McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A/B/C/D Hornet

[Matt Ottosen]

Two ATARS equipped -18Ds from Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 225 (VMFA(AW)-225) "Vikings" that came through Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport last Sunday on their way back to Miramar.

[Joe Copalman]

"Volkswagen" bug arriving at Willie:

[Matt Ottosen]

F/A-18D from Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 225 (VMFA(AW)-225) "Vikings" departing Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.

[Jbong]

To Joe and Matt very nice work there.

[Matt Ottosen]

To Joe and Matt very nice work there.

Thank you!

[Joe Copalman]

One of those shots I "saw" after I had already taken a much larger shot and cropped it down to what I wish I had been full-framing.  Section of A+ birds from VMFA-314 departing Willie on Saturday.

[David Loera]

[Jason Hyatt]

A Blue creating some vapes at Pensacola last August.

[Dave S.]

Here's one from a trip to El Centro back in '08.  He wasn't quite lined up with the centerline and decided to initiate a go-around.  His go-around took him right over the top of our heads.

[jslugman]

Is that the photo-recce nose?

[Dave S.]

James,

I went back to check the original file, zooming in as best I could, and I think it's just a standard nose config - not the recce nose.

I believe those are just the standard vents just in front of the nose gear doors.  It doesn't appear that the ATARS nose has these vents.  Also, the ATARS nose has two windows that are just forward of the pitot tubes (forward of the previously mentioned vents), which this plane does not appear to have either.  So, based on that - my guess is that this plane has the standard nose.

Joe, or any other of our in-house experts, am I on track or way off base?

- Dave

[wingsnstuff]

Jay/David.  The Hornet, to my knowledge does not have a reconnissance nose option.  Like the F-14 Tomcat, the F/A-18s use a pod mounted system, called SHARP. 

The Shared Reconnaissance Pod (SHARP) system provides Navy and Marine Corps Hornets with high- and medium-altitude tactical reconnaissance capability.  SHARP is a multi-functioned reconnaissance pod, adaptable to several airborne platforms for manned tactical airborne reconnaissance. The SHARP system is compatible with both the Super Hornet and F/A-18C and D Hornet variants. The SHARP pod is carried on the F/A-18 centerline with a standard 30-inch attachment, has a 1760 interface to aircraft, and is the size of a 330-gallon fuel tank. It has state of the art sensors (manufactured by Recon Optical Inc.) to satisfy Navy tactical airborne reconnaissance, replacing the F-14 Tomcat Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS).

[Dave S.]

Vance,

Here's some info on the ATARS recce nose that is fitted to the F/A-18D to fulfill the tactical recon mission for the Marine Corps.  Not sure how this hardware compares with the capabilities of the TARPS pod.  All that I know is what the unit looks like when installed on a 'D' version of the Hornet.

http://www.mcara.us/FA-18D_ATARS.html

Cheers,
Dave

[Joe Copalman]

Yup - ATARS is exclusive to the Marine Corps and was fielded to regain some of the capabilities lost when VMFP-3 stood down and retired their RF-4Bs back in the early 90s.
Here's what an ATAR-equipped F/A-18D looks like.  Only a handful of Ds received the mod, and all of them serve with VMFA(AW) squadrons.

[wingsnstuff]

I was not aware that the Marines had some of their D model Hornets reconfigured with ATARS.   The ATARS installation in the Hornet photo looks permanent.  The SHARP pod is supposed to enable any Hornet to be used as a recce bird.  Regarding SHARP capabilities, it's supposed to be the latest in technical capability.  I don't know how old ATARS is, but if it's over three years old, it's probably been superseded in technical capabilities, sensor resolution, speed, and data linkage.  Joe, that's a great photo of the D.