10 Things I Love About My F/A-18 Super Hornet (and what you might, too)
10 cool facts that make the F/A-18 Super Hornet the greatest fighter jet ever built
Okay, I can already hear my inboxes filling up with the opinions of all the aviation experts who know way more than me when it comes to air superiority, or the greatest planes ever made, or the F-4 Phantom II your husband’s boyfriend’s grandpa flew back in Vietnam.
And all I can say is: you’re wrong. I don’t know much about aviation (no instructor I’ve ever flown with would disagree there), but I do know that the F/A-18 Super Hornet is the greatest fighter jet I’ve ever piloted. It is, in fact, the only one I’ve ever piloted, but this is my blog so: 3, 2, 1… blast off!
1. Ability to Give Gas
Aha! Aerial refueling. Bet you didn’t see that one coming. Don’t worry, this post will degrade in credibility as I go on, but I’m starting off strong with this one.
A lot of jets can receive, but the F-18 Super Hornet is the only jet in the entire American military capable of giving gas to other jets while airborne.
Typically, how it works is the Super Hornet will be configured as a “Five Wet”. That means it will have five external tanks (one being an ARS pod), giving it the ability to distribute around 15,000 pounds of fuel to its closest friends.
2. Horizontal Stabs
Maybe not what you’d expect to come in at the number two spot, but hear me out. The Super Hornet’s horizontal stabs are almost as big as the entire wing of the A-4 Skyhawk.
This is part of what makes the 18 such a ferocious fighter in two-circle combat. The horizontal stabs make for an incredibly stable platform at high angles-of-attack, allowing for impressive nose authority even at uncomfortably low speeds.
3. A Mind-Blowing FCS
That stands for Flight Control System, by the way, and if you’re dying to know why this seemingly boring topic is at number four, then let me explain.
The FCS, which the legendary horizontal stabs from #2 are a part of, is comprised of the leading and trailing edge flaps, ailerons, rudders, vertical and horizontal stabs, spoilers, and two redundant flight control computers.
The reason this system blows me away is that you can have a triple circuit hydraulic failure (losing 3/4 of the hydraulic system) and still land. You can lose both the left and right ailerons and still turn flawlessly. I’ve even had a sim instructor tell me you could potentially still take off if you lost both your rudders on takeoff. I’ll take his word on that one.
4. The Gun
I mean… can you truly call yourself a fighter jet if you don’t have the foundation of air-to-air combat? I’m talking about the 20mm M61A2 rotary cannon, baby.
6,000 rounds per minute pouring out of the nose spells trouble for anyone unlucky enough to find themselves in a visual head-to-head matchup with the Super.
5. Texting Your Friends
Although not unique to the Super Hornet, it is still part of the MIDS (Multifunctional Information Distribution System) hardware we have onboard. And with that comes a fun way to talk to your friends in-flight without anyone knowing: Free Text!
Using the UFCD (Up-Front Control Display), you can go back to the early 2000s and send text messages to your wingman in a semi-covert way. This has definitely never gone wrong!
6. Room for Two
Forget texting your friends, just bring them with you! Another huge pro for the Super Hornet is its dual-occupancy ergonomic module features tandem longitudinal habitation units configured for pilot and weapons systems officer (WSO) operations—AKA a back seat!
Long flights, difficult missions, emotional breakdowns? All better with someone in your cockpit with you.
7. Weapon Station Availability
The F/A-18 boasts enough space to externally mount tons of ordnance or fuel tanks.
Eleven different stations means the Super Hornet can carry the greatest number of weapons or tanks—more than anything else in the American inventory.
Take that 5th gen!
8. 3-in-1
Once upon a time, the airwing’s fixed wing jet department consisted of a different jet for each role. An F-14 for air-to-air intercepts, an A-6 for air-to-ground dominance, and an S-3 to hunt subs.
The F and A in F/A-18 means… yeah, it can do it all.
The 18 can be equipped with AIM-9Xs and AIM-120s for air-to-air, laser guided and GPS guided missiles for air-to-ground, AGM-84s for anti-ship, and many other interesting weapons combinations.
It truly is a jack of all trades.
9. Peter! We’ve Got a Squirter!
Just like I Love You Man is one of the best movies of all time, it’s clear the 18 is one of the best jets. Still don’t believe me?
The F/A-18 is such an alpha that it actually marks its territory wherever it goes. Known for leaking lots of different liquids, it’s not uncommon to walk to your plane and see a yellow tub underneath with a shocking amount of fuel leaking out into it.
I remember once asking a plane captain if there was something we could do about it and his response was “it’ll go away once you start up”. I think what he meant was I will go away after you start up and then it’s no longer my problem.
10. Certified Yogi
Unlike you with your New Year’s resolution to go to yoga more, the Super Hornet actually does. This marvelous machine is able to transform her wingspan from over 44 feet to just over 30 with the simple flip of a switch.
That’s right! This flexible fighter has folding wings, a necessary feat of engineering to accommodate the tight spaces often encountered on the flight deck of a carrier.
Just don’t try this at home…
What’s your favorite plane of all time, and what makes it so great to you!? Let me know in the comments below ⬇️