Freeware Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet Released

The flight simulation community has a new addition to its ranks – the freeware Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This highly anticipated release is the result of a collaborative effort between several prominent developers such as WhiskyTangoFoxtrot, Groom Lake Simulations and Rhys Brown. Developed as a freeware mod, the Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet comes with a crafted cockpit and a custom flight model that replicates the performance of a fighter jet.

The Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet is a twin-engine, carrier-capable, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Boeing. As an advanced evolution of the F/A-18 Hornet, the Super Hornet boasts enhanced capabilities and improved performance. With its larger airframe, more powerful engines, and increased fuel capacity, the Super Hornet excels in a variety of combat roles including air superiority, fighter escort, reconnaissance, aerial refueling, close air support, and day/night precision strike. The F/A-18F, specifically, is the two-seat variant of the Super Hornet, enabling it to perform complex missions with a pilot and a weapons systems officer. This aircraft serves as a crucial component of the United States Navy's fleet.

Freeware Features

One of the standout features of this mod is the ability to select and customize the aircraft's weapons loadout through the payload menu. This level of detail extends to the multiplayer experience. The mod comes with various features, from the ability to open the canopy on the ground using taxi lights to the appearance of the boarding ladder and disappearance of pilots when the canopy is open and engines are shut down. Additionally, the mod includes visual effects that heighten the immersion, such as formation/slime lights, an extendable aerial refueling probe, a functional tailhook and wing fold, and an awe-inspiring airshow smoke system that can be toggled using the payload menu and logo lights. At the heart of this freeware lies a custom-built cockpit that utilizes Asobo gauges.

Key Features:

• Weapons loadout can be selected by entering weights in the payload menu. Other players with this mod can see the loadout you select and many of your visual effects in multiplayer
• The canopy can be opened on the ground with Taxi lights
• The boarding ladder appears down and the pilots disappear when the canopy is open and engines are shut down while stopped
• Formation/slime lights can be toggled with Recognition lights
• The aerial refueling probe can be extended with Wing lights
• The tailhook and wing fold both work using built-in commands, but the animations are now visible in multiplayer
• An airshow smoke system can be enabled using the payload menu, then toggled using the Logo lights
• A centerline buddy-buddy refueling pod can be added using payload. When added, Logo lights will extend the drogue instead of toggling smoke
• A paint kit is included to help with creation of new liveries

Please be advised that you must have the Asobo F-18 installed, as this mod relies on the proper cockpit textures from the base game. The developers are aware of a few known issues that they are working to address. These include:

• Certain light meshes not displaying correctly for other players in multiplayer sessions
• Ongoing refinement of the engine performance and tuning
• Lack of animation for the launch bar

The Freeware Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet is now available to download on Flightsim.to for free.