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F/A-18C Hornet Speed brake (air brake)


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In the Squadron/Signal Walkaround book on the F/A-18 Hornet, there's a section that reads the air brake is locked shut and has been replaced by two smaller brakes above the air intakes on the upper side of the body somewhere....

Is this true or am I missing something here?

I must admit I've not researched it much as I'm up to my armpits in Academy Hornet and only found this snippet last night while browsing for pics of the open air brake well and its associated plumbing.

(Oh, and a tip: - If you use the Cutting Edge replacement intakes and trunking, DON'T CA glue the intakes into the lower fuselage until you've stuck on the fuselage 'sides' - I did - BIG mistake!

I'm only making the kit for me and I'll probably be the only one to see it unless you guys want to see my finished balls-up of course?!)

Gaz

Edited by gaz262
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I think you've confused the Super Hornet with the Legacy Hornet. The F/A-18A-D have the speedbrake between the tails, but the SH did away with that (it's not physically there) and added spoilers to the upper LERX in addition to toeing in the rudders.

-JS

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You mean like this...

RuffledSuper-Hornet.jpg

Photo Credit David F. Brown

(Sorry Dave, I had no idea...don't even remember where I found it now, or I'd tell you.)

Josh

***Edited to Credit Photo

Edited by josh1813
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I could easily have confused the Super (Dooper) Hornet with the legacy models......

I figured that they wouldn't just lock-off all air brakes and introduce smaller ones in a different location

Doh!

Thanks guys

Gaz

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The prototypes MegaHornet had the airbrake as per the Baby Hornet, and I think the Italeri kits have this feature as well. Production E/F's have it deleted.

HTH,

Andre

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Yeah it was the early Italeri's, but they've deleted it on their revised kits....almost screwed up and got one of the early kits before I realized this. I think the Italeri's are still the only ones were you have the option to pose the spoilers...but I'm not real sure. Got one in the stash, but it's way at the bottom...

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The prototypes MegaHornet had the airbrake as per the Baby Hornet, and I think the Italeri kits have this feature as well. Production E/F's have it deleted.

HTH,

Andre

No, the prototype Super Hornets did not have a speedbrake between the tails. Italeri made a mistake, plain and simple. Every Super Hornet from E-1 on has had the spoilers on the LEX (NOT LERX, that's a Harrier term).

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In the Squadron/Signal Walkaround book on the F/A-18 Hornet, there's a section that reads the air brake is locked shut and has been replaced by two smaller brakes above the air intakes on the upper side of the body somewhere....

Is this true or am I missing something here?

I must admit I've not researched it much as I'm up to my armpits in Academy Hornet and only found this snippet last night while browsing for pics of the open air brake well and its associated plumbing.

(Oh, and a tip: - If you use the Cutting Edge replacement intakes and trunking, DON'T CA glue the intakes into the lower fuselage until you've stuck on the fuselage 'sides' - I did - BIG mistake!

I'm only making the kit for me and I'll probably be the only one to see it unless you guys want to see my finished balls-up of course?!)

Gaz

An open airbrake on an Academy Hornet would mean hydraulics are on so an engine is running or an external hydraulic source is connected. The only way to leave the air brake up with hydraulics off is to install an external lock and brace on the actuator.

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In the Squadron/Signal Walkaround book on the F/A-18 Hornet, there's a section that reads the air brake is locked shut and has been replaced by two smaller brakes above the air intakes on the upper side of the body somewhere....

Is this true or am I missing something here?

I must admit I've not researched it much as I'm up to my armpits in Academy Hornet and only found this snippet last night while browsing for pics of the open air brake well and its associated plumbing.

(Oh, and a tip: - If you use the Cutting Edge replacement intakes and trunking, DON'T CA glue the intakes into the lower fuselage until you've stuck on the fuselage 'sides' - I did - BIG mistake!

I'm only making the kit for me and I'll probably be the only one to see it unless you guys want to see my finished balls-up of course?!)

