First Finnish F-18 is rolled out

THE FIRST OF 64 McDonnell Douglas (MDC) F-18s for the Finnish air force was rolled out from the company's St Louis site in Missouri on 7 June.

The aircraft will form part of the initial batch of four F-18s to be delivered to Finland in November. MDC will build the first seven F-18s, all two-seat D models, in the USA. The remaining 57 single-seat C models will be assembled by Valmet Aviation Industries in Halli, Finland, from September onwards.

Valmet is scheduled to deliver its first F-18C to the Finnish air force around September 1996. Deliveries are scheduled to run from 1996 to 2000.

Source: Flight International