North American RA-5C Vigilante
By the late 1950s, the US Navy had successfully made operational a carrier-based nuclear bomber, the North American AJ Savage, and were fielding supercarriers capable of carrying large numbers of nuclear-capable aircraft. The slow speed of the Savage meant that it was obsolete, however, while nuclear weapons had grown smaller. As a result, North American privately suggested to the Navy a supersonic jet nuclear bomber that could be operated from Forrestal-class carriers as a Savage replacement and as a supplement to the subsonic A3D Skywarrior. The Navy liked the idea and ordered a prototype, the XA3J-1 Vigilante, in 1956, with the first aircraft flying two years later.
The Vigilante was far ahead of its time. It was the first operational aircraft to use a primitive fly-by-wire microprocessor system, an all-moving tail that replaced the ailerons of more conventional aircraft, a heads-up display, inertial navigation, an undernose television camera system (TCS), bombing computer, and extensive use of titanium to lighten weight. The bomb delivery system was also unique: a nuclear weapon would be carried in a mid-fuselage tunnel, and ejected out the back of the aircraft over the target along with used fuel cells. The first A3J-1s entered service in 1961
Because of this new technology, the Vigilante’s early years were fraught with maintenance problems, posting the worst operational capability in the Navy for its first few years in service. The nuclear delivery system never worked correctly, and operational use of spare fuel cells in the tunnel led to the loss of one aircraft and several deck fires: the shock of a catapult launch would send the cells flying out the rear of the aircraft. In any case, the Navy was moving away from dedicated nuclear bombers: nuclear weapons had gotten small enough that even diminutive aircraft like the A-4 Skyhawk could carry them, and the development of the Polaris submarine-launched ballistic missile made something like the Vigilante largely unnecessary.
Pilots reported the aircraft—redesignated A-5A in 1962—was difficult to bring back aboard a carrier due to its high landing speed, but that its handling was excellent, and manueverability was also very good: Vigilantes had proven capable of manuevering with F-8 Crusaders. As a result, the Navy decided to convert its A-5s to RA-5C fast reconnaissance aircraft. The RA-5C kept most of the advances of the A-5A (including using fuel cells in the tunnel bay, despite the possibility of fire) along with that of the prototype-stage A-5B, which added a dorsal “hump” with additional fuel. The RA-5C would have a larger wing and a slew of new electronics, including cameras, side-looking radar and infrared sensors. The first RA-5Cs entered service in 1963 with former nuclear-attack “heavy” squadrons.
The RA-5C soon found itself in action over North Vietnam, beginning in 1964. These aircraft proved invaluable: their speed made them virtually immune to MiG interceptors, and even surface-to-air missile batteries found it a tough target to bring down. Because of its speed, the normal F-4 Phantom II fighter escort left the RA-5C at the shoreline and waited for its return. However, since it operated at low level, the Vigilante was vulnerable to ground fire, and the North Vietnamese were well aware that Vigilantes would soon arrive over a target recently struck by Navy aircraft, and would set up ambushes. 18 RA-5Cs were lost in combat over North Vietnam, all but four to antiaircraft guns, and another nine in accidents; because there had not been that many Vigilantes built, North American reopened the production line to replace these losses. This was still a better loss ratio than the RF-8s that supplemented the RA-5Cs. “Vigis” would be one of the few aircraft to serve from the first day of the Vietnam War until the very end.
Following the end of the Vietnam War, the RA-5C’s sheer size and continued maintenance headaches led to it leaving carrier air groups by 1975. The development of the TARPS reconnaissance pod for the F-14 Tomcat spelled the end of the Vigilante, which was deemed no longer necessary. The last RA-5C flight took place in November 1979. Of 156 built, 13 survive today as gate guards and museum pieces.
RA-5C Bureau Number 156615 was one of the last Vigilantes built, finished as part of the second batch of wartime RA-5C builds. It joined the Navy in 1969, but doesn't appear to have seen any combat, serving with the Fleet Replacement Squadron RVAH-3 ("Sea Dragons") at NAS Sanford, Florida. It would then serve with RVAH-6 ("Fleurs"), RVAH-9 ("Hooters"), and RVAH-1 ("Smokin' Tigers"), with carrier deployments aboard the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) and Enterprise (CVN-65). It would finish with RVAH-7 ("Peacemakers") aboard the USS Ranger (CV-61) in 1979, and would be the last Vigilante to be launched from a carrier.
Following the end of RA-5C operations, 156615 was sent to the NAS China Lake ranges in California to act as a target. Somehow it survived 30 years on the ranges and in the Mojave Desert until 2011, when it was recovered by the Castle Air Museum and restored by 2017.
I had the pleasure of seeing no less than four Vigilantes during my May 2021 trip--the aircraft at Pueblo Weisbrod, Pima, the USS Midway, and this aircraft at Castle. This was certainly one of the best restorations I've seen, and even more impressive given its long stay on a bomb range in a dry desert. 156615 looks like it just flew in from the Ranger yesterday.
