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In the late 1970s, Northrop proposed the F-18L — a land-based variant of the F/A-18, stripped of naval constraints and optimised for speed, agility, and cost. Lighter, simpler, and potentially more capable in several key areas, it was designed to compete directly with aircraft such as the F-16 in the global export market.
On paper, the F-18L offered significant advantages: improved thrust-to-weight ratio, greater payload flexibility, lower operating costs, and the same multirole capability that would make the Hornet famous. Some projections even suggested it would outperform its carrier-based counterpart in turn rate and range.
So why was it never built?
CONTENTS
00:00 Intro
01:23 Cobra’s history & teaming deal
02:46 Land-based Hornet
05:33 Specs & Design
08:59 Marketing the F-18L
10:38 Lawsuit
11:48 Failure to Sell
12:48 Conclusion
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_____________ Disclaimer _____________
Some original footage and recreated scenes (using simulators like DCS and War Thunder) may not be 100% accurate to the events depicted but have been used for illustrative and dramatic purposes where archival footage was unavailable or restricted by copyright. We aim to remain as historically accurate as possible given the available resources. We use synthetic narrator voices for clarity.
Copyright Notice:
This video may contain copyrighted material used under the “fair dealing” provisions (ss 40/103C, ss 41/103A, ss 42/103B) of the Australian Copyright Act for purposes of research, study, criticism, review, and news reporting.
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About Us:
We are three aviation enthusiasts who create documentaries, interviews, and video essays focused on Australian and international military aviation history. Our channel explores the stories of military aircraft, fighter pilots, air battles, and the evolution of air power from WWI to today. We do our own research but are not experts in any particular area, so corrections and suggestions are welcome.
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Облегчили планер в силу того что не надо бухатся с размаху об палубу и добавили букву L.
It would not be a security threat to the US…. it would be a security threat to Israel.
Northrup continually was shut down a9 f5 f20 yf17 except for flying wings of course😊
It's fascinating to hear about the failed sale to Iran because of its geopolitical implications – even to a supposed ally at the time.
My father was an aircraft mechanic and we had a subscription to Aviation Week and Space Technology so seeing those print ads for various platforms is kind of nostalgic.
Thanks!
I genuinely think the USAF needs to start procuring a specialized ground attack focused superhornet to replace our aging A10s with.
I wish they had launched the F/A-18L version of the A model because lower empty weight, higher g-load, wet wings, and more wing hard points would have been a strong post-Cold War marketing play, just like the F-20. F/A-18L would have been cheaper to build than its carrier brethren and would have used the cheaper avionics of the A model. The F/A-18L and F-20 would have made a strong team aimed at budget air forces in a spending environment that didn't favor performance over checking boxes then after the proliferation of JDAMs, cheap digital avionics, and FLIR pods they would see a second wind as simple but capable multirole fighters. If the assembly lines made it to 2026, the orders for F/A-18Ls and F-20 would provide relief to the F-35 fleets in NATO that are retiring their 1980s F-16s.
They really should have stuck with the F/A-18 designation. F-18L really sounds like they lightened it specifically to make a dedicated air superiority fighter.
Alguna vez existió la posibilidad de una variante monomotor? Gracias
Finland uses arresting wires on road bases for it's F-18s.
Always wonder why countries go for F/A18 as a land based aircraft rather than F16
En España despertó muchísimo interés, pero el hecho de tener que ayudar económicamente a su desarrollo por no haber entrado en servicio en ninguna fuerza aérea decidió al Ejército del Aire de España a adquirir el F/A-18 que ya operaban la US Navy y los Marines.
Muy bueno el vídeo: Saludos desde España!
I’d like to learn about the shenanigans that resulted in Northrop losing the IP and ownership of the Hornet to McDonnell Douglas, now Boeing. Northrop got screwed out of more Freedom Fighter opportunities, the F-20 Tigershark, the YF-17 Cobra, AND the F-18 Hornet. No friggin’ wonder they had to try and pad some profitability into the B-2 and that associated scandal, as well as merge w Grumman, or face going out of business.
Edit – k, guess I could have waited til later in episode.
US Airforce got rid of it. Navy and Marine Corps wanted it for carrier based aircraft. After many decades of service and also combat roles. Now in different variants EA-18 Growlers all weather electronic jammer replacing the EA-6B Prowler. Hopefully see the Block 3 and or Advanced Super Hornet.
Videos on the F-5 and YF-17……. someone's been having fun digging in the Northrop archives!! 😁
Anybody know the background music near the end of the video? Really like the sou d of the synths and violin.
Bottom line…. Senator John Tower FROM TEXAS was chairman of Senate Armed Services Committee when decisions were made .General Dynamics built F-16s in Texas. F/A-18 in California. Connect the dots!!
As the sAying went”It flys sooner if built in Texas”
Thank you. I'm a big fan of the Hornet (from Finland) and it was very interesting to learn more about this potential derivative.
My only comment is, I enjoyed the program I its original version. Sad to say it has been lifted, and now we have to look at some guys mug trying to take claim and fame.
This channel is so shameless in copying the larger aviation channels, only with lazy 90s-style regurgitation long superceded tertiary sources.
Almost every video follows a few weeks after someone like Forgotten Aircraft, Not a Pound or one if the other channels puts out a video. It's sad.
The one question I gotta ask is: if the name "hornet" is taken by carrier-based f-18a, then will the land-based f-18l take the name "cobra" if it got adopted?
Also, was Iran the reason why the powers that be canned the L variant?
US companies screwing each other over? I'm shocked. Shocked I say.
Well, not that shocked.