Book Review of
Boeing (McDonnell Douglas)
F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, Vol. II
Author: Salvador Mafe Huertas
Kagero Monographs no. 3082
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
ISBN: 978-83-66673-69-4
MSRP: $33.95
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
ISBN: 978-83-66673-69-4
MSRP: $33.95
HISTORY:
The Boeing F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet are twin-engine, carrier-capable, multirole fighter aircraft variants based on the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The F/A-18E single-seat and F/A-18F tandem-seat variants are larger and more advanced derivatives of the F/A-18C and D Hornet.
The Super Hornet has an internal 20 mm M61 rotary cannon and can carry air-to-air missiles and air-to-surface weapons. Additional fuel can be carried in up to five external fuel tanks and the aircraft can be configured as an airborne tanker by adding an external air-to-air refueling system.
Designed and initially produced by McDonnell Douglas, the Super Hornet first flew in 1995. Low-rate production began in early 1997 with full-rate production starting in September 1997, after the merger of McDonnell Douglas and Boeing the previous month.
The Super Hornet entered fleet service with the United States Navy in 1999, replacing the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, which was retired in 2006; the Super Hornet has served alongside the original Hornet.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), which has operated the F/A-18A as its main fighter since 1984, ordered the F/A-18F in 2007 to replace its aging General Dynamics F-111C fleet. RAAF Super Hornets entered service in December 2010.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Carrier-based multirole fighter
National origin: United States
Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas, Boeing Defense, Space & Security
First flight: 29 November 1995
Introduction to service: 1999, 2001 (IOC)
Status: In service
Primary users: United States Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, Kuwait Air Force
Produced: 1995–present
Number built: 608+ as of April 2020
Developed from: McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet
Variants: Boeing EA-18G Growler
THE BOOK:
Kagero is based in Lublin, Poland.
This book is in soft-cover of 90 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of a formation of 3 Super Hornets in flight above the clouds.
All are in overall light-gray. The one in the foreground is viewed from the top of it. It has a white nose, black panels atop the engine air-intakes and black exhaust cones. It has a black outlined shield atop its spine with a white eagle in flight on it and 2 U.S. flags in full colors. It carries serial no. 300 in black on the sides of its nose and atop the right wing flap. Its left wing flap is jet black with the 300 in white on it. It is firing its 4 wing cannon.
One of the other Super Hornets has a black nose. It, and the third one, are climbing and showing their bottoms.
The book holds 94 color photos of the Super Hornet, 4 illustrations of squadron badges, 18 line drawings and 10 color profile illustrations.
Pilots and ground-crewmen are shown on runways and carrier decks.
At the beginning of the book there are shown 93 very tiny black and white cover arts of other Kagero books. Unfortunately, these are too dark and small to make out the titles. Sorry!
All 10 of the side-profiles are in light-gray overall.
The 1st one has a dark-gray nose and black serial no. 104 on the sides of the nose and high on the rudder. Below that on the rudder is a dark-gray spade with an arrow through it and light-gray 41 on the spade, next to dark-gray N over a G. It was with VFA-41 “The Black Aces”. It has a dark-gray U.S. star with bars beneath the cockpit on the sides of the fuselage.
The 2nd Super Hornet is in the same scheme. It carries black serial no. 100 on the sides of its nose and high on the rudder tip. It has a dark-gray eagle in flight, followed by dark-gray N over A. It was with VFA-22 “Fighting Rednecks”.
The 3rd Super Hornet is in the same scheme as the first 2. It carries serial no. 105 in black on the sides of its nose and high on the rudder. It has a dark-gray wolves' head on the rudder, followed by dark-gray A over B. It was with VFA-11 “The Red Rippers”.
The 4th Super Hornet is again in the same scheme as previous ones. With black serial no. 205 on the sides of the nose over “Team Maintenance” and a white square with a magnifying glass on it. 205 high on the rudder tip. A dark-gray skull and crossbones on the rudder sides, followed by dark-gray A over G. It was with VFA 103 “Jolly Rogers”.
