KerbalX

The F/A-18E Super Hornet on display in the SPH.

• I went with the E variant since F was the two-seater and I wanted to give the pilot a chance to get in and out. This involved a Kelus Mobility Enhancer - the short ladder - hanging off the wing piece on the port (left) side. While the pilot was able to get off safely, getting back in the cockpit proved impossible. The longer ladder, unfortunately, was no good as it had obstructed the hatch. So, the pilot is stuck in a single-seater.
• Unfortunately, only pilots can use this aircraft due not having a fly-by-wire or a probe core. They would otherwise ruin the aesthetic.
• The tailfins have the Trees flag on them in an attempt to mimic the art you would often see on real-life Hornet tailfins. This was the closest I could get.
• I originally tried working control surfaces on the front, but I ended up with an uncontrollable roll when it was time to level out to cruising altitude, so I got rid of them. After my first test flight without them, I decided to add them again - but I made them nonfunctional this time and they’re purely for aesthetic.
• The real-life F/A-18E and F have two small airbrakes near the cockpit, so I installed some on either side of the cockpit. Hit the AG7 button to toggle them, so they don’t have to be tied to the landing gear brakes.
• For the finishing touch, I installed pylons underneath the wings in case you want to install weapons or fuel tanks later.

Gander Kerman in a F/A-18E taking off from the Island Airfield as the sun was rising far to the east.

• She was assigned to test the Super Hornet’s short takeoff capabilities, and she got tired of waiting for the carrier.
• Like her late father, Goose Kerman, she too has a need for speed.

The F/A-18E leveling out at a cruising altitude of 22 km.

• Preliminary range calculations predicted that the Super Hornet would do at least one full flight around Kerbin’s circumference before needing to land.
• Unlike in real-life, Kerbin’s Super Hornet (both variants) performed way better than the F-14 Tomcat. Having electronic warfare versions available as well as lower maintenance costs also gives the Super Hornet an edge over its wing-sweeping rival.
• Its cruising speed and altitude was close to but did not match the YF-23 Black Widow II‘s. However, the Super Hornet was a smoother ride and it was actually put into service whereas the YF-23 was an experimental reject.

After almost an hour in darkness, Gander is finished flying over Kerbin’s southern ice cap - after starting northbound.

• In other words, she had flown over three-quarters of Kerbin’s circumference.
• This will make taking pictures way easier, whereas all one could get was a Super Hornet on fire flying in the darkness.

Like a true naval aircraft, the Super Hornet is flying over Kerbin’s ocean. With such an impressive range, it’s no wonder it was selected as the main fighter for Kerbin’s military on Laythe.

• Sure, they also had the F-4 Phantom II, but that was used as a heavy ground strike aircraft.
• After the exposure of the Clivar Genocide and the irradiation of Poseidon’s Palace, most of Kerbin’s fighter aircraft were mothballed.

The Super Hornet passing over Kerbin’s equator, marking a full circumnavigation of the planet with plenty of fuel to spare.

• The goal was to fly until the tanks were nearly empty to see how fuel distribution would affect the aircraft’s center of mass placement - and, by extension, its landing performance.

Nearly one hour and 10 minutes later, the fighter had 50 fuel units left and was nearing Kerbin’s northern tundra. That’s when Gander shut off the engines and began gliding.

• To slow herself down faster, she deployed the airbrakes and flaps.

In an aerial demonstration over the Kerbal Space Program, an unnamed pilot in an F/A-18E Super Hornet launches some countermeasures.

One nice, long, smooth glide later, Gander landed the F/A-18E safely on Kerbin’s northern ice cap.

• She retracted the brakes and flaps to increase her gliding distance, deploying them again once she was directly over the ice.