This aircraft is also with a hydraulically operated M61A1 20-mm gun that is internally mounted in the nose of the aircraft. .
The Hornet has a digital control by wire flight control system that provides excellent handling qualities, and allows the pilot to learn to fly the pilot with relative ease. At the same time the system provides exceptional maneuverability and allows the pilot to concentrate on operating the weapons systems. A solid thrust to weight ratio and superior turn characteristics combined with energy sustainability, enable the Hornet to hold its own against any adversary. The power to maintain evasive action is what pilots consider to be its finest trait. .
In addition, the Hornet was also the Navy's first tactical jet aircraft to incorporate a digital, MUX bus architecture for the entire system's avionic suite. The benefit of this design feature is that the Hornet has been relatively easy to upgrade on an easy and affordable basis. To upgrade the software is one of the easiest things. All you have to do is connect a box into the wheel well with the new software care and turn on the electronics of the plane and you"re all done. This system is the best. It makes this aircraft so easy to work on that any idiot can fix the Hornet. When there is something wrong, all you have to do is go into the nose wheel well of the Hornet and check the codes that the computer provides. The Hornet already knows and will tell you exactly what is wrong for the most part. Once in a while there are components that fail that are undetected by the Hornets Built in Test Equipment (BITE) system that require a little more traditional troubleshooting. .
After successfully running the Hornet 400 times, the Navy began to take fleet deliveries of the C and D models in September of 1987. These Hornets carry the Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM) and the infrared imaging Maverick air to ground missile.