The 5th Super Hornet is in the same scheme as the previous ones. It carries serial no. 401 on the sides of its nose and high on the rudder tip. It has black VFA -824 on the sides of its spine, an illustration of a black indian on horseback with “War Party” on the side of its wing drop tank. A color illustration of an indian chief’s head, followed by black N over H on the rudder sides and black CO on the rudder tip. It was with VFA-87 “Golden Warriors”. The U.S. star with bars under the cockpit is more vivid than others.
The 6th Super Hornet again is in the same scheme as the previous ones. It carries black serial no. 310 on the sides of its nose and high on the rudder tip. It has a dark-gray dragon’s head, followed by dark-gray N over E on the rudder sides. It was with VFA-192 “World Famous Golden Dragons”.
The 7th Super Hornet again is in the same scheme as previous ones. It carries serial no. 210 on the sides of it nose and high on the rudder tip in black. It has a black illustration of a hornet, followed by dark-gray N over E on the sides of the rudder. It was with VFA-113 “Stingers”.
The 8th Super Hornet again is in the same scheme as the previous ones. It has a vivid star and bars under the cockpit on its sides, black serial no. 300 on the sides of its nose and repeated high on its rudder tip, but there it is on a black stripe and in white. There is a black outlined shield with a white eagle in flight on it, followed by black A over B on the rudder sides and black NAVY on the fuselage sides under the rudder. It was with VFA-136 “Knighthawks”. This is the one shown on the books cover art too.
The 9th and 10th ones are shown on the books back cover. Both in same scheme as the previous ones.
The 9th one carries dark-gray serial no. 104 on the sides of its nose and in black high on the rudder tip. It has dark-gray VFA-143 on the sides of its spine. An illustration of a dark-gray winged lion on the rudder, followed by dark-gray A over G. It was with VFA-143 “PUKIN DOGS”.
The 10th, and final Super Hornet side profile is in the same scheme as all the previous ones. It carries dark-gray serial no. 401 on the sides of its nose and in black high on the rudder tip. The rudder sides are covers with 3 black vertical bars with light-gray N over G atop them. It was with VFA-151 “Vigilantes”.
This is a neat book about Super Hornets. It will be of great interest to modelers planning on building a model of one and to aviation historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishing for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Kagero books and all their titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
The Boeing F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet are twin-engine, carrier-capable, multirole fighter aircraft variants based on the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The F/A-18E single-seat and F/A-18F tandem-seat variants are larger and more advanced derivatives of the F/A-18C and D Hornet.
The Super Hornet has an internal 20 mm M61 rotary cannon and can carry air-to-air missiles and air-to-surface weapons. Additional fuel can be carried in up to five external fuel tanks and the aircraft can be configured as an airborne tanker by adding an external air-to-air refueling system.
Designed and initially produced by McDonnell Douglas, the Super Hornet first flew in 1995. Low-rate production began in early 1997 with full-rate production starting in September 1997, after the merger of McDonnell Douglas and Boeing the previous month.
The Super Hornet entered fleet service with the United States Navy in 1999, replacing the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, which was retired in 2006; the Super Hornet has served alongside the original Hornet.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), which has operated the F/A-18A as its main fighter since 1984, ordered the F/A-18F in 2007 to replace its aging General Dynamics F-111C fleet. RAAF Super Hornets entered service in December 2010.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Carrier-based multirole fighter
National origin: United States
Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas, Boeing Defense, Space & Security
First flight: 29 November 1995
Introduction to service: 1999, 2001 (IOC)
Status: In service
Primary users: United States Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, Kuwait Air Force
Produced: 1995–present
Number built: 608+ as of April 2020
Developed from: McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet
Variants: Boeing EA-18G Growler
THE BOOK:
Kagero is based in Lublin, Poland.
This book is in soft-cover of 90 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of a formation of 3 Super Hornets in flight above the clouds.
All are in overall light-gray. The one in the foreground is viewed from the top of it. It has a white nose, black panels atop the engine air-intakes and black exhaust cones. It has a black outlined shield atop its spine with a white eagle in flight on it and 2 U.S. flags in full colors. It carries serial no. 300 in black on the sides of its nose and atop the right wing flap. Its left wing flap is jet black with the 300 in white on it. It is firing its 4 wing cannon.
