Watch the best moments of the Spanish F-18 Hornet in this captivating compilation; a journey through the years of Ala 15 squadron EF-18A #15-28's most remarkable moments, showcasing its extraordinary displays at airshows that have left crowds mesmerized!

Against a backdrop of boundless blue skies, the Spanish Hornet carves through the air with precision and power. Its thunderous roar resonates as it gracefully maneuvers, leaving trails of vapor and clouds in its wake.

Whether you're an ardent 'Top Gun: Maverick' fan or simply an aviation enthusiast, the breathtaking shots of the EF-18A in action will undoubtedly leave you in awe. The compilation's highlights include jaw-dropping square loops, thrilling runway touch and goes, dramatic high-alpha maneuvers, and spine-tingling formation passes alongside a Vueling Airbus A320 over Barcelona's iconic beach. And not to forget, the heart-pounding transonic flybys that showcase the aircraft's sheer power!

Join us in celebrating the prowess of the Spanish Hornet and its remarkable pilots from Ejército del Aire 'Ala 15' squadron (Spanish Air Force). Prepare to be captivated by the prowess of this magnificent aircraft as it takes to the skies with astounding agility and grace!

This C.15 bort number #15-28 (C.15 is the spanish designation for the F-18 Hornet) was painted in a beautiful 'NATO tiger meet' style livery, to commemorate 25 years of the foundation of 'Ala 15' squadron.

The F-18 Hornet is a twin-engine, supersonic, all-weather, carrier-capable, multirole combat jet, designed as both a fighter and attack aircraft. Designed by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing and Northrop), the F-18 was derived from the latter's YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and Marine Corps.

The Spanish Air Force (Ejército del Aire) ordered 60 EF-18A and 12 EF-18B Hornets (the "E" standing for "España", Spain), named respectively as C.15 and CE.15 by the Spanish AF. Delivery of the Spanish version started on 22 November 1985 and lasted until July 1990. These fighters were upgraded to F-18A+/B+ standard, close to F/A-18C/D. The plus version includes newer mission and armament computers, databuses, data-storage set, new wiring, pylon modifications and software, ability to field AN/AAS-38B NITE Hawk targeting FLIR pods, etc.

In 1995 Spain obtained an additional 24 ex-USN F/A-18A Hornets, with six more on option. These were delivered from December 1995 until December 1998. Before delivery, they were modified to EF-18A+ standard. This was the first sale of USN surplus Hornets.

The F/A-18 has excellent aerodynamic characteristics, primarily attributed to its leading edge root extensions, that coupled with a digital fly-by-wire control system, allow the Hornet to remain controllable at high angles of attack. The trapezoidal wing has a 20-degree sweepback on the leading edge and a straight trailing edge. Canted vertical stabilizers are another distinguishing design element, one among several other such elements that enable the Hornet's excellent high angle of attack ability, including oversized horizontal stabilators, oversized trailing-edge flaps that operate as flaperons, large full-length leading-edge slats, and flight control computer programming that boosts the jet's maneuverability.

The Hornet is also notable for having been designed to reduce maintenance, and as a result, has required far less downtime than its heavier counterparts, the F-14 Tomcat and the A-6 Intruder. Its mean time between failures is three times greater than any other Navy strike aircraft, and requires half the maintenance time. Its General Electric F404 engines were also innovative in that they were designed with operability, reliability, and maintainability first. The engine, while unexceptional in rated performance, demonstrates exceptional robustness under various conditions and is resistant to stall and flameout.


SPECIFICATIONS

Crew: 1
Length: 17.1 m
Wingspan: 12.3 m
Height: 4.7 m
Wing area: 38 m2
Aspect ratio: 4
Airfoil: root: NACA 65A005 mod.; tip:NACA 65A003.5 mod.
Empty weight: 10433 kg
Gross weight: 16769 kg
MTOW: 23541 kg
Fuel capacity: 4930 kg internally
Powerplant: 2 × General Electric F404-GE-402 afterburning turbofan engines, 49 kN thrust each dry, 79 kN with afterburner
Maximum speed: Mach 1.8 (1915 km/h at 12000 m)
Cruise speed: 1062 km/h
Range: 2017 km
Combat range: 741 km air-air mission
Ferry range: 3334 km
Service ceiling: 15000 m
Rate of climb: 250 m/s
Wing loading: 450 kg/m2
Thrust/weight: 0.96 (1.13 with loaded weight at 50% internal fuel)

More info here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonne...

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