McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B Hornet – 2 OCU, RAAF Williamtown, Australia, Hornet 35th Anniversary 2019

Hobby Master 1/72 scale HA3545: McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B Hornet A21-116 of 2 OCU, RAAF Williamtown, Australia, Hornet 35th Anniversary 2019. Production run of 750 models.

Length 9.25 inches Wingspan 6.25 inches

The RAAF 2 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) role is to train military pilots how to handle and use whatever the present day aircraft is in use. 2019 marks the 35th anniversary of the F/A-18B Hornet in service with the RAAF 2 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) and at the end of 2019 will be retired in preparation for the F-35. To honor the service and final year of the Hornet F/A-18B received a special Tiger paint scheme. This aircraft was delivered in 1988 and has been with 2 OCU since 1995.

Designed as a replacement for the A-4 Skyhawk and the A-7 Corsair II and as a complement to the F-14 Tomcat, the F/A-18 first flew on November 18, 1978. Perhaps best known as the aircraft of the US Navy’s Blue Angels, this carrier-capable, supersonic, all-weather fighter has many roles, including fighter escort, fleet air defense and close air support. The F/A-18 is a versatile aircraft: it can operate from carriers or land bases and a single switch converts it from fighter to strike mode. During Operation Desert Storm, the F/A-18 proved that, on a single mission, one aircraft could serve as both fighter and a bomber.