"Top Gun: Maverick" Super Hornet Headed to Blue Angels for Super Hornet Transition

Feb 14

Picture courtesy of @torresmick on Instagram

As we get closer to the premiere of “Top Gun: Maverick,” we have now learned the fate of one of the Super Hornets used in the film. The single-seat F/A-18E Super Hornet, BuNo 165667, is one of the oldest Super Hornets in the fleet, coming from the Low-Rate Initial Production run 2, and its now headed to the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.

Tuesday, February 11, the special-painted Super Hornet was spotted flying out of Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado, California. The aircraft flew across the country to Cecil Airport in Jacksonville, Florida, where The Boeing Company and Northrop Grumman complete modification and repair work on aircraft such as the Super Hornet. Here, the Top Gun livery will be stripped and the modification process will begin to prepare the Super Hornet for its next role as a Blue Angel. In addition to a new paint job, several other modifications will be made, including the addition of a smoke tank as well as a 40 pound spring on the control stick.

18 Super Hornets are expected to go through the transition process and will be delivered to the team at the end of the 2020 show season. The first two have already been converted and were delivered to the Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23) for testing and evaluation. Involved in this process are two former Blue Angels, Captain Ryan Bernacchi and Commander Frank Weisser. For more than two years now, they have been evaluating the Super Hornet’s flight dynamics, engines, flight control systems, fuel systems, and airframe fatigue. They’ve flown the Blue Angels’ demonstration profile in simulators, seeing how the larger, more powerful Super Hornet will affect the demonstration. Their testing will directly determine what additional changes need to be made to both the aircraft and the demonstration before the team starts their transition later this year.

There’s no doubt that BuNo 165667 will hold a little extra significance and history throughout its journey with the Blue Angels, and we’re sure the team will reflect this at air shows for years to come. Be sure to stay tuned to our website and social media for the latest updates regarding the Blue Angels’ transition to the F/A-18E Super Hornet.