The Hornet was designed to meet a requirement for a multi-role combat aircraft, with the un-enviable task of being able to replace both the A-7 Corsair in the light ground attack role, and the F-4 Phantom which operated in the air defence and ground attack roles. Finally it also had to act as a low cost compliment to the F-14 Tomcat. If this wasn't too much to expect from one aircraft, it also had to be able to operate from less than desirable forward airstrips for the U.S. Marine Corps.
   The Hornet has proved to be more than capable of these tasks, with added advantage of being relatively cheap, reliable and easy to maintain, generating favour with both pilots and politicians (due to the budget implications). Only in one area does the Hornet find itself lacking, and that is range. In order for it to carry the same payload as its contemporaries over the same range, the Hornet has to carry external fuel tanks; thereby reducing it's offensive payload capacity. When the Hornet is deployed from aircraft carriers, the distance to the combat theatre is reduced; thereby the problem is greatly reduced.
   The Hornet's origins however, show quite clearly that during it's infant years, it's potential wasn't fully appreciated.
   The Hornet's origins actually stem back to the 1950's and 60's, and owe its origins to the work of Northrop, not 		 McDonnell Douglas. During this time Northrop was going from strength to strength with it's LightWeight Fighter (LWF) projects, particularly the P-530 Cobra of 1966. Redesigns of the Cobra model in the late 60's featuring such innovations as HOTAS (Hands On Throttle And Stick), and eventually led to the YF-17 prototype, which flew for the first time on the 9th June 1974. This proved to be the ultimate conclusion to the Cobra studies.
   The YF-17 was built out of the requirements of a contract awarded to Northrop for a new U.S.A.F. (United States Air Force)ACF (Air Combat Fighter); the same contract was awarded to General Dynamics, who produced their YF-16 prototype. The two would go head-to-head in competition.
   History shows that on the 13th January 1975 after many months of competition, the YF-16 prototype, to become the F-16 Falcon won. One factor in this victory was the new engines fitted to the YF-17, namely the General Electric J101 shallow bypass engines known as "Leaky Turbojets". These engines were unproved and with such heavy stakes during the competition, the YF-16 won through even though the fledgling Hornet had proven to be superior in several areas.
   The U.S. Congress gave the YF-17 a reprieve from what looked like certain death when they decided to evaluate the same two aircraft for the NACF (Naval Air Combat Fighter) project. The winner would receive an initial contract for 800 aircraft. The YF-17 was not designed for carrier operations 		 and Northrop knew it. Northrop possessed the right aircraft but lacked the necessary expertise and experience when it came to this problem. As a result, Northrop accepted an offer of collaboration from McDonnell Douglas in an attempt to outbid the new partnership of General Dynamics and LTV. After a series of modifications, the new improved Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-17 was designated "model 267". The pilots favoured the aircraft greatly, particularly due to the twin-engine configuration of the aircraft as this was safer when dealing with carrier operations, which was something the F-16 lacked as it was single engine.
   Ultimately on the 2nd May 1975, the U.S. Navy decided that the model 267 YF-17 met their requirements best and was declared the winner. From this point on is where the Hornet becomes associated with McDonnell Douglas as they were the prime contractor in a 60-40 split, with Northrop as a primary sub-contractor. This was to cause problems in later years as arguments between the companies ensued and resulted in court cases. This was primarily due to the sale of the aircraft, as Northrop developed a land based version of the Hornet Called the F-18L, and they were trying to sell their aircraft to the same people who McDonnell Douglas were trying to sell the F/A-18. This was to come in it's future however, for now it was the winner and it was well earned....