- Yes
- No
0 voters
History
The F/A-18 Hornet, entered service in 1983, proved its value as a carrier-based strike fighter throughout the 1980s. The success of F/A-18A/B continued with block upgraded version, F/A-18C/D.
By 1985, Swiss Air Forces felt the need for modernized air defense system. To replace its aging Mirage IIIS and F-5E Tiger II fleet, Swiss evaluated several aircraft including Rafale, Mirage 2000, JAS 39 Gripen, F-20. The final contenders were F-16 and F/A-18, and the Hornet was chosen in May 1988. The competition were re-opened briefly to examine the Mirage 2000-5 and MiG-29, but neither changed the result.
The first two aircraft were built by McDonnell Douglas in 1996, and remainder were assembled from Swiss Aircraft & Enterprise Corporation. Each delivered to the Swiss Air Force in January 1997 and December 1999.
As of 2023, Swiss Air Force operates 25 F/A-18Cs and 5 F/A-18Ds.
Design
Airframe and Engine
As an American-origin fighter jet, the F/A-18 has an uncommon design represented by large strakes and mildly swept wings. Due to this design, the Hornet is suitable for low-speed maneuvering. It is also notable for great high angle-of-attack capability, thanks to its large leading-edge-extensions (LEXs).
The Swiss F/A-18C/Ds are late production model with F404-GE-402 Enhanced Performance Engine (EPE). EPE improves flight performances by providing much higher thrust than original F404-GE-400. For example, Hornet with EPE performs 27% better than a non-EPE Hornets in transonic acceleration at 35,000 ft (10.6 km).
The major drawback of Hornet is slow acceleration in transonic regime and low top speed. It could barely exceed Mach 1 at sea level, and it cannot reach Mach 2 even at optimum altitude.
Avionics
Specifications of AN/APG-65 Radar (basis of an APG-73)
Antenna gimbal limit:
- Azimuth: ±70°
- Elevation: ±60°
Scale:
- Range: 5/10/20/40/80/160 nm (9/19/37/74/150/300 km)
- Azimuth: 20/45/90/140°
Elevation scan pattern: 1/2/4/6 bar
Beamwidth: 3.3°
Scan rate: 65°/s
Frequency: I band
Waveform: HPRF, MPRF, LPRF, Interleaved
A/A radar mode:
-
Range While Scan (SRC PD)
- Range: ~80 nm (150 km)
- Waveform: HPRF, MPRF, Interleaved
-
Velocity Search (SRC PDV HDN)
- Range: ~100 nm (185 km)
- Waveform: HPRF
-
Track While Scan (TWS PD)
- Range: ~40 nm (74 km)
- Max No. of target tracks: 10 (8 displayed)
- Waveform: HPRF, MPRF, Interleaved
- Single Target Track (TRK PD)
-
Boresight (ACM PD)
- Range: 500 ft ~ 5 nm (0.15 ~ 9 km)
- Scan area: 3.3° × 3.3°
-
Vertical Acquisition (ACM PD)
- Range: 500 ft ~ 5 nm (0.15 ~ 9 km)
- Scan area: ±5.3° in azimuth, -14° ~ +60° in elevation (10.6° × 74°)
(Raid Assessment and HUD Acquisition modes are excluded, because they are not necessary in game)
Swiss F/A-18C/Ds are equipped with AN/APG-73 radar. Compared to the original AN/APG-65, the AN/APG-73 features 7~20% longer detection range and enhanced ECCM capabilities.
Specifications of AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR
Weight: 420 lb (191 kg)
Resolution: 640 × 480 pixel
Field of view:
- NFOV: 0.7°
- MFOV: 2.8°
- WFOV: 6.0°
Swiss F/A-18C/Ds could carry AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR on station 4.
Armament
Swiss Hornet could be equipped with up to 10 AIM-120 AMRAAM and two AIM-9 Sidewinder, just like original one. However Swiss does not purchased AIM-9L/M missile, the AIM-9P series missile was only available short-range air-to-air missile before AIM-9X.
While F/A-18C/D itself is strike fighter, Swiss Air Force uses Hornets only as air superiority fighter. Thus, Switzerland does not purchased any air-to-ground ordnance for its Hornet.
One unique thing is the SAF uses SUU-80/A pylon on its F/A-18C/D fleet. This pylon was developed for F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and could only handle single AIM-9 or AIM-120, but produces much less drag than normal SUU-63/A pylon. Along with usage of AIM-9P, this is the most unique feature of Swiss Hornet.
