Taken at the MCAS Miramar Airshow 2005 on October 14, 2005. For more images from the Friday show... CLICK HERE -------------------------------- It doesn't get any sexier than the Boeing F/A-18C Hornet. Probably the curviest of all fighter aircraft out there in this day and age where sharp angles and straight edges are the thing of the future. Of course, I'm biased being the F-18 is my favorite jet fighter and second favorite aircraft next to the equally as sexy P-51D Mustang. It's hard to believe that the Hornet has been around since the 70s when it was in flight testing, but it's become the frontline fighter for the US Marines and US Navy. The F/A-18 Hornet started life as the YF-17 Black Widow II. Put in as a bid by Northrop against Lockeed Martin's F-16 Fighting Falcon (aka Viper), when the Air Force awarded the fighter contract to Lockheed for the F-16, the Navy showed interest in the YF-17. With many modifications, the YF-17 emerged as the F/A-18 Hornet (F/A being Fighter and Attack). But as aircraft get more jagged edges and get less sleek and, many would say, less sexy... even the F-18 Hornet has not been saved of such changes. The F/A-18A Hornet is almost retired, and not many B models are in service. The C model is the most common and you'll find a lot of D models (two seaters) in the Marine Air Corps. But a new, more bulky and less sexy Super Hornet has taken over as a very fastly accepted frontline fighter for many of the Navy squadrons. Soon, it's estimated that most squadrons will be Super Hornet based. But, thank the Marines for keeping the F/A-18C around for a lot longer! Ditching many of the curves shapes on the A-D model Hornets that made it so famous, the new E-F Super Hornets are more square, boxy, and straight edged. So while the sex appeal of fighers may be losing ground to technological warfare and anti-radar aerodynamics, as long as there are F/A-18C Hornet's around... we'll always have the sexiest fighter in the skies! Image is of a F/A-18C Hornet that is part of the F-18 Hornet Demonstration that travels the United States Airshows performing tactical demonstrations. It's a lot more rare to see as the newer F/A-18F Super Hornet demo is in much more demand. Taken with a Canon Rebel XT EOS 350D (8mp) and Canon 100-400mm USM IS F4.5L lens.