Hobby Master 1/72 F/A-18A 75 Sqn. Commemorative Design Magpie 2021 A21-18 RAAF Base Tindal 2021

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 refueling. A total of 1,480 A-D variants were built.

To commemorate the service of the F/A-18A with the RAAF, F/A-18A A21-18 was given what probably is the last paint scheme for this type of aircraft as the RAAF transitions to the F-35A. The 75 Squadron used the magpie as the center of their crest so the bird was placed on the tail section as the center piece. The paint scheme is predominantly black with white diamonds on top of the tail, white on the wing leading edges and around the canopy.

Role:	supersonic twin engine all-weather night fighter and attack aircraft
Crew:	1 x F/A-18C, 2 x F/A-18D (Pilot and Weapons Systems Officer – WSO)
Dimensions
Length:	56 ft (17.1 m)
Wingspan With AAMs:	40 ft 5 in (12.31 m)
Folded:	27 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
Height:	15 ft 4 in (4.7 m)
Weight:
Empty:	23,000 lb (10,400 kg)
Loaded:	36,970 lb (16,770 kg)
Maximum Take off:	51,900 lb (23,500 kg)
Performance
Power Plant:	2 x General Electric F404-GE-402 turbofan
Dry Thrust:	11,000 lbf (48.9 kN) per engine
After Burner Thrust:	17,750 lbf (79.2 kN) per engine
Maximum Speed:	Mack 1.8 (1,190 mph) (1,915 km/h) @ 40,000 ft (12,190 m)
Range:	1,089 nmi (1,250 miles) (2,000 km) with 2 x AIM-9s
Combat Radius:	400 nmi (460 miles) (740 km) air-to-air missions
Ferry Range:	1,800 nmi (2,070 miles) (3,330 km)
Service Ceiling:	50,000 ft (15,240 m)
Rate of Climb:	50,000 ft/min (254 m/s)
Armament:	1 x 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon mounted in nose with 578 rounds
	9 x Hardpoints - a capacity of 13,700 lb (6,215 kg) with external fuel tanks and ordnance
	2 x wingtip missile launch rails
	4 x under-wing
	3 x under-fuselage
Rockets:	2.75 inch (70 mm) Hydra 70 rockets
	5 inch (127 mm) Zuni rockets
Missiles:	Air-To-Air
	4 x AIM-9 Sidewinders or
	4 x AIM-132 ASRAAM or
	4 x IRIS-T or 4 x AIM-120 AMRAAM and 2 x AIM-7 Sparrow or
	Additional - 2 x AIM-120 AMRAAM
Air-To-Surface:	AGM-65 Maverick
	Standoff Land Attack Missiles (SLAM-ER)
	AGM-88 HARM Anti-radiation Missile (ARM)
	AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW)
	Taurus Missile (Cruise Missile)
Anti-ship:	AGM-84 Harpoon
Bombs:	JDAM Precision-Guided Munition (PGM)
	Paveway series of Laser-guided bombs
	Mk. 80 series of unguided iron bombs
	CBU-87 cluster bombs
	CBU-89 gator mine
	CBU-97
	Mk. 20 Rockeye II
	B61/Mk. 57 nuclear bombs
Others:	SUU-42A Flares/Infrared decoys dispenser pod and chaff pod Or
	Electronic countermeasures (ECM) pod Or
	AN/AAS-38 Nite Hawk targeting pod (USN only) to be replaced by AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR Or
	LITENING targeting pod (only used by USMC, Royal Australian Air Force, Spanish Air Force and Finnish Air Force) Or
	Up to 3 x 330 US gallons (270 imp gallons / 1,200 liters) Sargent Fletcher drop tanks for ferry flight Or Extended range/loitering time
Avionics:	Hughes APG-73 radar
	ROVER (Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receiver) antenna for use by USN F/A-18C strike fighter squadrons
	Inertial Navigation System (INS)
	GPS
	2 x mission computers
	HUD (Head Up Display) cockpit display
	Very High Frequency (VHF) omni-directional landing system
	Multiple-functioning Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) display