how fast is this thing on the deck
Pretty Slow
Expect around M1.05 for a clean F-18A
Around M1.1 for a clean F-18C
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In fighter escort configuration (60% fuel, 2x AIM-9 on STA 1/9, 2x AIM-120 on STA 4/6), maximum speed of F/A-18C with EPE is about Mach 1.07 at SL.
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And it takes 7-8 hours to reach max speed!
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She’s pretty but she’s fucking slow. I think people will be underwhelmed that it won’t be able to keep up with literally everything else at top tier.
@wasa850 See here for the data on F/A-18 turn rate
The F/A-18 with presumably the -402 engines (the improved ones) sustains a turn rate of 19.2 deg/s with 2x AIM-9 and 2x AIM-120 with 60% fuel loading. The Gripen will certainly outperform it in regards to sustained turn rate at higher altitudes, but at lower altitudes I think the F/A-18 will gain a slight advantage. Certainly, if the specific excess power of the Gripen (which is double anything else in the game at the moment) isn’t fixed… it MAY have an advantage in a sustained fight against the F/A-18C.
Currently the Gripen with 30 minutes fuel (more than 60% internal, but it is the available turn data I have on hand…)… sustains at most around 19 deg/s. This would be lower when equipped with ordnance, additionally the F/A-18C’s would be higher when it isn’t equipped with ordnance. The two aircraft are very similar in performance, though imo. People tend to forget that the F/A-18 also has similar acceleration to the Gripen despite the “poor T/W ratio”… it’s no F-15 or MiG-29, but it is certainly a capable fighter.
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The F18 is not nearly as aerodynamic as the Gripen. They are not comparable at all whatsoever. Its weak thrust to weight will mean it’s highly limited in available Gs a pilot is able to pull at high speed by the fbw.
Both the F16 and F18 were designed under the way LFX program. Their core doctrine is energy maneuverability. If the F-16 is limited to such a degree in alpha and g limitation at high speed with its high thrust to weight, the F-18 with most assuredly be worse with its far weaker thrust to weight (not even an 1:1) and aerodynamics. It will be more limited by the fbw at actual dogfight speeds.
The F18 is always shown maintaining a high level of nose authority only at landing speeds in any videos found on the web. That is because its nose authority is designed for one thing: landing and taking off from a boat.
Nothing more, nothing less. It’s not designed for cut throat dogfighting like the F16 or Gripen. It is and always will be merely a workhorse naval multirole platform.
It is pure fantasy to assume the F-18 will be any better than the F-16, mirage 2k and especially a Gripen in a dogfight.
All the F18 will have is high nose authority at stall and landing speeds unable to maintain it for any long duration due to its pathetically weak engines and inferior aerodynamics & gross weight compared to the mentioned fighters.
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It’s basically a fancy supersonic A-7 that can sling Sparrows, and later AMRAAMs. It can’t even self-designate for SALH GBUs until the F/A-18A+ / -C turn up.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the introductory config sat at 11.0 or 11.3, especially if they haven’t got the radar implemented quite right, considering that even the F-4E / F-4S as they are now pretty much shows it up in all respects, let alone something more advanced like the introductory variants of the rest of the Teen series.
And the AV-8B+ & F-111F(option for the prototype AIM-7G) would dumpster it in the strike role.
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The f18 legacy weighs just about the same weight of a Mig29 SMT empty. It has a 32,000lb gross weight with weaker thrust to weight than the MiG29 SMT.
It will utterly fail to compete with the ultra light weight of the Gripen,
It will not hang with the F16 not the Mirage 2000 or any Mig29.
It’s pretty much the same weight as the Mig29SMT with far weaker engines. We all know how the SMT performs.
Additionally the F18 is limited by a fbw. It’s not going to be doing anything more special than a SMT. Even min fuel.
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It’s a typo. Im on my phone literally at a bar.
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Lookin for dudes?
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What is this from?
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Why, when I got you waiting for me on the forums?
:D
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Hey man, PMs are open
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A friend of mine wrote that the Gripen is clearly superior to the Hornet in DACT missions. It is very likely that Hornet pilots do not exceed 7.5g, which is the electronic limit. But I don’t know. If they were Swiss F-18s, they don’t have a limit and are therefore fully 9G aircraft. ( They also have the more powerful General Electric engines).
I think the sustained turn of about 19 st/sec you quoted is for 9G, but in reality the Navy is practically under 9g, they have a limit of 7.5g.
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The F-18 can use its nose AoA maneuvers up to about 350 knots, so it’s usable for dogfighting, and it was practically happening.
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hroughout my career I flew against F-16s many times and in my opinion, it was the hardest of the 4th generation fighters to beat. It was small, had a lot of thrust, and a very impressive 9G turn. The F-16 had a turn rate advantage and much better thrust to weight when compared to the F/A-18C. The F/A-18C had a better turn radius and could fly at a higher angle of attack (AOA) than the F-16. The best way to fight an F-16 is in a 1 circle fight, usually in the vertical. Getting the Hornet’s nose on first to try and get an early shot, whether with a missile or the gun. The key would be to get the F-16 reacting to the Hornet, bleeding energy, and getting slow. At slow airspeeds, the F/A-18’s AOA advantage meant I could point my nose easily and get a shot.
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I never said it cannot perform ACM/BFM.
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It shows the F-18’s advantage in maneuverability - insane AoA maneuverability. Along with aim-9X and JHMCS, a very powerful combination.
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at slow speed it will not keep up with the F-16 in a prolonged/sustained dogfights.
There is no thrust for it nor there aerodynamics. It has no stamina.
It weighs as much as Mig29SMT and has much less thrust than it.