Gaz

An open airbrake on an Academy Hornet would mean hydraulics are on so an engine is running or an external hydraulic source is connected. The only way to leave the air brake up with hydraulics off is to install an external lock and brace on the actuator.

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In the Squadron/Signal Walkaround book on the F/A-18 Hornet, there's a section that reads the air brake is locked shut and has been replaced by two smaller brakes above the air intakes on the upper side of the body somewhere....

Is this true or am I missing something here?

I must admit I've not researched it much as I'm up to my armpits in Academy Hornet and only found this snippet last night while browsing for pics of the open air brake well and its associated plumbing.

(Oh, and a tip: - If you use the Cutting Edge replacement intakes and trunking, DON'T CA glue the intakes into the lower fuselage until you've stuck on the fuselage 'sides' - I did - BIG mistake!

I'm only making the kit for me and I'll probably be the only one to see it unless you guys want to see my finished balls-up of course?!)

Gaz

An open airbrake on an Academy Hornet would mean hydraulics are on so an engine is running or an external hydraulic source is connected. The only way to leave the air brake up with hydraulics off is to install an external lock and brace on the actuator.

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In the Squadron/Signal Walkaround book on the F/A-18 Hornet, there's a section that reads the air brake is locked shut and has been replaced by two smaller brakes above the air intakes on the upper side of the body somewhere....

Is this true or am I missing something here?

I must admit I've not researched it much as I'm up to my armpits in Academy Hornet and only found this snippet last night while browsing for pics of the open air brake well and its associated plumbing.

(Oh, and a tip: - If you use the Cutting Edge replacement intakes and trunking, DON'T CA glue the intakes into the lower fuselage until you've stuck on the fuselage 'sides' - I did - BIG mistake!

I'm only making the kit for me and I'll probably be the only one to see it unless you guys want to see my finished balls-up of course?!)

Gaz

An open airbrake on an Academy Hornet would mean hydraulics are on so an engine is running or an external hydraulic source is connected. The only way to leave the air brake up with hydraulics off is to install an external lock and brace on the actuator.

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An open airbrake on an Academy Hornet would mean hydraulics are on so an engine is running or an external hydraulic source is connected. The only way to leave the air brake up with hydraulics off is to install an external lock and brace on the actuator.

OK Scoobman, I get it, I get it!

;)

Hehehehe!

It's the 1/32 Academy bird on the work bench by the way.

Thanks guys!

Gaz

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An open airbrake on an Academy Hornet would mean hydraulics are on so an engine is running or an external hydraulic source is connected. The only way to leave the air brake up with hydraulics off is to install an external lock and brace on the actuator.

For the record, the same rule does NOT apply to the LEX Spoilers on Super Hornets. There is an interesting sequence one has to go through to leave them up after shutdown, but it is not uncommon to see one with spoilers up (and unbraced) sitting on the flight line.

Here are a couple shots from the ground, of LEX spoilers up on a launch. Photos copyright Nick Kessel.

IMG_0632.jpg

IMG_0633r.jpg

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I've been a Hornet mechanic for about 12 years, to answer your question, the F/A-18 A/B/C/D models have a speed brake between the vertical stabs that is extended and retracted hydraulically. Starting on the E/F/G series the speed brake was moved to the aft end of the left and right LEX just in front of the wing root. Hope this answers your question.

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Joe, I thought LERX was a Northrop term ?

_________________

BTW, I believe that above photo is Dave Brown's ..

Gregg

I think LEX is the Northrop term; when the Harrier II came along and McD-D started building those, they had to call the leading edge additions Leading Edge Root Exensions (LERX) because LEX was already used (and Northrop was not willing to let McD-D use thier term at the time). I'm not sure if the term LEX came about during the F-5 days, or during the design process that led to the YF-17.

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I've been a Hornet mechanic for about 12 years, to answer your question, the F/A-18 A/B/C/D models have a speed brake between the vertical stabs that is extended and retracted hydraulically. Starting on the E/F/G series the speed brake was moved to the aft end of the left and right LEX just in front of the wing root. Hope this answers your question.

Welcome to the site, I worked Hornets too.

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