Hobby Master 1/72 Air Power Series
HA3597
F/A-18C "Swiss AF 2003 Tiger Meet" J-5011, Staffel 11, Swiss Air Force
 
General Background
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.
 
The Aircraft
VMFA-112 “Wolfpack” was established on March 1, 1942. In 1960 they received the FJ-3 “Fury” and in 1965 they transitioned to the F-8 Crusader. In July 1967 VMFA(AW)-112 changed their name and logo from “Wolfpack” to “Cowboys” to reflect the local NFL team, “Dallas Cowboys”. In early 1976 the squadron began to receive the F-4 Phantom II and became VMFA-112. In 1992 VMFA-112 was the last unit to fly the F-4, excluding “Wild Weasel”, units and began to receive the new F/A-18. F/A-18C 163702 c/n 761/C064 was built in 1988.