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Sting in the tail: Hornets live to fly another day

April 03, 2014
For the past 30 years the F/A-18A/B, aka the Hornet, has played a central role in Australia’s air defence strategy. Classed as a multi-role fighter, these combat planes are well recognised for reliability and versatility, as they can be deployed for everything from close-to-ground missions to high-altitude interception.
Powered by two of GE’s low-bypass turbofan F404-400 engines, the Royal Australian Air Force fleet of more than 70 Hornets have a top speed of Mach 1.8, or 2200 kilometres per hour.
At full throttle the engine’s fan turns at 13,200 revolutions per minute while a compressor inside the turbine section can reach a dizzying 16,800 rpm. This generates core temperatures of up to 1037 degrees Celsius.

/><br /> <br /> <em>F404 Variable Exhaust Nozzle (VEN), closed: The engine exhaust nozzle. The VEN opens or closes depending on the flying conditions and thrust needs</em><br /> <br />