One of the other Super Hornets has a black nose. It, and the third one, are climbing and showing their bottoms.
The book holds 94 color photos of the Super Hornet, 4 illustrations of squadron badges, 18 line drawings and 10 color profile illustrations.
Pilots and ground-crewmen are shown on runways and carrier decks.
At the beginning of the book there are shown 93 very tiny black and white cover arts of other Kagero books. Unfortunately, these are too dark and small to make out the titles. Sorry!
All 10 of the side-profiles are in light-gray overall.
The 1st one has a dark-gray nose and black serial no. 104 on the sides of the nose and high on the rudder. Below that on the rudder is a dark-gray spade with an arrow through it and light-gray 41 on the spade, next to dark-gray N over a G. It was with VFA-41 “The Black Aces”. It has a dark-gray U.S. star with bars beneath the cockpit on the sides of the fuselage.
The 2nd Super Hornet is in the same scheme. It carries black serial no. 100 on the sides of its nose and high on the rudder tip. It has a dark-gray eagle in flight, followed by dark-gray N over A. It was with VFA-22 “Fighting Rednecks”.
The 3rd Super Hornet is in the same scheme as the first 2. It carries serial no. 105 in black on the sides of its nose and high on the rudder. It has a dark-gray wolves' head on the rudder, followed by dark-gray A over B. It was with VFA-11 “The Red Rippers”.
The 4th Super Hornet is again in the same scheme as previous ones. With black serial no. 205 on the sides of the nose over “Team Maintenance” and a white square with a magnifying glass on it. 205 high on the rudder tip. A dark-gray skull and crossbones on the rudder sides, followed by dark-gray A over G. It was with VFA 103 “Jolly Rogers”.
The 5th Super Hornet is in the same scheme as the previous ones. It carries serial no. 401 on the sides of its nose and high on the rudder tip. It has black VFA -824 on the sides of its spine, an illustration of a black indian on horseback with “War Party” on the side of its wing drop tank. A color illustration of an indian chief’s head, followed by black N over H on the rudder sides and black CO on the rudder tip. It was with VFA-87 “Golden Warriors”. The U.S. star with bars under the cockpit is more vivid than others.
The 6th Super Hornet again is in the same scheme as the previous ones. It carries black serial no. 310 on the sides of its nose and high on the rudder tip. It has a dark-gray dragon’s head, followed by dark-gray N over E on the rudder sides. It was with VFA-192 “World Famous Golden Dragons”.
The 7th Super Hornet again is in the same scheme as previous ones. It carries serial no. 210 on the sides of it nose and high on the rudder tip in black. It has a black illustration of a hornet, followed by dark-gray N over E on the sides of the rudder. It was with VFA-113 “Stingers”.
The 8th Super Hornet again is in the same scheme as the previous ones. It has a vivid star and bars under the cockpit on its sides, black serial no. 300 on the sides of its nose and repeated high on its rudder tip, but there it is on a black stripe and in white. There is a black outlined shield with a white eagle in flight on it, followed by black A over B on the rudder sides and black NAVY on the fuselage sides under the rudder. It was with VFA-136 “Knighthawks”. This is the one shown on the books cover art too.
The 9th and 10th ones are shown on the books back cover. Both in same scheme as the previous ones.
The 9th one carries dark-gray serial no. 104 on the sides of its nose and in black high on the rudder tip. It has dark-gray VFA-143 on the sides of its spine. An illustration of a dark-gray winged lion on the rudder, followed by dark-gray A over G. It was with VFA-143 “PUKIN DOGS”.
The 10th, and final Super Hornet side profile is in the same scheme as all the previous ones. It carries dark-gray serial no. 401 on the sides of its nose and in black high on the rudder tip. The rudder sides are covers with 3 black vertical bars with light-gray N over G atop them. It was with VFA-151 “Vigilantes”.
This is a neat book about Super Hornets. It will be of great interest to modelers planning on building a model of one and to aviation historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishing for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Kagero books and all their titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.