<p>Fully loaded with 2,000 pounds of ammunition, Super Hornets, commonly known as F-18s, will provide a glimpse of the actual weight it can take off with and land in Indian terrains, Chief Test Pilot for Boeing, Ricardo Traven, on Tuesday told mediapersons at the Yelahanka Air Force base here.<br /><br />“None of our competitors will have the possibility of delivering this... the two Super Hornets will put up a show with a 2+2+2 combinations of air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles, apart from two sub-machine guns,” said Traven, a former Royal Canadian Air Force pilot.<br /><br />The combination of the missiles and sub-machine guns will include the 1,000 pounder MK-83 <br />missiles, AIM120 AMRAAMs and the M-9x round guns.<br /><br />Boeing, a front-runner for the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft contracts for the Indian Air Force, will display the fighter jets over the next five days. Considered to be generation 4.5 in fighter planes, the F-18s are of Block II design with a capacity to carry a maximum of 8,000 kg of payload and land in the most difficult of terrains. The Block II of F-18s are upgraded with better avionics system as and when technology matures.<br /><br />While the F-18s on display are from the US naval bases, specifically designed for the US naval flight plans on their aircraft carriers, they are said to be the nearest to the actual F-18s which will form part of the Boeing marketing strategy for the international buyers.<br /><br />The F-18s Block II set of fighter jets with twin engines are stated to have a mix of manoeuvring capabilities vis-a-vis stealth effects. “While the combination of the stealth and manoeuvring capabilities are dependent on buyers, the F-18s will give the best possible combination of both,” said Traven.<br /></p>
<p>Fully loaded with 2,000 pounds of ammunition, Super Hornets, commonly known as F-18s, will provide a glimpse of the actual weight it can take off with and land in Indian terrains, Chief Test Pilot for Boeing, Ricardo Traven, on Tuesday told mediapersons at the Yelahanka Air Force base here.<br /><br />“None of our competitors will have the possibility of delivering this... the two Super Hornets will put up a show with a 2+2+2 combinations of air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles, apart from two sub-machine guns,” said Traven, a former Royal Canadian Air Force pilot.<br /><br />The combination of the missiles and sub-machine guns will include the 1,000 pounder MK-83 <br />missiles, AIM120 AMRAAMs and the M-9x round guns.<br /><br />Boeing, a front-runner for the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft contracts for the Indian Air Force, will display the fighter jets over the next five days. Considered to be generation 4.5 in fighter planes, the F-18s are of Block II design with a capacity to carry a maximum of 8,000 kg of payload and land in the most difficult of terrains. The Block II of F-18s are upgraded with better avionics system as and when technology matures.<br /><br />While the F-18s on display are from the US naval bases, specifically designed for the US naval flight plans on their aircraft carriers, they are said to be the nearest to the actual F-18s which will form part of the Boeing marketing strategy for the international buyers.<br /><br />The F-18s Block II set of fighter jets with twin engines are stated to have a mix of manoeuvring capabilities vis-a-vis stealth effects. “While the combination of the stealth and manoeuvring capabilities are dependent on buyers, the F-18s will give the best possible combination of both,” said Traven.<br /></p>
