McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B Hornet N852NA

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards AFB, CA, 2012

Hobby Master 1:72 HA3564

McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet  

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 Armstrong Flight Research Center (formerly Dryden Flight Research Center) is an aeronautical research center operated by NASA. Its primary campus is located inside Edwards Air Force Base in California and is considered NASA's premier site for aeronautical research.

Three F/A-18 Hornets were acquired from the USN by NASA between 1984 and 1991 of which 1 was a two-seater, NA852. One of the single-seats was F/A-18A Hornet 161703 c/n 48/A037 that was delivered to the USN and was flown by the Pacific Missile Test Center (PMTC-60) located at Point Mugu. When it transferred to NASA it was registered as N850NA. The single-seat F/A-18 acted as a chase plane along with the camera equipped N852NA but NA850 was only used for an extra pair of eyes.

Hobby Master "1:72 Air Power Series" diecast airplanes feature:

1. Molded metal construction with plastic components.
2. Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details.
3. Inscriptions and posters printed with a stamp that do not fade or fall off like decals.
4. opening of awnings, revealing detailed within the cockpit.
5. Extended / retracted interchangeable landing gear.
6. Display stand to display the aircraft "in flight".
7. Authentic detachable artillery cargoes complete with placards.