Hobby Master HA3510 1:72 F/A-18C "Flying Eagles"

Hobby Master HA3510 1:72 McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet BuNo. 163733 VFA-122 "Flying Eagles" NAS Lemoore, February 2011 Centennial of Naval Aviation.

The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic twin engine all-weather night fighter and attack aircraft. The F/A-18s first flew in November 1978 and the first production flight on April 12, 1980. The first 380 aircraft were F/A-18As and in September 1987 production switched to the F/A-18C. Variants A and C are single-seat aircraft while B and D are tandem-seats. The Hornet can operate from either aircraft carriers or land bases with the capability of in flight refueling. A total of 1,480 A-D variants were built.

To commemorate the Centennial of Naval Aviation (CoNA) in the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard several aircraft have been given special paint schemes. F-18C 163733 from VFA-122 based at NAS Lemoore in California has been given a three-tone blue/grey scheme. This tricolor finish represents that of a WWII carrier based Hellcat unit from 1943 – 1944. In 1911 the first aircraft ever landed on a ship and the first hydro-aeroplane was demonstrated creating an interest in naval aviation.