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From: nassio%cfassp12@harvard.harvard.edu (George Nassiopoulos)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: F/A-18 modifications
Message-ID: <8673@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 29 Jul 89 03:27:09 GMT
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From: nassio%cfassp12@harvard.harvard.edu (George Nassiopoulos)


I have gone to two airshows this summer and have noticed a slight
modification to the F/A-18 Hornets.  At the first airshow, i
noticed the modification on the Blue Angels' jets and thought
that it was probably applied only to those aircraft, but then at
a second airshow i saw the mods. on two fleet (i.e. combat) F/A-18's.

The modification i am speaking about is the addition of two identical
canard-like objects (winglets?) to the ``chines'' of the aircraft.
(I don't know if ``chines'' is the correct term -- i mean the parts
of the fuselage which begin at the canopy and extend out towards the
roots of the wings.  They provide a sort of ``hood'' over the engine
intakes and give the F/A-18 a cobra-like appearance.)
The ``winglets'' are bolted onto the ``chines'' almost directly
above the engine inlets and they stick outwards almost at the same
angles as the aircraft's twin tails.

Does anyone know what these additions are?  They could conceivably
be antennae/sensors, but my hunch is that they were placed there for
aerodynamic/stability reasons.  Anyone know for sure?

George Nassiopoulos
nassio@cfa.harvard.edu