Featured Boeing Shows Super Hornets Bristling With 14 Missiles In Formal Sales Pitch To Canada

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

Too expensive for Canada. Also F-18 performance was not very good in Canada considering Hornet is a carrier plane, not built for the air force, and heavy having folding wings and tail hook and strengthened landing gear. Canada is going for Gripen but not anytime soon due to piss poor economy and liberal government which cut defense funding.

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

But the Hornets are already something the Canadians have and are familiar with and can maintain their independence, so to speak with that aircraft unlike the F-35.

Despite being called Hornet, F-18E is complete new design compared to F-18A/C. Sort of like Mirage 2000 is a complete redesign compared to Mirage III despite retaining Mirage name. There is no commonality.

 

[Gomig-21]

Despite being called Hornet, F-18E is complete new design compared to F-18A/C. Sort of like Mirage 2000 is a complete redesign compared to Mirage III despite retaining Mirage name. There is no commonality.

Yeah it's a completely new airframe but it's very similar is many ways also. All the logistical and maintenance protocols and systems are almost identical. Don't forget who and what this aircraft was designed for from the beginning, the US Navy and Marine Corps on Carriers. When they shifted from the legacy aircraft (which was the competitor to the F-16 and lost to it, but then the US Navy took it up and made specific design requirements to it just to be a navy and marine carrier fighter) to the Super Hornet, they went to the same carriers, the same crews and made the shift to a better and more improved fighter as seamless as possible.

The design is almost identical for all the systems. Gun is in the same place, IFF antenna, all access panels to all systems are exactly the same with minor changes. Even the cockpit is almost identical. There's a reason for that and it's not like going from a legacy F-18 to say an F-15 or F-22. Yes, that's completely different. But this is going from an older F-18 to a newer model. A lot more similarities more than differences and that's what I'm referring to as 'familiarity'.

Here's pretty much a simple explanation of the differences.

Similarities:
The Hornet and Super Hornet share many characteristics, including avionics, ejection seats, radar, armament, mission computer software, and maintenance/operating procedures.

Differences:

The Super Hornet is largely a new aircraft at about 20% larger, 7,000 lb (3,200 kg) heavier empty weight, and 15,000 lb (6,800 kg) heavier maximum weight than the Legacy Hornet. The Super Hornet carries 33% more internal fuel, increasing mission range by 41% and endurance by 50% over the Legacy Hornet.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/b... Hornet is largely,50% over the Legacy Hornet.
The differences are mostly in the physical appearance and even that has so many familiar characteristics.