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 refuelling. A total of 1,480 A-D variants were built.
The Aircraft:
To commemorate the Centennial of Naval Aviation (CoNA) in the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard several aircraft have been given special paint schemes. F-18C 163733 from VFA-122 based at NAS Lemoore in California has been given a three-tone blue/grey scheme. This tricolour finish represents that of a WWII carrier based Helldiver unit from 1943 – 1944. In 1911 the first aircraft ever landed on a ship and the first hydroaeroplane was demonstrated creating an interest in naval aviation.
Features:
- True 1/72 scale
- Professionally painted
- Great attention to detail
- All markings are Tampoed (pad applied)
- Option to display the model on a stand that is provided
- Model can be shown with the landing gear in the down or up positions
- Canopy can be displayed open or closed
- Metal with a minimum of plastic
- Collectable