Specifications
Crew: 1
Length: 56 ft (17.07 m)
Wingspan:
- 40.4 ft (12.31 m) w/ missile
- 38.4 ft (11.7 m) w/o missile
- 37.5 ft (11.43 m) w/o missile and launcher
Height: 15.3 ft (4.66 m)
Wing area: 400 sq ft (37.17 m²)
Aspect ratio: 3.52
Weights:
- 23,000 lbs (10,433 kg) empty
- 51,900 lbs (23,540 kg) maximum takeoff
Fuel:
- Internal: 10,860 lb (4,925 kg)
- External: 7,000 lb (3,175 kg) with 3× FPU-8/A fuel tanks
Powerplant: 2x F404-GE-402
- Uninstalled intermediate thrust: 11,000 lbf (48.9 kN)
- Uninstalled maximum thrust: 17,600 lbf (78.2 kN)
- Installed maximum thrust at sea level:
- @ Mach 0.8: 19,342 lbf (86 kN)
- @ Mach 0.9: 19,310 lbf (85.9 kN)
- @ Mach 1.0: 19,062 lbf (84.8 kN)
- @ Mach 1.2: 17,376 lbf (77.3 kN)
- Installed maximum thrust at 5,000 ft (1.5 km):
- @ Mach 0.8: 17,612 lbf (78.3 kN)
- @ Mach 0.9: 18,261 lbf (81.2 kN)
- @ Mach 1.0: 18,907 lbf (84.1 kN)
- @ Mach 1.2: 18,172 lbf (80.8 kN)
- Installed maximum thrust at 20,000 ft (6.1 km):
- @ Mach 0.8: 11,152 lbf (49.6 kN)
- @ Mach 0.9: 12,202 lbf (54.3 kN)
- @ Mach 1.0: 13,232 lbf (58.9 kN)
- @ Mach 1.2: 14,982 lbf (66.6 kN)
- @ Mach 1.4: 16,552 lbf (73.6 kN)
- Installed maximum thrust at 40,000 ft (12.2 km):
- @ Mach 0.8: 4,665 lbf (20.8 kN)
- @ Mach 0.9: 5,134 lbf (22.8 kN)
- @ Mach 1.0: 5,631 lbf (25 kN)
- @ Mach 1.2: 6,993 lbf (31.1 kN)
- @ Mach 1.4: 8,678 lbf (38.6 kN)
- @ Mach 1.6: 9,740 lbf (43.3 kN)
Performances:
(Note: ‘fighter escort configuration’ is 60% internal fuel, 2× AIM-9 Sidewinder, 2× AIM-120 AMRAAM)
- Maximum speed (fighter escort configuration): Mach 1.76
- Altitude: 50,000 ft (15,250 m)
- Sustained turn rate (fighter escort configuration):
- @ Sea level: 19.2°/s
- @ 15,000 ft (4.5 km): 12.3°/s
- Instantaneous bleed rate in a turn (fighter escort configuration):
- @ Sea level: 54 kt (100 km/h) per second
- @ 15,000 ft (4.5 km): 62 kt (115 km/h) per second
- Acceleration time (fighter escort configuration):
- @ 5,000 ft (1.5 km), from Mach 0.8-1.08: 21 seconds
- @ 20,000 ft (6.1 km), from Mach 0.8-1.2: 34.6 seconds
- @ 35,000 ft (10.6 km), from Mach 0.8-1.2: 55.8 seconds
- Thrust-to-weight (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 (1 g level flight, Mach 0.9, fighter escort configuration):
- @ 10,000 ft (3 km): 699 ft/s (213 m/s)
- @ 20,000 ft (6.1 km): 512 ft/s (156 m/s)
- @ 35,000 ft (10.6 km: 247 ft/s (75 m/s)
- Maximum allowable load factor: -3.0 ~ +7.5 g (+10 g with g-limiter override)
- Lift-off speed: 115 knot (213 km/h)
- Approaching speed: 140 knot (260 km/h)
Armament:
- Hardpoints: 9 total (2× wingtip, 4× under wing, 3× fuselage)
- Gun: 1× M61A1 20 mm gun (578 rounds)
- Air-to-air missiles:
- AIM-9P-4/P-5/X Sidewinder
- AIM-120B/C-7 AMRAAM
Avionics:
- Radar: Hughes AN/APG-73
- RWR: AN/ALR-67(V)
- EO sensors: AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR
- HMD: JHMCS
- Night vision devices: Vision Systems NVCD
Countermeasures: 4× AN/ALE-47 (120 total)
Sources
- ADA142103 F/A-18 AN/APG-65 Radar Case Study Report by Paul F. Goree
- Aeroguide 20: McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet by Roger Chesneau
- An Illustrated Guide to Modern Fighter Combat (1987) by Mike Spick
- Aviation Classics issue 23
- Boeing F/A-18 Hornet from Swiss Air Force
- Chapter 1 Radar Fundamentals by 곽영길
- F/A-18 Hornet in action: Aircraft Number 136 by Lou Drendel
- F-18 Hornet in detail & scale part 1: Developmental & Early Production Aircraft by Don Linn
- F-18 Hornet in detail & scale part 2: Production Aircraft by Don Linn
- F/A-18 Hornet in Action No.214 by Lou Drendel
- Fighter Aircraft Avionics Part III by Solo Hermelin
- McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet (Classic Warplanes) by Mike Spick
- McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet Owners’ Workshop Manual: 1978 onwards (all marks) by Steve Davies
- Modern Military Aircraft: Hornet by Lou Drendel
- NSIAD 96-98 from United States General Accounting Office
- Osprey Combat Aircraft Series: F/A-18 Hornet by Lindsay Peacock
- Professional life-cycle management for fighter jets and guided missiles from RUAG
- Review of Aeronautical Fatigue Investigations in Switzerland by M. Guillaum
- Risk Management Lessons Learned from the APG-79 Radar Test Planning and Execution from VX-31
- Swiss Hornets Updated by Emiel Sloot
- Walk Around No.18: F/A-18 Hornet by Greg Davis and Chris Neill
- WarbirdTech Series Volume 31: Boeing F/A-18 Hornet by Brad Elward