The F/A-18 Hornet is the true multi-role aircraft. It can vault from a carrier deck, bomb a target and stay to dogfight even the best enemy aircraft without missing a beat. It's the Navy's first modern-era jet intended for double duty against air- and ground-based adversaries. Armed to the hilt with Sparrow and Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, an internal cannon, and laser-guided bombs, this modern warbird was an outstanding performer in Operation Desert Storm. Strapped into a digital cockpit described as a cross between Star Wars and a video game, pilots of the F/A-18 Hornet take on the ultimate aviation job: blasting this single-seat, high-performance jet off the deck of a carrier, dropping bombs, and firing air-to-ground ordnance. Offering unmatched agility, the Hornet is the choice aircraft of the US Navy's elite Blue Angels aerobatic team.

The F/A-18C is the single-seat variant and the F/A-18D is the two-seat variant. The D-model can be configured for training or as an all-weather strike craft. The "missionized" D model's rear seat is configured for a Marine Corps Naval Flight Officer who functions as a Weapons and Sensors Officer to assist in operating the weapons systems. The F/A-18D is primarily operated by the U.S. Marine Corps in the night attack and Forward Air Controller (Airborne) (FAC(A)) roles.

The F/A-18C and D models are the result of a block upgrade in 1987 incorporating upgraded radar, avionics, and the capacity to carry new missiles such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile and AGM-65 Maverick and AGM-84 Harpoon air-to-surface missiles. Other upgrades include the Martin-Baker NACES (Navy Aircrew Common ejection seat), and a self-protection jammer. A synthetic aperture ground mapping radar enables the pilot to locate targets in poor visibility conditions. C and D models delivered since 1989 also have improved night attack abilities, consisting of the Hughes AN/AAR-50 thermal navigation pod, the Loral AN/AAS-38 NITE Hawk FLIR (forward looking infrared array) targeting pod, night vision goggles, and two full-color (formerly monochrome) multi-function display (MFDs) and a color moving map.

Pictured here is a gorgeous 1:72 scale diecast replica of a US Navy F/A-18C Hornet Strike Fighter that was attached to VFA-81 "Sunliners", then embarked upon the USS Saratoga during 1991 when it participated in Operation Desert Storm. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 7-1/2-inches
Length: 9-inches

Release Date: October 2011

Historical Account: "Crusader Dawn" - Strike Fighter Squadron 81 (VFA-81), also known as the "Sunliners", is a United States Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet strike fighter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana. They are a part of Carrier Air Wing Seventeen, their radio callsign is Zapper, and their tail code is AA. Their mission is to conduct prompt and sustained combat operations from the sea, putting fuzed ordnance on target, on time.

On February 4th, 1988, VA-81 transitioned to the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet and was redesignated Strike Fighter Squadron 81 (VFA-81). The squadron made three deployments with Saratoga between 1990 and 1994. On its first cruise in the FA-18, VFA-81 participated in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. On January 17th, 1991, LCDR Scott Speicher's F/A-18C was shot down on the first night of the Persian Gulf War while flying a mission west of Baghdad. It is disputed whether he was shot down by a SAM or by a MiG-25.

On the first day of the war the Sunliners scored the Navy's only two aerial victories by downing two Iraqi MiG-21s. VFA-81 returned to its homeport of NAS Cecil Field, Florida on March 27th, 1991, following the swift coalition victory. The squadron also participated in the last Mediterranean deployment of Saratoga, which was decommissioned in August 1994.