Airplane Model*Hobby Master 1:72 F/A-18E Super Hornet Blue Angels HA5121 – Miniature Marvels: Airplane Models & Painted Dice

The McDonnell Douglas Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet is a twin-engine multi-role carrier-based aircraft. The E variant is single-seater while the F variant is a tandem-seat configuration. The E is a much larger, more advanced and more capable variant of the F/A-18C. The Super variant can carry a larger array of weapons as well as more of them and is capable of returning to the carrier while still carrying unspent munitions, a big savings in dollars. The first F/A-18E flight was in 1995 and began delivery to the USN in 1999.

In 2018 the USN decided to supply the Blue Angels with early production Super Hornets. In 2012 F/A-18E 15666 c/n 1517/E020 was assigned to VFA-106 Gladiators as AD-114 and painted in the squadrons 1967 Vietnam War A-4 Skyhawk colors. In 2018 the aircraft was transferred to VFA-146 Blue Diamonds as NH-302. In 2020 165666 became part of the USN Blue Angels Demo Team. In January 2021 the aircraft wore the number 3 but in February the number was changed to 1. 2021 will mark the 75th Anniversary of the Blue Angels.