000 pounds (cassette, fiery, explosive, dust explosion, concrete-piercing), BLU-107 Durandal to destroy runways.
– Tactical bomb of mass destruction - nuclear (to 340 kilotonn) type B61, MK116 chemical charge (gases Sarin, VX), bacteriological weapons, charges from white phosphorus.
– External fuel tanks (up to 3 pieces), accommodate an AN / AAR-50 IR containers review, AN / AAS-38 «Nitehawk» and the AN / ASQ-228 ATFLIR for the operation of the aircraft at night and container AN / AWW-13 datalinka, EW container AN / ALQ-167
Photo F / A-18
