Super Hornet launching from USS Nimitz (All images: Author)
Some visitors of this site who closely analysed the pictures I took aboard USS Nimitz, asked me why the F/A-18 Hornets (both C, E and F variants) have the rudders deflected inwards during catapult launches.
That position of the rudders is common to all the Hornets, not only those departing from the flight deck of an aircraft carrier: the rudders are deflected to help the nose raising as the aircraft departs. Since the vertical fins are angled outwards, deflecting both rudders inwards gives a downward component of lift, which acts behind the centre of gravity, generating a pitch-up momentum that assists the elevators.
David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.
The first two Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets, initially stationed at Morris Air National Guard Base, Tucson, to support pilot training, have now been transferred to Slovakia. The arrival of the first two F-16 […]
Greece formally accepted an offer for 20 F-35A Lightning II jets with an option for an additional 20 aircraft. On July 25, 2024, the Greek government formalized its decision to procure 20 Lockheed Martin F-35 […]
The Italian Air Force has emphasized since last year that it requires more F-35A and F-35B jets. Public data indicates that it may eventually acquire 20 additional Lightning II aircraft. Last year, the Italian Air […]