COMMENTS: - - Welcome back to Daily Aviation for a feature on the F/A-18, a multi-role fighter capable of carrying over 17,000 pounds of ammunition, including AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, often mounted on wingtip pylons. Image Credit: US Marine Corps, US Air Force, US Navy, US Army, Derivative Work from Daily Aviation Clipart: US Marine Corps, Everyday Aviation
These are AIM-9x winders, very different from what I loaded on old f-18s in the late 1980's AIM-9L, Both are good A/A guns.
At the beginning of the video, the rank of the back seat is CWO. Can Warrant Officers become WSO?
The Boeing F/A-18E or F/A-18F Super Hornet are twin-engine carrier-capable multi-role fighter variants based on the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The F/A-18E single seater and F/A-18F tandem seat variants are larger and more advanced variants of the F/A-18C and D Hornet.
The Super Hornet has a built-in 20mm M61 Vulcan rotary cannon and can carry air-to-air missiles and air-to-ground weapons. Additional fuel can be carried in up to five external fuel tanks. The aircraft also added an external air-to-air refueling system; can be configured as an airborne fuel tanker.
Originally designed and manufactured by McDonnell Douglas, the Super Hornet first flew in 1995. Low rate production began in early 1997. After the merger of McDonnell Douglas and Boeing, full-rate production began in September 1997. The Super Hornet entered fleet service with the United States Navy in 1999, replacing the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, which was retired in 2006; The Super Hornet served alongside the original Hornet.
