McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet: Canadian Fury

[lxtav]

Would you like to see this in game?

• Yes but in the British TT
• Yes but in the US TT
• Yes but in a potential future Canadian TT
• No

How would you like to see it in game?

• As a researchable TT aircraft
• As a Premium aircraft
• As an Event/BP aircraft
• I said No!

McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet

Hello and welcome to my suggestion for the CF-18 hornet (officially known as the CF-188)! I feel this would be a valid addition to the game as not only is it the backbone of the RCAF but it is also the largest export version of the F/A-18 Hornet with 138 aircraft built.

History

Spoiler

The CF-18 was born out of the Canadian “New Fighter Aircraft Programme” in 1977 when the F/A-18 Hornet competed with several other aircraft including the Panavia Tornado, Grumman F-14 Tomcat and the Dassault Mirage F1.

The Original CF-18 aircraft were largely identical to their American counterparts including all of the equipment required for carrier operations including a tail hook and wing folding mechanisms. The main difference however is the installation of a night identification light mounted on the gun loading door in the port side of the aircraft, the CF-18 also differs with the addition of a painted “false canopy” on the underside of the aircraft.

Specifications and Armament

Spoiler

General Specs

• Crew: 1 or 2
• Length: 56 ft 0 in (17.07 m)
• Wingspan: 40 ft 0 in (12.19 m)
• Height: 15 ft 4 in (4.67 m)
• Wing area: 400 sq ft (37 m2)
• Airfoil: root: NACA 65A005 mod; tip: [NACA 65A003.5 mod]
• Empty weight: 23,049 lb (10,455 kg)
• Gross weight: 37,150 lb (16,851 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 51,550 lb (23,383 kg)
• Powerplant: 2 × General Electric F404-GE-400 afterburning turbofan engine, 10,000 lbf (44 kN) thrust each dry and 16,000 lbf (71 kN) each with afterburner

Performance

• Maximum speed: 979.5 kn (1,127.2 mph, 1,814.0 km/h)
• Maximum speed: Mach 1.8
• Combat range: 290 nmi (330 mi, 540 km) hi-lo-lo-hi
• Ferry range: 1,800 nmi (2,100 mi, 3,300 km)
• Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m)
• Rate of climb: 50,000 ft/min (250 m/s)

Armament

• Nine weapon/store stations (2 x Wingtip, 2 x Wing (Inboard/ Outboard), 2 x Fuselage, 1 x Centreline) carrying up to 13,700 lb (6,215 kg) of payload

• Guns

  • 1 × 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan Cannon (578 rounds, firing rate of 4,000 or 6,000 rpm)

• Missiles and Rockets

  • Aim-9M/X Sidewinder (2 x Wingtip Pylons, 2 x dual mounts on outboard Pylons)
  • Aim-7F/M Sparrow ( 4 x Wing Pylons, 2 x Fuselage Mounts)
  • Aim-120 AMRAAM ( 4 x LAU-115 Dual mounts on Wing Pylons, 2 x Fuselage Mounts)

• Rockets

  • AGM-65 Mavericks ( 4 x Wing Pylons)
  • CVR7 rockets ( 4 x Dual Mounts on Wing Pylons (152 Rockets in total))

• Bombs

  • Mk 80 series unguided/ retarded bombs (Centreline and Wing Pylons)
  • GBU-10, -12, -16, -24, -49 laser guided bombs (Wing Pylons)
  • Jdam GPS bomb guidance kits (Centreline and Wing Pylons)
  • AGM-154 JSOW glide bombs (4 x Wing Pylons, 8 If using dual mounts)
  • Mk 20 Rockeye/ BL-755 Cluster Bombs (Centreline and Wing Pylons)

• Avionics/ other

• Countermeasures: 4 x SUU-42 Bins under Fuselage (up to 120 Chaff/Flare packets)

• Radar: AN/APG-65 or AN/APG-73 Radars (the AESA AN/APG-73 Radars were added in an upgrade package)

• RWR: AN/ALR-67 Radar Warning Receiver

• TGP: AN/AAS-38 Night Hawk or AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Targeting pods

Pictures

Spoiler

Canadian CF-18 carrying Aim-9 Sidewinders and Aim-7 Sparrows alongside three additional fuel tanks

Potential Standard camouflage for the Hornet

Canadian Air Force demonstration team livery during a 2016 aerial performance

Livery of a CF-18 painted in celebration of Canadas 150th anniversary

Canadian Pilot Standing in front of his aircraft, the False canopy is clearly visible on the underside of the Aircraft

Instruments and Avionics in the Backseat of a CF-18B

Front cockpit of the CF-18 (Both Standard and B variants)

Close up of where the Flares are located on the F-18C/D and CF-18

CF-18 in game

Spoiler

Whilst functionally the CF-18 would be almost identical to the early F/A-18 Hornets that will almost definitely come to the US TT, it would provide a unique piece of history both for fans of the F/A-18 Hornet and of Canadian aircraft in general (I am both).

Whilst in the US TT it wouldn’t offer much over the standard F/A-18 Hornet Due to the similarities between the two, however in the British TT it would provide a unique and competitive Fighter for the end of the naval line after the Phantom FG1 and seeing as the British TT has had similar additions such as the ADATS I feel it is worth mentioning. However it also goes without saying that if a Canadian TT were to come in the future that the CF-18 should go there as it is the penultimate Canadian Jet fighter.

