RAAF says goodbye to the Classic Hornet

[nuuumannn]

In a ceremony yesterday, the RAAF officially retired its F/A-18 Classic Hornets...

A cool clip on YT with just aircraft noise and no stoopid soundtrack.



Photos I took a few years ago. A very cool jet.

RAAF F-18C i

RAAF F-18s

F-18D display

F-18D taxy

F-18C taxy i

F-18C taxy ii

 

[michaelmaltby]

Canada says "hello" to your classic Hornets ... S for Bs decision, but that is a lovely tribute,
When Canada bought ours new it was one of the best post-war decisions on purchases IMO,
Kept our airmen in the game ... until Stealth.

 

[Hornet133]

It should be pointed out that the RAAF airframes are not F-18C and D models.

 

[wingnuts]

I used to look after the RAAF F/A18A Hornets when they flew into Melbourne for displays on Australia Day or for over the F1 GP.

 

[Wildcat]

Nice shots

 

[wingnuts]

In the 80s I was an inspector at CAC/HdeHV in Fisherman's Bend, Port Melbourne when we were making the engine bay doors for Northrop and the weapons pylons for McDonnell Douglas, The F/A18A parts featured frequently in the cartoons I used to do for the company. The final cartoon below shows the Material Review Board deciding what to do with non-conforming parts with the Northrop and Mc Donnell Douglas reps, the project manager, HdeH quality rep, Australian government quality assurance department (DQA), and me, temporary I/C MRB Crib (with the parrot on my shoulder). This is an accurate representation (apart from the parrot) only the costumes have been changed to protect the innocent.

 

[Wildcat]

Those are great!

 

[SaparotRob]

Great stuff!

 

[GTX]

It should be pointed out that the RAAF airframes are not F-18C and D models.

Technically one could classify them as F/A-18A+/B+ given the systems such as the AN/APG-73 Radars and other that they received during the various Hornet Upgrade Program (HUG) phases.