MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- An F/A-18 Hornet speeds off the runway and into the air after the 2,000-degree bright orange and blue flames from the aircraft’s afterburners are turned on.
The afterburner on an F/A-18 Hornet is responsible for almost 25 percent of the aircraft’s maximum thrust. The aircraft is capable of increasing its total pounds of thrust per engine from 10,800 to 16,000 with the afterburner. In certain situations, this extra thrust is critical for keeping the aircraft in the air.
“The aircraft needs to maintain airspeed during high G-force maneuvers,” said Reza Heidari, power plants mechanic, J.K. Hill and Associates. “The drag from these maneuvers will cause the aircraft to slow down, which could cause the aircraft to lose control.”
According to www.grc.nasa.gov, when the afterburner is activated, fuel is injected into a hot exhaust stream that is coming from the engine. As the additional fuel combusts, surplus thrust is produced.
“The afterburner dumps fuel into the exhaust and (significantly increases) the horsepower,” said Capt. Christopher J. Collins, pilot, Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. “It gives a greater thrust that makes the aircraft capable of performing better.”
The afterburner aids pilots in reaching the target quicker and getting out of dangerous airspace faster.
“They’re able to dive in and drop bombs on a target and get out of there right away,” said Staff Sgt. Juan A. Muniz, powerplants division chief, VMFAT-101. “This can prevent them from getting hit by ground fire.”
An aircraft is capable of lifting off without the assistance of an afterburner. Additional thrust is needed from the afterburner if the aircraft is launching from a small runway or if it is carrying heavy ordnance.
“It’s better to use the afterburner on a normal runway, because it’s better to be ready early to take off,” said Heidari, a 26-year-old native of Los Angeles, Calif.
The advantage of an afterburner is that it greatly improves the thrust of the aircraft engine without adding undue weight or complexity to the engine.
A larger engine could increase power for the aircraft but it would also drastically increase the weight of the aircraft. Afterburning provides the best method of thrust augmentation for short periods of time.
The afterburner is not flawless, though.  It is extremely fuel inefficient for the amount of power it generates. On full afterburner, the Hornet’s internal fuel stores would be burned in fewer than 10 minutes.
“If the aircraft had a full tank, it could fly with its afterburner on for about 20 minutes before running out of fuel,” said Muniz, a 27-year-old native of Houston, Texas.
According to Heidari, an afterburner is used to increase thrust for short periods of time. This thrust improves aircraft takeoff and combat maneuverability and performance.  Most importantly, afterburners keep aircraft in the air and in the fight.