The F/A-18 has a large, wide-span mid-wing, twin afterburning turbofan engines and extremely advanced avionics and cockpit displays. Compared with the original YF-17 it is wider, sports much greater fuel capacity and gross weight, has a longer and deeper nose and is powered by bigger and newer engines. It remains in flight at slower speed angles of attack than any other fighter, which is especially advantageous for carrier landings. The angle may even exceed 45 degrees without significant degradation in handling.
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The aircraft's short takeoff and landing requirements (with special equipment for the latter) makes possible operations on special sections of highway or STOL expeditionary airfields. This has been a positive factor in foreign military sales (FMS) marketing. Finland, for example, in keeping with a three-decades-old tradition, bought portable arresting gear for its FN-18s in order to use prepared national highway strips as crisis roadbases.
