1985 McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet Hard Bank Photo 8x10, Sidewinders Armed For Sale

1985 McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet Hard Bank Photo 8x10, Sidewinders Armed
Official McDonnell Douglas Press Photo, Negative C22-3B3-1B, July 1985DESCRIPTIONThis is an original color press photograph issued by McDonnell Douglas Corporation of St. Louis, showing a U.S. Navy or Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet strike fighter banked hard into a steep climbing turn, an AIM-9 Sidewinder air to air missile mounted on each wingtip launch rail.The aircraft is framed against the rugged, forested mountains of inland Southern California, wearing the standard low visibility gray fleet scheme of the mid-1980s Hornet fleet, with a faint national insignia star visible on the forward fuselage.The photograph carries an official McDonnell Douglas caption stamp on the reverse reading "McDonnell Douglas Corp. -- St. Louis," negative number C22-3B3-1B, and a July 1985 date stamp, tying the print directly to the company's own photo lab archive rather than a later reprint.That date places the image within the F/A-18's earliest fleet years... only a few months after the Hornet completed its first-ever carrier deployment, flown by VFA-25 and VFA-113 aboard USS Constellation (CV-64) earlier that same year.The photograph measures approximately 8 x 10 inches on the original photographic stock, with the printed image filling most of the sheet within a narrow white border.A strong addition for Hornet collectors, Navy and Marine Corps aviation enthusiasts, or anyone building a display around the early fleet history of McDonnell Douglas's signature strike fighter.Every effort is made for fact checking and provenance, including background research through news and historical archives. If any listing is incorrect in any way and you're unsatisfied with the item, please connect with me and I'll make it right.Orders placed before Noon CDT ship same day via Ground Advantage with tracking, so you know exactly when it will arrive. Returns accepted on all items exceeding $25. Rigid, professional packaging on all shipments, sealed and protected in acid free protectors. Shipping is free and already built into the price, so the BIN price is exactly what you pay... no surprise shipping costs at checkout.CONDITIONExcellent vintage condition. Sharp original color print on photographic paper with strong color saturation and no visible fading. No creases, tears, or surface damage through the image area. Corners are clean and square. The verso caption stamp is dark, clean, and fully legible.