Advanced Super Hornet demonstrates significant stealth and range improvements

by BA Staff

During three weeks of flight testing the Advanced Super Hornet F/A-18F, Boeing and its partner Northrop Grumman demonstrated that the fighter can outperform threats for decades to come with improvements that make the jet much harder for radar to detect and give it significantly more combat range.

Through 21 flights in St. Louis and Patuxent River, MD., that began Aug. 5, the team tested conformal fuel tanks (CFT), an enclosed weapons pod (EWP), and signature enhancements, each of which can be retrofitted on an existing Block II Super Hornet aircraft or included on a new jet.

Improvements to the aircraft’s radar signature, including the enclosed pod, resulted in a 50 percent reduction compared with the U.S. Navy’s stealth requirement for the current Super Hornet variant. The tests also showed that the CFTs increase the jet’s combat radius by up to 130 nautical miles, for a total combat radius of more than 700 nautical miles.

Boeing and Northrop Grumman funded the testing. The companies, along with Hornet Industry Team partners GE Aviation and Raytheon, are investing in more advanced technologies for the Advanced Super Hornet, including internal Infrared Search and Track, an enhanced engine and a next-generation cockpit.

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Photo: US Navy Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet NJ135 of VFA-122 turning, burning, condensing at Farnborough

Shot at the limit of 400mm, Boeing Super Hornet NJ135 belonging to the US Navy Strike Fighter Squadron 122 (VFA-122), The Flying Eagles, pulls high G's away from the admiring crowd, including me. Condensation, afterburners burning bright orange, and their massive heat obscuring part of the aircraft, this photo has it all. Incidentally, NJ135 also performed at Aero India last year.

Click on the image to see a high resolution view.

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More images from Aero India - Grippen, Sarang, Sitara, Super Hornet, Rafale,

Still have about 6,000 photos to sort through. In the mean time, some more opening day photos from Vedant, a Bangalore Aviation photographer. See more of his pictures here. Click on the images for a larger view.

The Saab Gripper shows off its moves.
The Indian Air Force helicopter demonstration team Sarang performs the dangerous 4 aircraft cross. The sweep diameter of the props makes this dangerous.
The Intermediate Jet Trainer prototype Sitara.
The U.S. Navy Boeing F/A-18F (F=Fighter A=Attack)
The French Air Force (Armee De L'Air) Dassault Rafale. Watch the birdie.

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100th photo on JetPhotos - F/A-18F Super Hornet and F16IN Super Vipers

On 09-09-09 JetPhotos accepted my 100th photo.


On a rainy cloudy evening of August 14th the day before India's independence day, two F/A-18's arrived for the trials and evaluation of the Indian Air Force's (IAF) upcoming Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft procurement.

The other US contender is from my neighbourhood in my home county of Tarrant the Lockheed Martin F-16IN Super Viper.

A few days earlier after four futile attempts over week filled with clouds and rains, the God's decided to let the sun shine and the Super Vipers fly.

An IAF test pilot from ASTE handle "Tester 93" flew this sortie. Aircraft appears to be configured in an air to air combat configuration.



This sortie was flown by Lockheed Martin test pilot with a handle "Rocket 2"; and did he fly the Viper like his handle. Took off across the runway at full throttle at a gentle 5 degrees. About five miles out he went almost vertical to FL500 (50,000 feet). Could not catch the rocket on take off, but got him on his equally fast landing. Any F16 guru who can comment on what the pod on the left below the cockpit is ? Also in the belly; is that a drop tank or a dummy bomb ?

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