- Yes but in the British TT
- Yes but in the US TT
- Yes but in a potential future Canadian TT
- No
0 voters
- As a researchable TT aircraft
- As a Premium aircraft
- As an Event/BP aircraft
- I said No!
0 voters
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
- 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 (5 pylons: 1 under fuselage and 4 wing stations) carrying up to 13,700 lb (6,215 kg) of missiles, rockets, bombs, fuel tanks, and pods
- 2 LAU 116 on sides of fuselage: deploy AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles; 2 LAU 7 on the wing tips: deploy AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles
- 1 × 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan internal Gatling gun with 578 rounds, with a firing rate of 4,000 or 6,000 rounds per minute
Missiles and Rockets - Air to Air: Aim-9M Sidewinder, Aim-7 Sparrow, Aim-120 AMRAAM
- Air to Ground: AGM-65 Mavericks, CVR7 rockets
Bombs
MK82, MK83 and MK84 unguided bombs, Paveway GBU-10, -12, -16, -24 laser guided bombs, Jdam GPS bomb guidance kits, AGM-154 JSOW glide bombs, and most commonly GBU-49 laser and GPS guided bombs
Pictures
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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
Underside of the CF-18, clearly showing the false canopy
The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet the CF-18 is based off
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