Which is better,an F-22 Raptor or an F-18 Hornet?

Question

Which is better,an F-22 Raptor or an F-18 Hornet?

Answer 1

most people here will give you biased answers based on their personal preferences.

personal favorites set aside, it actually really depends on the mission.

for an air superiority mission, aka take control of the skies and keep it, the F-22 raptor is the way to go. its maneuverability, power and stealth make is a formidable opponent. and yes, it is true that 4 f-22s took out 16 f-15 without losing a single aircraft.

the F-18 was designed to be more of an all-around aircraft because it needed to go on aircraft carriers, where there is limited space for aircraft and aircraft replacement parts. (if you have many aircraft types, you'll need lots more parts)

since it was more of an all-around aircraft, it cannot do a single job as well as the F-22 but it can do many more.

Close Air Support missions are best to be flown with f-18s because that was one of its purposes and, lets face it, if one is brought down, it will not cost us as much. Besides, using a f-22 for CAS is kind of a waste and the F-22 cannot carry a big enough loadout for a CAS mission without compromising its stealth anyways.

if you did a aspect by aspect comparison, the raptor would come out better. However, you have to also factor in the age of the Hornet and the fact that it was designed primarily to go on a carrier.

The Hornet will be usually closer to the action because they're carrier capable while the F-22 are at fixed bases, meaning they won't be able to go far without needing tanker support. And fixed bases are also the first targets of cruise missiles and nukes in the event of war.

Answer 2

Without a doubt, the F-22 is better. It was designed be superior to all existing and projected aerial threats. The F-22 is stealthy to begin with, with a radar cross section similiar to a small bird at most angles. This makes it virtually undetectable compared to the F-18. It also has more power to weight, giving it better acceleration and climbing ability. It has a much better wing loading ,which combined with thrust vectoring and increased thrust, gives it better turn performance and much better sustained turning rate. It is also rated for more G forces. The top speed of the F-22 is higher, but this is still not as important as the F-22's ability to supercruise. This means that the F-22 can cruise at supersonic speeds for long periods of time. The F-18 cannot fly at supersonic speeds without using afterburner, which means it would run out of fuel in a matter of minutes at supersonic speeds. This limits it to short dashes. The F-22 also has a much more effective sensor suite that allows it to track more targets, make radar scans in fractions of the time the F-18 needs, and sort targets for the pilot with advanced computers. The F-22's passive sensors are a leap forward in identifying and locating threats. It's AESA radar operates more effeectively and scans in a fracion of the time the F-18 needs. Even the projected AESA radar for the F/A-28E/F isn't as effectice without the same caliber of computing behind it. It's been suggested that the AESA radar in the F-22 could be focused on an enemy aircrsft to damage it's electronics! The aircraft also has a revolutionary communications system that allows the pilot to coordinate with other aircraft in the area and act as a "mini-AWACS". This can be used to direct other fighter/bomber groups or command several UCAVs. This is a totally new capability for a dedicated fighter. All of these electronic functions are operated through an advanced computer system utilizing the power of two advanced supercomputers. As amazing as that is, the computer only occupies a space around the size of a 27 inch television and there is room for another one to be added in futer upgrades! Basically, the F-22 was created to surpass fourth generation aircraft in every way and it is certainly successful. The truth is that the F-22 is indeed superior to any existing or projected aerial threat in the world. The only thing that the F-18 has over the F-22 is a much more versatile air to ground capability. The F-22 is unable to employ much of our air to ground inventory in its internal weapons bays. The only air to ground ordinance it can employ without compromising stealth are JDAM and small diameter bombs. The important thing to consider is that the F-22will still be harder to detect with external stores. This might still make it a better option for bombing with guided munitions, but It's still primarily an air superiority aircraft. I'd prefer to use the F-18E/F for any CAS or low level attack. Overall, in spite of some air to ground limitations, I'd say the F-22 is definitely the better aircraft. All of the other massive advances in capability more than make up for its armament issues. As a pure fighter, there's no contest at all. The largest issue in the end is cost, but still, you get what you pay for.

Answer 3

F-18 c\d  Hornet and even F-18 e\f Super Hornet was the most inferior U.S. aircraft ever produce by the U.S. Its only that F-18 lobby are better.

Answer 4

Difficult to say which is the better,without defining for what mission.The F22 is an air superiority fighter,theF/A Hornet a multi-role fighter,attack and maritime air superiority aircraft.

Each is probably the best plane in certain applications,the F22 wasn't designed to carry the load of the Hornet,the Hornet hasn't got the stealth and performance of the F22.

Basically then,it depends on the mission involved as to which is the better.

Answer 5

The Raptor is by far the best aircraft in the world. It is equally dominant in air to air and air to ground capabilities. I know this due to researching it heavily. Besides this, I also know that by 2010, the Navy is planning to replace most active Hornets with a plane known as either the JSF (Joint Strike Fighter) or the F-35 II. It is basically a multirole, single- engine, stealth fighter.

Answer 6

F22 by far is better.

In war games, a single F22 can take out 5 or more F18 Hornets (easily).

Good Luck...