In 1953, North American Aviation began a private study for a carrier-based, long-range, all-weather strike bomber, capable of delivering nuclear weapons at supersonic speeds. A contract was awarded on 29 August 1956 and its first flight occurred two years later on 31 August 1958 in Columbus, Ohio.
The North American A-5 Vigilante was a carrier-based supersonic bomber designed and built by North American Aviation for the United States Navy. Its service in the nuclear strike role to replace the Douglas A-3 Skywarrior was very short; however, as the RA-5C, it saw extensive service during the Vietnam War in the tactical strike reconnaissance role.
At the time of its introduction, the Vigilante was one of the largest and by far the most complex aircraft to operate from a United States Navy aircraft carrier. It had a high-mounted swept wing with a boundary-layer control system (blown flaps) to improve low-speed lift. There were no ailerons. Roll control was provided by spoilers in conjunction with differential deflection of the all-moving tail surfaces. The A-5 had two widely spaced General Electric J79 turbojet engines (the same as used on the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II fighter), fed by intake ramps and a single large all-moving vertical stabilizer. The Vigilante had a crew of two seated in tandem, a pilot and a bombardier-navigator (BN) (reconnaissance/attack navigator (RAN) on later reconnaissance versions).
Despite being designated by the US Navy as a “heavy”, the A-5 was surprisingly agile for such a large aircraft. Without the drag of bombs or missiles, even escorting fighters found that the clean airframe and powerful engines made the Vigilante very fast at high and low altitudes. However, its high approach speed and high angle of attack in the landing configuration made returning to the aircraft carrier a challenge for inexperienced or unwary pilots.
Given its original design as a carrier-based, supersonic, nuclear heavy attack aircraft, the Vigilante’s main armament was carried in a novel “linear bomb bay” between the engines in the rear fuselage, which provided for positive separation of the bomb from the aircraft at supersonic speeds. The single nuclear weapon, commonly the Mk 28 bomb, was attached to two disposable fuel tanks in the cylindrical bay in an assembly known as the “stores train”. A set of extendable fins was attached to the aft end of the most rearward fuel tank. These fuel tanks were to be emptied during the flight to the target and then jettisoned with the bomb by an explosive drogue gun. The stores train was propelled rearward at about 50 feet per second (30 knots) relative to the aircraft. It thereafter followed a typical ballistic path.
Designated A3J-1, the Vigilante first entered squadron service with Heavy Attack Squadron THREE (VAH-3) in June 1961 at Naval Air Station Sanford, Florida, replacing the Douglas A-3 Skywarrior in the heavy attack, e.g., “strategic nuclear strike,” role. All variants of the Vigilante were built at North American Aviation’s facility at Port Columbus Airport in Columbus, Ohio.
The Vigilante’s early service proved troublesome, with many teething problems for its advanced systems. Although these systems were highly sophisticated, the technology of the time was in its infancy, and its reliability was poor. Although most of these reliability issues were eventually worked out as maintenance personnel gained greater experience with supporting these systems, the aircraft tended to remain a maintenance-intensive platform throughout its career.
The first RA-5Cs were delivered to Heavy Attack Squadron THREE (VAH-3), the A-5A and A-5B Replacement Air Group (RAG) / Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS), subsequently re-designated as Reconnaissance Attack Squadron Three (RVAH-3), at NAS Sanford, Florida in July 1963. As they transitioned from the attack version to the reconnaissance version, all Vigilante squadrons were subsequently re-designated from VAH to RVAH.
Under the cognizance of Commander, Reconnaissance Attack Wing One a total of 10 RA-5C squadrons was ultimately established. RVAH-3 continued to be responsible for the stateside-based RA-5C training mission of flight crews, maintenance and support personnel, while RVAH-1, RVAH-5, RVAH-6, RVAH-7, RVAH-9, RVAH-11, RVAH-12, RVAH-13 and RVAH-14 routinely deployed aboard Forrestal, Saratoga, Ranger, Independence, Kitty Hawk, Constellation, Enterprise, America, John F. Kennedy and eventually the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers to the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Western Pacific.
