Here are some shots of the Hornet B to be released next week.Two features I cant show in pics are that the pilot removes his mask when the canopy opens and sits back a little, and the other being that the burner nozzles tighten when you increase power. All adds to realism! 8)This is also being used, with the Hornet A, exclusively by the VCAW9.Comments so far please!Main gear legMain fuselage

Moving turkey feathers! How about vectoring the nozzle for a little side slip for a better shot?Great Work!For the needed flight dynamics, watch the Super Hornet at the 2001 Paris airshow here: You will need real player. Crank up the sound for some real thunder!http://www.janes.com:8080/ramgen/paris/superhornet_352.smiAnd several others here: http://paris.janes.com/videos.shtmlIf you like, we can make you a video of your Hornet doing the same when you are near release. The sound can be very similar - without the background "talking". ;-)Good Luck.Bob8/10/02http://home.columbus.rr.com/beaverca/images/sequence.gif

I'd do that if I could understand what you mean lol.Like when the rudder is moved do the nozzles move slightly too or something?

I was just kidding you on the vectored nozzles. They are part of the ATF (Advanced Tactical Fighter) not the Super Hornet.BobFrom my Oshkosh visit before they got the plugs in the inlet (F15).You may want to add the pressure sensor to both engine inlets. Most all have it for fuel, tunnel, and feather management. ;-) It will look better then the ;-) you currently have. The view up the turkey feathers is always open. Just thought you might like it for your paint with engines off view.

Ah ok i see :DThanks for the pics mate they'll come in handy.Oh and ja; i'm going to do the pressure bit..... but it has to have a smilie in the middle! :(

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH :-kewlAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH :-yellow1:-grnmdWOOOOOOOOOOWWWW :-yellow1 WAITING...... :( WAITING..... :(AWESOME!! :-jumpy

two new in-game shots.It's its first outing so don't laugh. Still looks rather spiffy!Tigermeet (Canadian 436sqn)VFA-146 (designed for the VCAW9)

Couple things from posts above....Turkey feathers on all Fighters I've ever seen since the 60's...move when throttling up. They change the diameter of the exhaust outlet. If I remember they get smaller at higher thrust settings to concentrate the flow more.Vectored exhaust flow is when the nozzles change flow direction...up, down, sideways, etc....Also you can not compare the F-18E/F Super Hornet to the F-18A/B/C/D Hornets. The Super Hornet has a 30% larger wing, larger engines, much larger load capacity, 30% less parts, etc...it is a almost completly new plane that looks like the earlier models but is very different. I saw the Super Hornet up close in final assembly two years ago on a business trip to St. Louis. Very cool. Also toured the F-15E, AV8B, F-22 (we make the aft section), and T-45 lines. (used to be made at Long Beach where I work...I build the C-17)Great looking model your building, Hope you do a Super Hornet some day. There's a backseat (GIB) F-18 pilot at Frugals Website. His name is Chunx, flys out of China Lake USN weapons station in the Califonia desert. Sure he could help with any flight dynamics questions. Lots of hours in both the Hornet and Super Hornet.http://forums.frugalsworld.com/vbb/Also a chap surprisingly called Hornet, at the SimHQ forums is also a F-18 pilot....

Actually I go by the name "Hornit" long story but its still me:) Im an ex Navy F-18C driver flying for Delta now. I'm in here all the time.Hornit

Looks great!! can't wait to take her out on a date ;).

Hi,your model looks really nice, especially the details.These details look maybe too detailed, so I'm curious about FPS in FS2002, could you tell us about it? I'm also curious, how many faces have your 3D model in Gmax? I have another question - did you build your model from scratch?I'm asking because I have one model of F18 from 3D Studio ( *.3ds format ) which is at least 9 years old and which looks quite similar to your model ( and it has cca 22000 faces without cockpit and undercarriage ): http://www.volny.cz/mlk/f18/image2.jpg http://www.volny.cz/mlk/f18/image3.jpg http://www.volny.cz/mlk/f18/image4.jpg regardsMilan Lisner

Its not actually that detailed just in the fact that the gear is a bit of a poly killer. It runs fine in fs2k2 on my system however it's a rather powerful thing; so I'm not to sure about the other ones.As for that model ja it is rather similar; being based loosely upon it. HOWEVER! It is OUR model that we've made; just as we're going along we're changing bits. Let me explain; basically- we look at that model; make a new wing; fit it on. Then we take the fuselage, make a new one, and fit it. So as we go along we replace that model with our own.Hope that clears things!

also i forgot to add;it's an easier method to use than plans etc; this way we can compare our work to that. But, if you look closely enough there are differences etc; in that the shape of our model being more like the real thing.

On a side note, you said that the nozzles tighten (i.e. get smaller) as you add throttle? Why? As you add power to the engines the nozzles open. At full military power (afterburner) the nozzles are completely open. http://www.airliners.net/open.file/260291/L/regards,Crash

but i dont understand that makes no sense?You increase throttle, go to full cold or full hot, and the nozzles close up to increase the pressure and power over a point. Or is that what you mean?