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.

4 Likes

Air to air missile list is missing the SM-6 ;)

4 Likes

This thing is/will be basically a worse F/A-18C right?

It’s bigger and heavier version, but with more powerful engines and can carry more missiles/bombs/etc.

1 Like

The F/A-18E Block I is basically an enlarged F/A-18C, capable of carrying more fuel and armament, but slower and slightly less maneuverable. There are more advantages like lower radar cross section, but most of them are not important or meaningful in this game.

2 Likes

RIM-174 is apparently being introduced as a real capability as we speak.
Its got the designation AIM-174B.
Being shown for the first time at RIMPAC this year
https://x.com/John_A_Ridge/status/1808604354037100867
https://x.com/John_A_Ridge/status/1808370955602780337
you can see the modification that had to be made to give it lugs for aircraft carriage

its likely to be a real thing because why else would they make a test version (NAIM) and ground handling version (DATM)

5 Likes

It is missing proper carrier plane.

what

1 Like

This missile is basically AIM-54 equivalent, but modern. But it is missing its Tomcat

1 Like

thats the hornet

Hornet doesn’t have right romantic of Tomcat.

without the hornet the carrier would be a mk72 tho

Speaking of which, there is data on Mk 104 DTRM in the paper presented at IWMECS 2020.

Spoiler

image

Clear photo of XAIM-174B if you are boring for clicking URLs.

Yeah… Welcome back AIM-54 Phoenix

Now, US Navy needs XAIM-174B carrier just like how F-111B and F-14s back then.

1 Like

So two versions are confirmed: NAIM-174B for testing, DATM-174B for ground training.

Shouldn’t Mk104 have two thrusts?

This missile will be slower than counterparts?

It should be since it is a dual thrust motor. However I cannot find more accurate data, so this is my best.

Seems the correct name is NAIM-174B
image