RA-5C Vigilante BuNo 149299/RVAH-9, 603 USS Nimitz, 1977 ( The “stablemate” of the Hobbymaster model HA4702.)
Eight of ten squadrons of RA-5C Vigilantes also saw extensive service in Vietnam starting in August 1964, carrying out hazardous medium-level post-strike reconnaissance missions. Although it proved fast and agile, 18 RA-5Cs were lost in combat: 14 to anti-aircraft fire, 3 to surface-to-air missiles, and 1 to a MiG-21 during Operation Linebacker II. Nine more RA-5Cs were lost in operational accidents while serving with Task Force 77. Due, in part, to these combat losses, 36 additional RA-5C aircraft were built from 1968 to 1970 as attrition replacements.
Despite the Vigilante’s useful service, it was expensive and complex to operate and occupied significant amounts of precious flight deck and hangar deck space aboard both conventional and nuclear-powered aircraft carriers at a time when carrier air wings, with the introduction of the F-14 Tomcat and S-3 Viking, were averaging 90 aircraft, many of which were larger than the predecessors. With the end of the Vietnam War, disestablishment of RVAH squadrons began in 1974, with the last Vigilante squadron, RVAH-7, completing its final deployment to the Western Pacific aboard Ranger in late 1979. The final flight by an RA-5C took place on 20 November 1979.
RA-5C Vigilante, BuNo 156608, from Reconnaissance Attack Squadron 7 (RVAH-7) during what may have been its final flight in 1979. This aircraft is now on permanent display at Naval Support Activity Mid-South (formerly Naval Air Station Memphis), Tennessee.
HA4702 RA-5C Vigilante BuNo 149299/RVAH-9, USS Nimitz, 1977 £72.50 NOW IN STOCK !
Both models of the Vigilante have now sold out at Hobbymaster and the first of these quickly sold out at Flying Tigers too ! I have managed to get just a few more which are available on the website at £72.50. Please click on the link here or on the image above if you wish to order one. No re-stocks on this model will be made. Those of you that have already pre-ordered will receive your models next week.
LATEST MODEL ARRIVALS AT FLYING TIGERS
It has been very busy at Flying Tigers in the last few days with many new models arriving which are now in stock.Once again, those of you that have pre-ordered your models will be receiving them soon.
I have added the images of those that have arrived in this weeks Newsletter for your convenience. If you interested in any, simply click on the images below and it will take you straight to the model you want. Alternatively please visit the New Models in Stock section and you will see them all there.
HA8604 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I GN-F, Plt Off Tom Neil, 249 Sqn., England 1940 £46.99 NOW IN STOCK !
HA8603 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I GN-A, F/L J B Nicolson, 249 Sqn. England 1940 £46.99 NOW IN STOCK !
HA4308 Canadair Sabre Mk.6 JA-111, JG 71 “Black Tulip” Eric Hartmann £44.99 NOW IN STOCK !
HA3856 Lockheed F-16C Block 30 86-0371, 445 FLTS, Edwards AFB, Feb 2010 £53.99 NOW IN STOCK !
FLYING TIGERS WEBSITE UPDATE
We have been making a few changes to the Flying Tiger Website recently, some of which you will see now, for example larger illustrations and images, and some that are still in the pipeline.
The Homepage will also change soon, which we hope you like and we hope will help in easier navigation of the site. Other changes will also be made later, over the next few weeks, to help you find models more easily and make the site more flexible.
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Facebook has been re-activated after a few months without any posts. Please bear with us whilst we re-engage with you on Facebook. I will be posting our regular Newsletter and offers on both Facebook and Twitter soon .
Once again , thank you for taking time out to read this Newsletter.
Richard.
Flying Tigers.
