McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B Hornet – N852NA NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards AFB, CA, 2012

Hobby Master 1/72 scale HA3564: McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B Hornet N852NA of the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards AFB, CA, 2012. Production run of 700 models.

Length 9.25 inches Wingspan 6.25 inches

The Armstrong Flight Research Center (formerly Dryden Flight Research Center) is an aeronautical research center operated by NASA. Its primary campus is located inside Edwards Air Force Base in California and is considered NASA’s premier site for aeronautical research.

Three F/A-18 Hornets were acquired from the USN by NASA between 1984 and 1991 of which 1 was a two-seater, NA852. The single-seat F/A-18 acted as a chase plane along with the camera equipped N852NA but NA850 was only used for an extra pair of eyes.

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.