Three F/A-18 Hornet aircraft are flown at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards, California, for research support and pilot proficiency. The aircraft were obtained from the U.S. Navy between 1984 and 1991. One has a two-seat cockpit while the others are single-seat aircraft. NASA research support aircraft are commonly called chase planes and fill the role of escort aircraft during research missions.
Chase pilots are in constant radio contact with research pilots and serve as an "extra set of eyes" to help maintain total flight safety during specific tests and maneuvers. They monitor certain events for the research pilot and are an important safety feature on all research missions.
Chase aircraft also are used as camera platforms for research missions that must be documented with photographs or video. Aeronautical engineers monitor and verify various aspects of a research project by extensively using photos and video.

F/A-18-A flying over California's Mojave Desert.
Credits: NASA Photo

The two-seat F/A-18 support aircraft is normally used for photo or video chase. The aircraft is configured to transmit live video back to Armstrong so engineers can visually monitor the mission as it is flown. This feature greatly enhances flight safety.
The F/A-18 fleet is also used by Armstrong research pilots for the routine flight training and proficiency required of all NASA pilots.
The formal designation of the aircraft is F/A-18, corresponding to the dual fighter-attack role of the Hornets in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. McDonnell Douglas, now The Boeing Company of St. Louis, Missouri, built the aircraft.
Aircraft Specifications
Two General Electric F404 turbofan engines power the aircraft, each producing 17,700 pounds (8028.58 kilograms) of thrust.
Top speed is more than Mach 1.8 (1190 mph).
Wingspan is 40 feet, 4 inches (12.29 meters), while the length is 56 feet (17.06 meters).
Typical gross weight of the aircraft is about 40,000 pounds.
Last Updated: Aug. 4, 2017
Editor: Yvonne Gibbs

Role: Multirole fighter
National origin: United States
Manufacturer: McDonnell Douglas (1974-1997)
                     Boeing (1997-present)
                     Northrop (1974-present)
First flight: 18 November 1978
Introduction: November 1983 (USN)
                   7 January 1984 (USMC)
Status: In service
Primary users: United States Navy
                      United States Marine Corps
                      Royal Australian Air Force
                      Spanish Air Force
Number built: F/A-18A/B/C/D: 1,480
Unit cost: US$29 million (F-18C/D) (2006)
Developed from: Northrop YF-17

Variants
McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet
High Alpha Research Vehicle
Developed into: Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
                       Boeing X-53 Active Aeroelastic Wing

General characteristics
Crew: 1 (C)/2 (D - pilot and weapon systems officer)
Length: 56 ft 1 in (17.1 m)
Wingspan: 40 ft 4 in (12.3 m) with AIM-9 Sidewinders on wingtip LAU-7 launchers
Height: 15 ft 5 in (4.7 m)
Wing area: 410 sq ft (38 m2)
Aspect ratio: 4
Airfoil: root:NACA 65A005 mod.; tip:NACA 65A003.5 mod.
Empty weight: 23,000 lb (10,433 kg)
Gross weight: 36,970 lb (16,769 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 51,900 lb (23,541 kg)
Fuel capacity: 10,860 pounds (4,930 kg) internally
Powerplant: 2 × General Electric F404-GE-402 afterburning turbofan engines, 11,000 lbf (49 kN) thrust each dry, 17,750 lbf (79.0 kN) with afterburner

Performance
Maximum speed: 1,034 kn (1,190 mph; 1,915 km/h) at 40,000 ft (12,000 m)
Maximum speed: Mach 1.8
Cruise speed: 574 kn; 1,062 km/h (660 mph)
Range: 1,089 nmi (1,253 mi; 2,017 km)
Combat range: 400 nmi (460 mi; 741 km) air-air mission
Ferry range: 1,800 nmi (2,071 mi; 3,334 km)
Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m)
Rate of climb: 50,000 ft/min (250 m/s)
Wing loading: 93 lb/sq ft (450 kg/m2)
Thrust/weight: 0.96 (1.13 with loaded weight & 50% internal fuel)

Armament
Guns: 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M61A1 Vulcan nose mounted 6-barrel rotary cannon, 578 rounds
Hardpoints: 9 total: 2× wingtips missile launch rail, 4× under-wing, and 3× under-fuselage with a capacity of 13,700 lb (6,200 kg) external fuel and ordnance,with provisions to carry combinations of:
Rockets:
2.75 in (70 mm) Hydra 70 rockets
5 in (127.0 mm) Zuni rockets
Missiles:
Air-to-air missiles:
4× AIM-9 Sidewinder or 4× AIM-132 ASRAAM or 4× IRIS-T or 4× AIM-120 AMRAAM and
2× AIM-7 Sparrow or 2× AIM-120 AMRAAM
Air-to-surface missiles:
AGM-65 Maverick
AGM-84H/K Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Range (SLAM-ER)
AGM-88 HARM Anti-radiation missile (ARM)
AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW)
AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM)
Taurus Cruise missile
Anti-ship missile:
AGM-84 Harpoon
Bombs:
B83 nuclear bomb
B61 nuclear bomb[165]
JDAM precision-guided munition (PGMs)
Paveway series of laser-guided bombs
Mk 80 series of unguided iron bombs
CBU-78 Gator
CBU-87 Combined Effects Munition
CBU-97 Sensor Fuzed Weapon
Mk 20 Rockeye II
Other:
SUU-42A/A Flares/Infrared decoys dispenser pod and chaff pod or
Electronic countermeasures (ECM) pod or
AN/AAS-38 Nite Hawk Targeting pods (US Navy only), to be replaced by AN/ASQ-228 ATFLIR or
LITENING targeting pod (USMC, Royal Australian Air Force, Spanish Air Force, and Finnish Air Force only) or
up to 3× 330 US gallons (1,200 l; 270 imp gal) Sargent Fletcher drop tanks for ferry flight or extended range/loitering time.

Avionics
Hughes APG-73 radar
ROVER (Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receiver) antenna for use by US Navy's F/A-18C strike fighter squadrons