"Bigger, Higher, Faster, Farther."
- Thinking within the US Air Force during the late 1970s

The F/A-18 Hornet is the true multi-role aircraft. It can vault from a carrier deck, bomb a target and stay to dogfight even the best enemy aircraft without missing a beat. It's the Navy's first modern-era jet intended for double duty against air- and ground-based adversaries. Armed to the hilt with Sparrow and Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, an internal cannon, and laser-guided bombs, this modern warbird was an outstanding performer in Operation Desert Storm. Strapped into a digital cockpit described as a cross between Star Wars and a video game, pilots of the F/A-18 Hornet take on the ultimate aviation job: blasting this single-seat, high-performance jet off the deck of a carrier, dropping bombs, and firing air-to-ground ordnance. Offering unmatched agility, the Hornet is the choice aircraft of the US Navy's elite Blue Angels aerobatic team.

The F/A-18A is the single-seat variant and the F/A-18B is the two-seat variant. The space for the two-seat cockpit is provided by a relocation of avionics equipment and a 6% reduction in internal fuel; two-seat Hornets are otherwise fully combat-capable. The B-model is used primarily for training.

In 1992, the original Hughes AN/APG-65 radar was replaced with the Hughes (now Raytheon) AN/APG-73, a faster and more capable radar. A-model Hornets that have been upgraded to the AN/APG-73 are designated F/A-18A+.

Pictured here is a gorgeous 1:72 scale diecast replica of a USMC F/A-18D Hornet Strike Fighter that was attached to VFA-125 "Rough Raiders". Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 7-1/2-inches
Length: 9-inches

Release Date: October 2012

Historical Account: "Rough Raiders" - Strike Fighter Squadron 125 (VFA-125), also known as the "Rough Raiders", was a United States Navy strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. The "Rough Raiders" were a Fleet Replacement Squadron flying the F/A-18 Hornet.

The current VFA-125 "Rough Raiders" were established on November 13th, 1980, at NAS Lemoore, California, becoming the Navy's first F/A-18 squadron. Often, a new squadron will assume the nickname, insignia, and traditions of earlier squadrons, but officially, the US Navy does not recognize a direct lineage with disestablished squadrons if a new squadron is formed with the same designation. VFA-125 received its first aircraft in April 1981, and by March 1985, had amassed over 30,000 mishap-free flight hours in the Hornet.

On October 1st, 2010, VFA-125 was disestablished as an F/A-18 Fleet Replacement Squadron, and its aircraft and personnel were incorporated into VFA-122. It is planned that VFA-125 will be reestablished as an F-35 Lightning II training squadron in the future.