McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet – RCAF Demo Team, Canada, 2022

Hobby Master 1/72 scale HA3576: McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet #188794, RCAF Demo Team, Canada, 2022. Production run of 800 models

Length 9.25 inches Wingspan 6.25 inches

The Royal Canadian Air Forces CF-18 Demonstration Team, which flies a single CF-188A Hornet, had this stunning livery for 2022. In a break from tradition, 2023 will use a standard operational aircraft with no special paint scheme. Only ten shows will be supported, all in Canada, of which some will receive a tactical support role demonstration, and some will receive a full aerobatic display.

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 defence 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.