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| Super Hornet
the ‘real deal’ By Barry Rollings Volume 49, No. 4, March 22, 2007 |
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GPCAPT Steve Roberton, Head of the Air Combat Transition Office, has been flying fighter aircraft for about 15 years in Australia and overseas, and he delivered his brief report card on the new Super Hornet at the March 6 announcement. His verdict? “For the men and women of air combat who are going to fly this, you are absolutely going to love it and hopefully the chief will let me be part of that in the next decade,” GPCAPT Roberton said. After recently flying the Super Hornet, GPCAPT Roberton said it was an “absolute joy” to operate and fly. “The Super Hornets are a really easy transition for F/A-18 operators,” he said. “In several short, brief rides, both air and maintenance crews were fully up to speed on operating this aircraft. “The F-111 operators are going to find this an absolute pleasure. As much as they love the venerable F-111, the later technologies, the reliability and the capability that this aircraft brings will really charge their enthusiasm. “It is going to ease the transition, as I see it, from where we are in Air Combat Group today. We are going to have a single F/A-18 force which is going to be able to make that leap into the JSF force of the future. “The first thing that you really notice about this aircraft is the size of it. It’s about 25 per cent bigger, it has a couple of extra weapons stations, and for a fighter guy, it is really nice having the extra fuel, range and endurance. “They are yet to make an aircraft that has too many weapons, too much fuel, is too agile or goes too fast. “The second thing that strikes you for the Hornet pilots is the familiarity. There is only about 30 per cent commonality between the F/A-18 classics and the Super Hornet. “It is largely re-designed, but to operate it and maintain it, it really makes you feel right at home. “The most important aspect that strikes you is the performance. This aircraft has considerably more power and really sweet controls. It handles in most areas far better than the F/A-18A does and it is far more agile in a dogfight. “I have a couple of thousand hours in the F/A-18 and I have a great deal of respect for the F-111, but the Block II Super Hornet is the one I want to take into combat.”
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