Australian Military Aviation History

F-18L: the failed land-based Hornet

Be sure to follow our new Instagram page ► https://instagram.com/peacemaker.aviation Made possible by our members—keeping the channel independent and ongoing ✔ Merch & Members ► https://peacemaker.net.au 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 ✔ Members & Merch ► https://peacemaker.net.au ✔ Website ►https://militaryaviationvideos.com/ ✔ Twitter ► https://x.com/MilAviationHist ✔ Instagram ► https://instagram.com/peacemaker.aviation ✔ Podcast ► https://open.spotify.com/show/0DhHwTSCvQqkNJxjkt4oGg ✔ AMAHA ► https://raafdocumentary.com/ ✔ Substack ► https://militaryaviationvideos.substack.com/ _____________ 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. All copyrights remain with their respective owners. Our videos are created for educational and historical documentation purposes. 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.