The US Navy's Super Hornets are having trouble keeping up with the rest of the military's fighter jets

• F/A-18E/F Super Hornets have mostly replaced F/A-18 Hornets as the US Navy's carrier-based fighters.
• The Super Hornet is bigger, has more powerful engines and longer range, and can carry a larger payload.
• But when it comes to readiness to fly, the older Hornet still beats its younger cousin.

Though the US Navy's Hornet and Super Hornet fighters share a name and look fairly similar, they are far from the same plane.

The earliest version of the Hornet, the F/A-18A, first flew in 1978. The Super Hornet — which includes the single-seat F/A-18E and the two-seat F/A-18F — made its maiden flight in 1995.