Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet - Technical Data and Discussion

(WIP)

Specifications
Crew: 1 (F/A-18E) or 2 (F/A-18F)
Length: 60.3 ft (18.38 m)
Height: 16 ft (4.88 m)
Wingspan: 44.9 ft (13.68 m) w/ missiles
Wing area: 500 sq ft (46.45 m²)
Weights (F/A-18E):

  • 31,500 lb (14,288 kg) empty
  • 66,000 lb (29,938 kg) maximum takeoff
  • 42,900 lb (19,459 kg) maximum carrier landing

Fuel (JP-8):

  • Internal::
  • F/A-18E: 14,480 lb (6,568 kg)
  • F/A-18F: 13,560 lb (6,150 kg)
  • External: 9,590 lb (4,349 kg) with 3× FPU-12/A fuel tanks

Powerplant: 2× F414-GE-400

  • Uninstalled intermediate thrust: 11,000 lbf (61.8 kN)
  • Uninstalled maximum thrust: 20,700 lbf (92.1 kN)
  • Installed maximum thrust at sea level:
  • @ Mach 0.8: 22,299 lbf (99.1 kN)
  • @ Mach 0.9: 23,249 lbf (103.4 kN)
  • @ Mach 1.0: 23,158 lbf (103 kN)
  • @ Mach 1.2: 19,226 lbf (85.5 kN)
  • Installed maximum thrust at 5,000 ft (1.5 km):
  • @ Mach 0.8: 20,112 lbf (89.5 kN)
  • @ Mach 0.9: 20,622 lbf (91.7 kN)
  • @ Mach 1.0: 21,208 lbf (94.3 kN)
  • @ Mach 1.2: 20,576 lbf (91.5 kN)
  • Installed maximum thrust at 20,000 ft (6.1 km):
  • @ Mach 0.8: 13,475 lbf (59.9 kN)
  • @ Mach 0.9: 14,402 lbf (64.1 kN)
  • @ Mach 1.0: 15,339 lbf (68.2 kN)
  • @ Mach 1.2: 16,756 lbf (74.5 kN)
  • @ Mach 1.4: 17,426 lbf (77.5 kN)
  • Installed maximum thrust at 40,000 ft (12.2 km):
  • @ Mach 0.8: 5,681 lbf (26.1 kN)
  • @ Mach 0.9: 6,301 lbf (28 kN)
  • @ Mach 1.0: 6,983 lbf (31.1 kN)
  • @ Mach 1.2: 8,481 lbf (37.7 kN)
  • @ Mach 1.4: 10,048 lbf (44.7 kN)
  • @ Mach 1.6: 10,920 lbf (48.6 kN)

Performances:
(Note: ‘fighter escort configuration’ is 60% internal fuel, 2× AIM-9 Sidewinder, 2× AIM-120 AMRAAM)

  • Maximum speed: Mach 1.6 @ 36,089 ft (10,999 m)
  • Altitude: 53,000 ft (16,154 m)
  • Sustained turn rate (F/A-18E, fighter escort configuration):
  • @ Sea level: 18°/s
  • @ 15,000 ft (4.5 km): 11.6°/s
  • Instantaneous bleed rate in a turn (F/A-18E, fighter escort configuration):
  • @ Sea level: 65 kt (120 km/h) per second
  • @ 15,000 ft (4.5 km): 76 kt (140 km/h) per second
  • Acceleration time (F/A-18E, fighter escort configuration):
  • @ 5,000 ft (1.5 km), from Mach 0.8-1.08: 52.8 seconds
  • @ 20,000 ft (6.1 km), from Mach 0.8-1.2: 50.3 seconds
  • @ 35,000 ft (10.6 km), from Mach 0.8-1.2: 64.85 seconds
  • Thrust-to-weight (F/A-18E, fighter escort configuration):
  • @ Sea level, static: 0.845
  • @ 5,000 ft (1.5 km), Mach 0.9: 0.981
  • @ 20,000 ft (6.1 km), Mach 0.9: 0.685
  • @ 35,000 ft (10.6 km), Mach 0.9: 0.385
  • Specific excess power (F/A-18E, 1 g level flight, Mach 0.9, fighter escort configuration):
  • @ 10,000 ft (3 km): 663 ft/s (202 m/s)
  • @ 20,000 ft (6.1 km): 480 ft/s (146 m/s)
  • @ 35,000 ft (10.6 km: 234 ft/s (71 m/s)
  • Maximum allowable load factor: -3.0 ~ +7.5 g (+10 g with g-limiter override)
  • Angle-of-attack limitations: None (in any symmetric configurations)
  • Pitch rate: in exceed of 50°/s
  • Takeoff distance at 48,942 lb (22,200 kg) gross weight: 1,443 ft (440 m)
  • Landing distance at 34,943 lb (15,850 kg) gross weight: 2,559 ft (780 m)
  • Approach speed: 125 kt (231 km/h)

Armaments:

  • Hardpoints: 11 total (2× wingtip, 6× under wing, 3× fuselage) for 17,747 lb (8,050 kg) of ordnances
  • Gun: 1× M61A2 20 mm gun (412 rounds)
  • Air-to-air missiles:
  • AIM-7M/P Sparrow
  • AIM-9L/M/X Sidewinder
  • AIM-120A/B/C/D AMRAAM
  • Air-to-surface missiles:
  • AGM-65E/F Maverick
  • AGM-84D Harpoon
  • AGM-84E SLAM
  • AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER
  • AGM-88A/B/C HARM
  • AGM-88E AARGM
  • AGM-158C LRASM
  • Guided bombs:
  • AGM-154C JSOW
  • GBU-10/12/16 Paveway II
  • GBU-24B/B Paveway III
  • GBU-31/32/38 JDAM
  • GBU-53/B Stormbreaker
  • GBU-54/B LJDAM
  • GBU-56(V)4/B LJDAM
  • Unguided bombs:
  • Mk 20 Rockeye cluster bombs
  • Mk 82/83/84 general-purpose bombs
  • Mk 82 Snakeye high-drag bombs
  • Mk 83 AIR high-drag bombs
  • Unguided rockets:
  • Hydra 70 2.75-inch rockets
  • Zuni 5-inch rockets

Avionics:

  • Radar:
  • Hughes AN/APG-73 RUG II
  • Raytheon AN/APG-79 (since Lot 26)
  • RWR: AN/ALR-67(V)3
  • EO sensors:
  • AN/AAQ-28(V)4 LITENING AT (test only)
  • AN/AAQ-33(V) Sniper (operational in Kuwait, test only in USN)
  • AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR
  • AN/ASD-12 SHARP
  • AN/ASG-34A(V)1 IRST (since 2022)
  • HMD: JHMCS
  • Night vision device: Vision Systems NVCD

Countermeasures:

  • Internal:
  • 4× AN/ALE-47 (120 total)
  • 3× AN/ALE-50 AAED or AN/ALE-55 FOTD
  • External: TADIRCM (test only)

Most of the data is ripped from Haynes Owners’ Workshop Manual (ISBN 978-1-78521-054-9), NSIAD 96-98, and official document from Boeing.

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