F-18 Hornets examples including the original Hornets and the souped-up EA-18G Growlers. I photographed some during airshows at McChord AFB in 2008, 2010 and 2016. There was even a NASA Hornet at the 2010 show. Mitchell and I also got to see a Hornet on the deck of the USS Yorktown during a 447th BG reunion in Charleston. The Museum of Flight also acquired a Blue Angels veteran to display in the new Pavilion, and I got to photograph a second Blue Angels veteran at the Pima Air Museum.
Northrup F-18 wooden mockup
Museum of Flight, around 1988
Although the markings on the tail indicate “F-18”, this is much closer to the YF-17 Cobra proposal that was rejected in favor of the F-16 Falcon. I was told by the Museum of Flight, that they later cut up this project and only the cockpit remains on display in the museum.
F/A-18A Hornet 160780 / HARV NASA 840
NASA 840 is the pre-production High Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV) testing controlled flight at high angles of attack (up to 70 degrees) using thrust-vectoring vanes and aerodynamic strakes
Virginia Air & Space Science Center 2026
F/A-18A 161353
Pax River 2026
F/A-18B 161355 (#23/B006) / NASA 846
McChord AFB 2010
F/A-18B 161943 Blue Angels #7
Yanks Air Museum, Chino 2018
F/A-18A 161948
Valiant Warbirds Museum 2024
F/A-18 161970
Already a Gulf War veteran, this aircraft was the was the very first Marine aircraft to take to the skies to patrol the airspace around Washington, D.C., following the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Marine Corps Museum; Quantico VA 2026
F/A-18 Hornet 162417
USS Alabama Memorial 2024
F/A-18A 162430
Palm Springs Air Museum 2018
F/A-18A 162435
Patriots Point 2013
FA-18A 162826
Fort Worth Aviation Museum 2024
F/A-18B 162885
Pax River 2026
F/A-18A 163093 Blue Angels #6
Pima Air Museum 2017
F/A-18C 163106 Blue Angels #2
Museum of Flight 2016
Museum of Flight 2023
F/A-18C 163429
Castle AFB, Atwater CA 2024
F/A-18C 163435
Frontiers of Flight, Dallas 2024
F/A-18C 163439
Udvar-Hazy VA 2026
F/A-18C 163508
Naval Aviation Museum, NAS Pensacola 2024
F/A-18C 163705 Blue Angels
Naval Aviation Museum, NAS Pensacola 2024
F/A-18C Hornet 163768
Served on the Blue Angels team from 2011 to 2021 and performed in the 2015 Kaneohe Bay Air Show
Pearl Harbor 2025
F/A-18F Super Hornet 165885
McChord AFB 2008
F/A-18F Super Hornet 165887 #047
Oshkosh 2025
F/A-18F Super Hornet 165912 #F058
Oshkosh 2025
EA-18G Growler 166895
Seattle 2024
EA-18G 168255
McChord AFB 2023
EA-18G Growler 168270 #52
Oshkosh 2025
EA-18G Growler 168387
OshKosh 2024
F/A-18E 168481 Super Hornet
McChord AFB 2016
EA-18G Growler 168897
Seattle 2024
EA-18G 168933
McChord AFB 2023
EA-18G Growlers 168378 (#573) and 168269 (#515)
Demonstration team from Naval Air Station Whidbey VAQ-129 and had tail numbers 515 and 573