F/A-18 Hornet: A Navy Success Story - Hardcover

Jenkins, Dennis R.

9780071346962: F/A-18 Hornet: A Navy Success Story

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0071346961 ISBN 13: 9780071346962

Publisher: McGraw-Hill, 2000

From Air Force lightweight to Navy champion strike aircrat, here's the pulse-racing, electrifying story of the F/A hornet Includes a special beneath-the-surface look at the Hornet's laser-guided weapons and sophisticated electronic countermeasures Presents profiles of the Hornet's overseas success as an export item, in coutries such as Switzerland, Australia, Spain, and Malaysia

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From the Back Cover:

From Air Force lightweight to Navy champion--the F/A-18 Hornet is a versatile fighting force to be reckoned with!Responsible for the Navy's only two air-to-air kills during Desert Storm and the much-feared stinger in the Navy's aircraft carrier strike force, the F/A-18 Hornet has an ugly duckling history. Born as Northrop's YF-17, the design went head to head with General Dynamics' F-16 for the Air Force's lightweight fighter contract -- and lost. This intriguing, fact- and photo-packed book, written by veteran aviation author and engineer Dennis R. Jenkins, brings readers a stop-action look at the F/A-18 Hornet's metamorphosis from an also-ran into a military, technical, and economic triumph. Boeing F/A-18 Hornet takes you inside the cockpit for never-to-be-forgotten takeoffs, landings, and missions on the great floating airfields that are naval aircraft carriers. But even more revealingly, it places you beside the engineers, pilots, and Navy brass who turned an awkward orphan into a combat winner. Replete with never-before-revealed technical details and performance appraisals, this in-depth history of the F/A-18 Hornet closely examines the sophisticated electronic countermeasures and weapons-delivery avionics that have made this versatile warplane a hit, not just with the Navy but with foreign purchasers from Canada to Malaysia.

Precise, incisive, and authoritative, Dennis R. Jenkin's Boeing F/A-18 Hornet is one of the most exciting tours of an in-service combat plane ever penned--and a valuable addition to any collection of military or aviation lore. Boeing

F/A-18 Hornet features:

More than 170 illustrations and photos revealing intimate details of F/A-18 Hornet systems and construction

Expert analysis of high-tech defensive and offensive systems including laser-guided weaponry

Previews of Super Hornets just now entering service

A detailed account of changes that transformed the F/A-18 from an Air Force reject into a Navy star

Each volume in the Walter J. Boyne Military Aircraft Series provides an extensively illustrated look at America's top combat aircraft, from pre-WWII to conflicts yet to come. Internationally renowned, Walter J. Boyne is a former USAF Command Pilot and the number one aviation author. He is also past Director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air & Space Museum and co-founder of Wingspan Air & Space Channel, the first cable television channel devoted exclusively to aerospace subjects.

Representing the leading edge of the Navy's combat strike force, the multipurpose F/A-18 Hornet stands poised on decks of aircraft carriers around the world, ready to execute U.S. military policy swiftly and decisively. Outfitted with the most sophisticated electronic offensive and defensive weaponry yet devised, this potent and versatile warplane is a visible symbol of U.S. combat strength. But it wasn't always so. The F/A-18's phenomenal success story began with a tale of hard luck. Beaten out by General Dynamics' F-16 for the Air Force's lucrative lightweight fighter contract, the Hornet (then Northrop's YF-17) might have languished--had not an executive had the bright idea of marketing it to the Navy. The Hornet's troubles were not over when the Navy chose the new plane to replace its older F-4 Phantoms. Simply put, the F/A-18 Hornet's capabilities were not up to snuff. The rapid and determined development of new weapons-delivery avionics for the Hornet comprises one of the most fascinating and exciting highlights in this now super-capable aircraft's tale. More agile than most planes, engineered with the durability needed to survive carrier landings, the F/A-18 Hornet has even enjoyed a surprising popularity in the export market, attracting seven foreign governments as purchasers, in an arena generally dominated by Air Force models. In this technically detailed history, noted aviation writer and engineer Dennis R. Jenkins takes readers closer to the F/A-18 Hornet than anyone other than its designers and crew have ever been. You'll find a full exploration of the cutting-edge electronic systems that guide and protect the Hornet, and make it such a fearsome antagonist; see the integration of these highly advanced weapons systems; and embark on a knowledgeable tour of the developmental design of this astounding powerhouse of military muscle. All in all, this book delivers one of the most compelling and complete portraits of a new war machine ever written. What's more, you'll also get an exclusive look--limited only by national security considerations--of advanced F-18 Hornet models now in development.

The first volume in the prestigious Walter J. Boyne Military Aircraft Series to honor a Navy warplane, this expert history and technical overview delivers to the F/A-18 Hornet the respect that is its due.

About the Author:

Dennis Jenkins (Cape Canaveral, FL) has worked in the aerospace industry for 20 years as senior engineer/manager for both "Big Two" aircraft manufacturers. Jenkins holds a degree in computer engineering and MS Research. He has published extensively in the military aviation history/aircraft field.

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