F/A-18E/F SUPER HORNET

BACKGROUND

RPG STATS

MDC BY LOCATION:

(1) Main Body                                   180
(2) Cockpit                                      90
    Wings (2)                                    70 each
    Tails (2)                                    40 each

NOTES:

(1) Destruction of the main body will shut the unit down completely.

(2) Destruction of the cockpit will kill the pilot and Weapon Systems Officer. Requires a called shot with a -4 penalty to hit.

SPEEDS:

FLYING, FIGHTER CONFIGURATION:

Mach 1.8+ (1200+ mph) max speed at 10,000+ metres above sea level. Max altitude 13,865 metres

MAX ENGINE THRUST:

9,977 kg x2 from engines

STATISTICAL DATA:

HEIGHT:

16 ft (4.88 m)

WIDTH:

44.9 ft (13.68 m)

LENGTH:

60.3 ft (18.5 m)

WEIGHT:

Mass empty: 29,520 lbs

Maximum: 66,000 lbs

RANGE:

1,275 miles

CARGO:

Small compartment behind pilot's seat for personal belongings.

POWER PLANT:

Two General Electric F-414-GE-400 Turbofan Engines

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

1. GENERAL ELECTRIC VULCAN M61A-1 20MM AUTOCANNON: This weapon is mounted internally in the nose and is only able to fire at targets directly in front of the Super Hornet.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Anti-Aircraft
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Ground Assault
   • RANGE: 4000 ft. (1200 m)
   • DAMAGE: 2d6 M.D. per single burst (25 rounds), 4d6 per long burst (50 rounds)
   • RATE OF FIRE: Equal to pilot's combined number of attacks
   • PAYLOAD: 570 rounds

2. BODY/WING HARD POINTS: The Super Hornet is equipped with eleven hardpoints on its body and wings. Two wingtip harpoints, six wing hardpoints, two nacelle fuselage harpoints, and finally one centerline hardpoint. A full anti-air loadout would consist of four AIM-9X Sidewinders, two AIM-7M Sparrows, and eight AIM-120 AMRAAMs.
   • AIM-9X SIDEWINDER: The AIM-9X is the next generation of a long line of the Sidewinder family. Improved maneuverability, increased resistance to countermeasures, and extremely high off-boresight target acquisition and launch envelope make this also the deadliest in the family.
     • Primary Purpose: Assault/Defence
     • Missile Speed: 1,650+ mph
     • Range: 18 miles (28.8 KM)
     • Damage: 1D4x10 M.D.
     • Rate of Fire: One to eight (all) missiles.
     • Payload: One per hardpoint; 8 maximum.

   • AIM-7M SPARROW: The AIM-7M is an enhanced version of the Sparrow. A need for an upgraded Sparrow was readily apparent after its lackluster performance during Operation Desert Storm. It does however carry a whopping 88 lbs warhead on it. With this it can definitely reach out and touch someone... if it hits.
     • Primary Purpose: Assault/Defence
     • Missile Speed: 2,500+ MPH
     • Range: 30 Miles (48 KM)
     • Damage: 2D4x10 M.D.
     • Blast Radius: 50 feet
     • Rate of Fire: 1 at a time or all.
     • Payload: One per hardpoint; up to 8 maximum.

   • AIM-120 AMRAAM: The AMRAAM is perhaps the most widely know and feared air-to-air missiles in air combat. It is self-guiding up to extreme ranges allowing the pilot to launch and then either evade or follow-up on the attack.
     • Primary Purpose: Assault/Defence
     • Missile Speed: 2,641 MPH
     • Range: 46 Miles (73.6 KM)
     • Damage: 2D6x10 M.D.
     • Blast Radius: 50 feet
     • Rate of Fire: 1 at a time or all
     • Payload: 1 per hardpoint; up to 8 maximum.

3. ECM JAMMER Used to defeat hostile radar, the ECM, (Electronic Counter Measures,) jammer will confuse all radar so that the fighter can not be detected or locked onto with radar guided weapons. This does not give away the position of the fighter but it does let the enemy know that they are there. The only way that it can be defeated is with ECCM, (Electronic Counter-Counter Measures.)
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Block Enemy Radar
   • RANGE: 30 miles
   • RULES: Confuses all radar within 30 miles, but can be defeated by ECCM, if the ECCM operator gets a higher Sensory Instruments percentage roll against the ECM operator.

4. CHAFF/FLARE DECOY DISPENSORS: Located in the rear middle section of the F-18's fuselage are the counter-measures dispensors. Triggered by the pilot they will release either a chaff cloud or single flare depending on what the pilot chooses. They are used to confuse enemy missiles attacking the fighter. Smart missiles get a 20% bonus when rolling on the below chart.
   01-50 Missile/s detonated by Chaff/Flare
   51-75 Missile/s loses track of target and veers away in wrong direction, (may lock onto another target)
   76-00 No effect, missile is still on target
   • Payload: Twenty of each type

STANDARD EQUIPMENT FOR THE F/A-18E/F SUPER HORNET:

