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    This page documents a history of a specific aircraft. The details provided vary from aircraft to aircraft and are dependent on the research and amount of data uploaded to the Aerial Visuals database.

    Airframe Family: Northrop F-17 Cobra / F-18 Hornet
    Latest Model:F/A-18A-15-MC (Lot 7) Hornet
    Last Military Serial:162417 USN
    Construction Number:0253/A202
    Compressed ID:McDD F/A-18A-15-MC (Lot 7) sn 16241...
    Latest Owner or Location:USS Battleship Alabama Memorial Park, Mobile, Alabama

    EDIT THE HISTORY HERE
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    Dates

    Event

    Constructed as a F/A-18A-15-MC (Lot 7) by McDonnell Douglas.

    1985

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Navy with BuNo 162417.

    1985

    Transferred to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 (VMFA-323), NAS Miramar, CA.
    Operated with markings: AK-401

    From March 1985 to April 1985

    Deployed on USS Coral Sea to Gulf of Sidra for Operation Prairie Fire and Operation El Dorado Canyon.

    From 1 October 1985 to 19 May 1986

    Deployed aboard USS Coral Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, intercepted a Soviet Il-38 over Ionian Sea.

    By 1990

    Transferred to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 531 (VMF-531), MCAS Cherry Point, NC.
    Operated with markings: EC-09

    April 1992

    Transferred to Strike Fighter Squadron 127 (VFA-127), NAS Lemoore, CA.
    Operated with markings: NJ-703

    By November 2000

    Transferred to Fighter Squadron Composite 12 (VFC-12), NAS Oceana, VA.
    Operated with markings: AF-12

    By 2007

    Transferred to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 142 (VMFA-142), NAS Atlanta, GA.
    Operated with markings: MB-213

    27 September 2007

    Struck off Strength/Charge from the United States Navy.

    To National Naval Aviation Museum, NAS Pensacola, Pensacola, FL.
    View the Location Dossier

    14 December 2007

    Loaned to USS Battleship Alabama Memorial Park, Mobile, AL.
    Arrived in markings of VFMA-142.
    View the Location Dossier

    By August 2008

    Markings Applied: VMFA-323, AK-407

    4 October 2012


    Photographer: Glenn Chatfield

    4 November 2018


    Photographer: Robert Nichols

    26 September 2023


    Photographer: Tom Tessier


    This dossier is waiting for review by an editor.This airframe dossier is based on
    unreviewed imported data.
    If you can verify the documented history or add to it with additional text and/or photos please feel free to do so by using the upload tool and the history editor.

    Credits
    Data for airframe dossiers come from various sources. The following were used to compile this dossier...

    Print Sources
    U.S. Military Out of Service 2019/2020 by Andy Marden

    Internet Sources
    Airport Data
    F-18 Fandom
    Jet Photos
    Scramble of the Dutch Aviation Society
    U.S. Demobbed by Horrex, Ray, Boulanger, Dunn, McGhee and Wood
    United States Military Services Serial Number Lists by Joe Baugher
    Wiki Media

    Individual Contributors
    Glenn Chatfield
    Mike Henniger

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    Direct Link: https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=183515

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