| Description: |
The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic twin engine all-weather night fighter and attack aircraft. The F/A-18s first flew in November 1978 and the first production flight on April 12, 1980. The first 380 aircraft were F/A-18As and in September 1987 production switched to the F/A-18C. Variants A and C are single-seat aircraft while B and D are tandem- seats. The Hornet can operate from either aircraft carriers or land bases with the capability of in flight refueling. A total of 1,480 A-D variants were built. The 242 Squadron began in 1943 as VMTB 242 equipped with Grumman TBM-3 Avengers using Bugs Bunny riding a torpedo as their patch. In 1960 the unit became Marine Attack Squadron 242 flying A-4D Skyhawks, in 1964 they became VMA(AW)-242 equipped with A-6A Intruders. During the Vietnam War they became known as the “Batmen” and later just “Bats”. In 1977 they equipped with the newer A-6E that they flew until 1990 when the F/A-18D arrived. F/A-18D Hornet 165685 joined VMFA(AW)-242 “Bats” on April 28, 2012 becoming DT-01 in July that year. |