Shipbucket

Here the article. It's not the highest quality scan in the world. The pictures and the shaded areas never wanted to scan that well.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y291/B ... /CVV_1.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y291/B ... /CVV_2.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y291/B ... /CVV_3.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y291/B ... /CVV_4.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y291/B ... /CVV_5.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y291/B ... /CVV_6.jpg

Ace, since this was considered for construction in FY 1980, by the time its completed (4 to 6 year later) the Hornet would already be in service. If Midway and Coral Sea have already re-equipped by that time (I'm not sure when they first went to sea with the all-Hornet fighter complement) these ships, with their small fighter and strike aircraft complements, are the obvious choice to receive the F/A-18s next.

Just my two cents worth.

Thank you, as I think I have a lower resolution version saved someplace.

As for the all-hornet airwing, I don't know when exactly the F-4s and the A-7s were replaced, but Midway had her Intruders until she was retired.

Interesting article. Thanks for uploading!

TimothyC
Most USN F-4 squadrons replaced them in late 1970s, and I believe the last ones changed them for F-14 and F/A-18 by 1986.
In the 1980s A-7 squadrons started to switch to F/A-18 around 1983 (first squadron in 1980, but for some time also the only) and by 1990 there were some 22 Hornet VFA squadrons (3 Naval Reserve), 7 Corsair II VA squadrons (1 NR) and 18 Intruder squadrons (2 NR).