• DIGITAL FLIGHT SYSTEM: The Digital Flight System provides the Super Hornet with enhanced stability and increased maneuverability.
• AUTOPILOT: The Super Hornet is equipped with a computerized autopilot, that allows the pilot to relax during prolonged flights. The mission plan is uploaded to the computer before flight and during flight the pilot may instruct the computer to fly to the designated way points.
• COMBAT COMPUTER W/HUD DISPLAYS: The F-14 is equipped with a Kaiser AN/AVG-12 Head-Up Display (HUD) co-located with an AN/AVA-12 vertical situation display and a horizontal situation display linked into the radar and a combat computer can store and analyze data during combat with hostile forces. The Kaiser AN/AVG-12 Head-Up Display (HUD) takes up the forward cockpit canopy of the F-14 allowing the system to display large amounts of data to the pilot and even highlight enemies and missile attacks with overlaid graphics. The combat computer tracks and identifies specific enemy targets, and has a database of over 500 images stored in memory.
• EJECTOR SEATS/HOMING SIGNAL: The pilot and WSO's seats are SJU-5/6 Martin Baker zero/zero ejection seats designed to eject the pilot and WSO in the event of a catastrophe. They must be manually operated to fire, however either the pilot or WSO can cause the ejection of both seats in the event of one of the crew being incapacitated. The chairs hold homing beacons and the crew carry homing devices within small radio's within their flightsuits into the event of them having to ditch. These radio/homing signals have a range of 100 miles.
• LASER TARGETING SYSTEM: Range: 100 miles (160 km). Allows the F-18 to deliver laser-guided bombs for air-to-ground missions.
• SHARP SYSTEM: F/A-18F aircraft are fitted with the Raytheon SHARP multi-function reconnaissance pod, set to replace USN Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance Pod (TARPS), currently flown on the F-14 Tomcat. SHARP is capable of simultaneous airborne and ground reconnaissance and has sensors manufactured by Recon/Optical Inc.
• OPTICS: CAMERA: Range: 30 miles (48 km). Television Camera Set (TCS) is used for visual target identification at long ranges. The TCS is a high resolution closed circuit television system with two cockpit selectable Fields Of View (FOV), wide and narrow. The selected FOV is displayed in the cockpit and can be recorded by the Cockpit Television System. It is used for both reconnaisance, and to assist in target aquisition in air to ground attacks.
• OPTICS: INFRARED: The Infrared Search and Track System (IRSTS) is a system developed by the US Navy which provides long range detection in the long wave infrared spectrum of both subsonic and supersonic targets.
• OPTICS: NIGHTVISION: Range: 2000 feet (610 m). Nightvision goggles provide nightvision for the pilot and WSO. These passive light image intensifiers emit no light of their own, but relies on ambient light which is electronically amplified to produce a visible picture.
• COUNTER-MEASURES: The Super Hornet is equipped with the ALQ-165, ALR-74, and ALE-47. The ALQ-165 is an active jammer that attempts to actively decept enemy radar. It is able to assess enemy threat level and act on the information on its own. The ALR-74 RWR is a radar warning receiver that tells the pilot that an enemy radar is tracking his aircraft. The ALE-47 is chaff/flare dispenser. This system is considered "smart" and does not require the pilot to drop the chaff/flare, the system will identify the threat and drop suitable type and number of chaff/flares. The ALE-47 carries 40 chaff and 60 flares units.
• RADAR: The Super Hornet carries the APG-73 radar. This system is able to track and identify multiple targets for the pilot. The radar can effectively detect large objects (bombers) out to 150 miles and track small objects (2 meters) up to 15 miles.
• COMMUNICATION: The F/A-18E/F sports the ARC-182 UHF/VHF/MILSAT system. The radio can communicate up to a distance of 400 miles and with MILSAT system they have broadband communication around the world.
• IN-FLIGHT REFUEL: The Hornet is fully capable of refueling in mid-air due to a forward mounted in-air refuel nozzle which allows the fighter to refuel and thus extend its operational range. The F-18 can fully refuel all of its internal tanks, and external tanks as well through this method.
• ARRESTOR HOOK: As a carrier based aircraft the Hornet must use arrestor hooks and carrier based arrestor wires to land on a carrier. The fighter is unable due to a lack of VSTOL ability to land without it.
• STANDARD SURVIVAL KIT: All fighter pilots flightsuits come equipped with a portable survival equipment. The equipment includes a small waterproof radio/homing signal, a medium-sized flashlight, two hand flares, one rocket flare, a compass, infrared distancing binoculars, a small mirror, a pocket knife, dehydrated and concentrated food (can be stretched into a five day supply for one person) and basic first aid items (aspirin, bandages, disinfectants, etc.)
• TACTICAL LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM: The Hornet's cockpit features pressurized air feeds to the pilot and WSO's flight suits that provides them with pressurized breathing. The flight suit also promotes blood circulation even during high-g turns, thus decreasing the possibility of pilot's blacking out in combat.

COMBAT BONUSES FOR MCDONNELL-DOUGLAS F/A-18E/F TRAINING:

BASIC FIGHTER COMBAT TRAINING

• Basic training for non-pilot military personnel.
• 1 attack per melee (plus those of the pilot).
• Add one additional action/attack at levels three, nine, and fifteen.
• +1 to strike.
• +1 to dodge.
• +1 to roll with a punch or fall with an impact, reducing damage by half.
• Critical strike same as pilot's hand-to-hand.

• Advanced training for military pilots.
• 2 attacks per melee (plus those of the pilot).
• Add one additional action/attack at levels three, six, eleven, and fifteen.
• +2 to strike
• +5 to dodge
• +2 to roll with a punch or fall with an impact, reducing damage by half.
• Critical strike same as pilot's hand-to-hand.

REFERENCES USED IN THIS DESIGN

• "Doe's All The Worlds' Aircraft Guide: McDonnell Douglas F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Entry"