North American RA-5C Vigilante
By the late 1950s, the US Navy had successfully made operational a carrier-based nuclear bomber, the North American AJ Savage, and were fielding supercarriers capable of carrying large numbers of nuclear-capable aircraft. The slow speed of the Savage meant that it was obsolete, however, while nuclear weapons had grown smaller. As a result, North American privately suggested to the Navy a supersonic jet nuclear bomber that could be operated from Forrestal-class carriers as a Savage replacement and as a supplement to the subsonic A3D Skywarrior. The Navy liked the idea and ordered a prototype, the XA3J-1 Vigilante, in 1956, with the first aircraft flying two years later.
The Vigilante was far ahead of its time. It was the first operational aircraft to use a primitive fly-by-wire microprocessor system, an all-moving tail that replaced the ailerons of more conventional aircraft, a heads-up display, inertial navigation, an undernose television camera system (TCS), bombing computer, and extensive use of titanium to lighten weight. The bomb delivery system was also unique: a nuclear weapon would be carried in a mid-fuselage tunnel, and ejected out the back of the aircraft over the target along with used fuel cells. The first A3J-1s entered service in 1961
Because of this new technology, the Vigilante’s early years were fraught with maintenance problems, posting the worst operational capability in the Navy for its first few years in service. The nuclear delivery system never worked correctly, and operational use of spare fuel cells in the tunnel led to the loss of one aircraft and several deck fires: the shock of a catapult launch would send the cells flying out the rear of the aircraft. In any case, the Navy was moving away from dedicated nuclear bombers: nuclear weapons had gotten small enough that even diminutive aircraft like the A-4 Skyhawk could carry them, and the development of the Polaris submarine-launched ballistic missile made something like the Vigilante largely unnecessary.
Pilots reported the aircraft—redesignated A-5A in 1962—was difficult to bring back aboard a carrier due to its high landing speed, but that its handling was excellent, and manueverability was also very good: Vigilantes had proven capable of manuevering with F-8 Crusaders. As a result, the Navy decided to convert its A-5s to RA-5C fast reconnaissance aircraft. The RA-5C kept most of the advances of the A-5A (including using fuel cells in the tunnel bay, despite the possibility of fire) along with that of the prototype-stage A-5B, which added a dorsal “hump” with additional fuel. The RA-5C would have a larger wing and a slew of new electronics, including cameras, side-looking radar and infrared sensors. The first RA-5Cs entered service in 1963 with former nuclear-attack “heavy” squadrons.
The RA-5C soon found itself in action over North Vietnam, beginning in 1964. These aircraft proved invaluable: their speed made them virtually immune to MiG interceptors, and even surface-to-air missile batteries found it a tough target to bring down. Because of its speed, the normal F-4 Phantom II fighter escort left the RA-5C at the shoreline and waited for its return. However, since it operated at low level, the Vigilante was vulnerable to ground fire, and the North Vietnamese were well aware that Vigilantes would soon arrive over a target recently struck by Navy aircraft, and would set up ambushes. 18 RA-5Cs were lost in combat over North Vietnam, all but four to antiaircraft guns, and another nine in accidents; because there had not been that many Vigilantes built, North American reopened the production line to replace these losses. This was still a better loss ratio than the RF-8s that supplemented the RA-5Cs. “Vigis” would be one of the few aircraft to serve from the first day of the Vietnam War until the very end.
Following the end of the Vietnam War, the RA-5C’s sheer size and continued maintenance headaches led to it leaving carrier air groups by 1975. The development of the TARPS reconnaissance pod for the F-14 Tomcat spelled the end of the Vigilante, which was deemed no longer necessary. The last RA-5C flight took place in November 1979. Of 156 built, 13 survive today as gate guards and museum pieces.
RA-5C Bureau Number 156615 was one of the last Vigilantes built, finished as part of the second batch of wartime RA-5C builds. It joined the Navy in 1969, but doesn't appear to have seen any combat, serving with the Fleet Replacement Squadron RVAH-3 ("Sea Dragons") at NAS Sanford, Florida. It would then serve with RVAH-6 ("Fleurs"), RVAH-9 ("Hooters"), and RVAH-1 ("Smokin' Tigers"), with carrier deployments aboard the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) and Enterprise (CVN-65). It would finish with RVAH-7 ("Peacemakers") aboard the USS Ranger (CV-61) in 1979, and would be the last Vigilante to be launched from a carrier.
Following the end of RA-5C operations, 156615 was sent to the NAS China Lake ranges in California to act as a target. Somehow it survived 30 years on the ranges and in the Mojave Desert until 2011, when it was recovered by the Castle Air Museum and restored by 2017.
I had the pleasure of seeing no less than four Vigilantes during my May 2021 trip--the aircraft at Pueblo Weisbrod, Pima, the USS Midway, and this aircraft at Castle. This was certainly one of the best restorations I've seen, and even more impressive given its long stay on a bomb range in a dry desert. 156615 looks like it just flew in from the Ranger yesterday.