Hobby Master 1/72 McDonell Doulgas F/A18A+ Hornet 162841 VFC12 Fighting Omars 2018
- Product Code: HA3553
- 1:72 Scale Diecast Model
- Diecast Aviation Model
- Interchangeable Undercarriage
- Weapon Loads
- stand Included
The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic twin engine all-weather night fighter and attack aircraft. The F/A-18s first flew in November 1978 and the first production flight on April 12, 1980. The first 380 aircraft were F/A-18As and in September 1987 production switched to the F/A-18C. Variants A and C are single-seat aircraft while B and D are tandem- seats. The Hornet can operate from either aircraft carriers or land bases with the capability of in flight refueling. A total of 1,480 A-D variants were built.
VFC-12 “Fighting Omars” is a USN Reserve fighter squadron that acts as adversaries for the USN and USMC. In 1994 VFC-12 received the F/A-18A/B Hornet with the F/A18As being upgraded to the F/A-18A+ in 2004. The upgrade consisted of improved mission avionics compatible with the F/A-18C variants. F/A-18A+ aircraft are able to carry AIM-120 missiles, JDAMs and JSOWs while F/A-18As aren’t. In 2006 VFC-12 transitioned to the F/A-18C only to transition back to the F/A-18A+ in 2012. That year saw the usual adversary blue paint replaced with the SU-35 Flanker Prototype 2 Arctic Splinter Camouflage.