Title: How F/A-18s Work | HowStuffWorks
Headings: How F/A-18s Work
How F/A-18s Work
Take the Quiz
The Mission
F/A-18 Variations
Under the Hood
Inside the Cockpit
Weapons
For more information, click on each piece of ordnance.
A Hornet waits to be loaded with ordnance.
The Super Hornet
Super Hornets in formation
Hornet Origins
A Hornet pilot waits for take off.
International Workhorse
Hornets in Action
Citation

Content: Take the Quiz
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Contents
The Mission
Under the Hood
Inside the Cockpit
Weapons
The Super Hornet
Hornet Origins
Hornets in Action
The Mission
An F/A-18 sits on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf. Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Defense
The F-18 is designed to function as two different types of aircraft. It is both: A fighter jet, a plane designed to battle enemy aircraft. Fighters need to be very fast, relatively lightweight and highly maneuverable, so they can keep up with any enemy aircraft and evade counter-attack. They carry air-to-air weapons, like heat-seeking sidewinder missiles. An attack jet, a plane designed to take out ground targets. Attack jets fly in low and destroy individual targets, such as tanks, rather than the larger area targets a bomber might take out from a high elevation.