Model Description
Herpa 1/200th scale 574228 Spanish Air Force McDonnell Douglas EF-18 (F/A-18) Hornet – Ala 12, Torrejón. Available to pre-order at Flying Tigers.
Of the 1,480 F/A-18 Hornets built, the majority were delivered to the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Export sales accounted for only a small percentage of total production. Three European countries ordered several examples of this extremely maneuverable multi-role fighter aircraft and are still using them today: Finland, Switzerland and Spain. The Spanish Air Force took 60 single-seater F-18A into service between 1985 and 1990 and supplemented them with 24 aircraft retired from the US Navy at the end of the 1990s. These have been continuously modernized and are used both as all-weather interceptors and for ground attacks. In Spain, the EF-18, as it is known internationally (where the “E” stands for “España”), is locally referred to as C.15 (the “C” stands for “Caza”, fighter aircraft). The emblem of the 12th Squadron, based in Torrejón outside Madrid, depicts a cat – a common nickname for people from Madrid (“gatos”). The unit’s motto “No le busques los tres pies al gato” (“Don’t look for the cat’s three paws”) is a quote from Miguel de Cervantes’ novel “Don Quixote”, which means not to overthink situations. The motto symbolizes the unit’s objective and direct approach to combat.
RRP £48.00
