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-25 "Fist of the Fleet," then embarked upon the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), when it was surged to the Northern Arabian Gulf during April 2003. Sold Out!

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

Release Date: July 2016

Historical Account: "Fist of the Fleet" - The Fist of the Fleet was originally commissioned Torpedo Squadron 17 (VT-17) in 1943, and fought during World War II with TBF Avenger and SB2C Helldiver attack bombers.

Following WWII, the squadron was redesignated as VA-6B, then again as VA-65 in December 1947. This coincided with the squadron's transition to the plane it would fly for the next 21 years, the A-1 Skyraider, affectionately nicknamed the "Spad." The squadron sailed aboard the USS Coral Sea on its maiden voyage in early 1948.

The outbreak of hostilities with Korea saw the squadron transferred to NAS Moffett Field. Then in 1950, the squadron deployed to Korean waters aboard the USS Boxer, logging 1,645 combat missions.

In 1959, the squadron was redesignated VA-25. In 1962, the squadron moved to its current home, the newly-completed NAS Lemoore.

From 1965 through 1968, the squadron made three deployments to Southeast Asia, still flying the A-1. During this period, Fist pilots flew over 3,000 combat missions, dropping more than 10 millions pounds of ordnance on enemy targets. On June 20th, 1965, a division of "Spads" were attacked by a section of Vietnamese MiG-17's deep in North Vietnam - the Fists successfully scored a guns kill against one of the jet-powered fighters.

When the Fists turned in their A-1 "Spads" in 1968, it was the last tactical propeller driven squadron in the Navy. The squadron next obtained the A-7 Corsair II, with which it again deployed to Southeast Asia after only four months of training, aboard the USS Ticonderoga. It was during this cruise that the Fists set a record - in 33 flying days, Fist pilots flew 1,650 sorties in combat. During this period, each squadron pilot averaged over 92 hours in the air.