McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet

A Jack of all trades

Era: Jet Age

On loan from the National Museum of the Marine Corps
Location: Flight Innovation Center

Did You Know?

• The Hornet's survivability was proven in Operation Desert Storm where only one aircraft was lost. Four were hit by enemy fire (three by SAMs), but returned safely and all were repaired and back in combat within 48 hours.
• The F/A-18 Hornet has proven to be an extremely reliable multirole fighter jet.
• It is great at air combat maneuvering and features an advanced cockpit.
• The U.S. Marines ordered it as an F-18 fighter and the Navy as an A-18 attack aircraft. It can switch roles easily and can also be adapted for photoreconnaissance and electronic countermeasure missions.
• What truly distinguishes the F/A-18 Hornet from other aircraft is the fact that it is highly maneuverable. The aircraft has earned the praise of fighter pilots for its multifunction displays that allow the jet to switch from a fighter to attack role with the switch of a button.
• The Hornet's first combat mission was in 1986 against air defenses in Libya. Since then, the fighter jets have been deployed during the first Gulf War in 1991, Bosnia and Kosovo in the late 1990s, and they were used for missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.