Sources

Spoiler

McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet - Wikipedia
https://archive.ph/20080117035732/http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/site/equip/cf18/specs_e.asp
https://www.canada.ca/en/air-force/services/aircraft/cf-188.html
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet - Wikipedia
https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/boeingcf18hornetmult/?cf-view

[Miki_Hoshii]

Heres and old excerpt from an old CF-18/CF-188 suggestion in which I commented about its weaponry and differences;

"The CF-18 was acquired to replace both the CF-101B in the interceptor role, as well as the CF-104 and CF-116A (CF-5A) in the strike role. They wanted to consolidate the combat jets as much as possible. In comparison to the US Hornet however, it still didn’t have quite the extensive list of weapon racks and weapons.

A couple non-visual changes between the CF-18A and F/A-18A’s was the Instrument Landing System instead of the Automated Carrier Landing System, ALQ-162 jammer, clearance for 480 gallon fuel tanks (vs. 330 gallon), and cold weather survival gear.

I’ve finally got an extensive and thorough list for weapons the CF-18 carried until it was modernized in 2003.

6x AIM-9L/M Sidewinders (Wingtips & outboard pylons with dual racks)

4x AIM-7F/M Sparrows (Fuselage recesses & outboard pylons)

4x AGM-65 Mavericks (Unknown version, likely F or G. inboard and outboard pylons)

152x 70mm CRV 7 rockets in 8x LAU-5003 pods (Dual racks on outboard and inboard pylons)

10x Mk-20 Rockeye cluster bombs (Dual racks on outboard, inboard, and centreline pylons)

10x BL-755 cluster bombs (Dual racks on outboard, inboard, and centreline pylons)

10x Mk.82 500 lb bombs (Dual racks on outboard, inboard, and centreline pylons)

9x Mk.83 1000 lb bombs (Dual racks on outboard and inboard pylons, single bomb on centreline pylon)

4x Mk.84 2000 lb bombs (outboard and inboard pylons)

4x GBU-12 500 lb laser guided bombs (outboard and inboard pylons)

4x GBU-16 1000 lb laser guided bombs (outboard and inboard pylons)

2x GBU-10 2000 lb laser guided bombs (outboard pylons)

2x GBU-24 2000 lb laser guided bombs (outboard pylons)

Originally the CF-18 came with no precision strike weapons, but Canada acquired laser guided bombs and Mavericks from the late 1990’s-2003 as well as beyond.

Missiles such as the AIM-120 and other guided weapons didnt come until after the 2003 modernization, which required new targeting systems and radar sets among other things.

The information comes from the Canadian Aviation and Space Musuem, trade registries between US and Canada on the sale of guided weapons, as well as the brochure for the F/A-18A and a weapons chart for the F/A-18C."

[Fireraid233]

+1 definitely added to Britain

[lxtav]

Cheers, that saves me a lot of time and effort digging around for this info, although id expect initially we would see the Cf-18 in an earlier variation before any of the upgrades, potentially alongside the F/A-18A when it comes (could be as soon as December) with a later version coming after

[DETROIT HOOD LEGEND]

As a Canadian myself… +100 for this suggestion. It gives something for the UK aviation top tier that is at least different from the Phantoms and the (soon™) Typhoons.

[Deathmisser]

Yes this need to be added to Britain.

[Deathmisser]

@lxtav This is a funny one :P

[lxtav]

ooooh that’s an interesting camouflage, should definitely be an option if the CF-18 goes to Britain

[Deathmisser]

Yep, it’s a 75th anniversary thing for the Battle of Britain

[Deathmisser]

But yea if the F-16AJ, Swedish trails, Swiss Hunter Canadian, ADATS can come in, in the name of filling holes then the Canadian CF-18 is a must for Britain.

[StormRyder13]

+1 for future Canada tree.

[Mytho-GR1]

It be better then another torrnado

[Deathmisser]

I doubt there would be tbh.

[StormRyder13]

They can be as Canada has enough. I know as I’ve been helping a mod here build an air tree to go with their ground tree.

[lxtav]

the biggest problem with having Canada as a separate TT is that, whilst possible, it would include the removal of several TT vehicles from existing trees, plus there are far more Canadian vehicles in game than there was Swedish or Israeli vehicles before they were added, and all of theirs were either premium or event vehicles not TT

don’t get me wrong, I am not against any future Canadian tree, I feel that SA should have been used to form a commonwealth tree with SA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, but I doubt it will happen any time soon

[StormRyder13]

It wouldn’t remove too many vehicles only the Skink and ADATs are tech tree and the Ram II is premium the rest are event and they don’t touch event vehicles. So not too much.

[lxtav]

The thing is that the ADATS is the top SPAA for britain and there isnt another option to add; the Rapier tracked is 10.3 best, any of the Blowpipe equiped SAMs would likely be between the ZA-35 and Stormer, and the sky sabre is multi vehicle and would require a whole new mechanic just for a new SPAA for britain and japan.

Theres far easier nations to be added before canada like yugoslavia or a united korean tree, and gaijin has been open about using canadian vehicles as gap fillers before.

[Rileyy3437]

Warrior low profile hull is the same ADATS as on the Canadian one but with a warrior hull.

[lxtav]

was this actually tested though or was it just a mock up/ private venture?

[StormRyder13]

I mean they also don’t move everything over or leave things in the old tree as C&P. Franch still has a Fisnish SPAA.

@lxtav

yugoslavia or a united korean tree

Yugoslavia would be nice and Korea would be another Israil style tree I’d rather nations that could start in WW2 first.