North American's A-5 Vigilante served for nearly two decades as an
all-weather supersonic strike aircraft and reconnaissance platform.
An outgrowth of studies begun in 1953, the prototype first flew in
1958. Originally designed to operate as a nuclear delivery system,
the Vigilante was at the time of its introduction the largest and
most complex aircraft to operate from a carrier. Carrying a crew of
two, the Vigilante was equipped with two General Electric J-79
turbojets, and utilized a single tailfin. It featured a
high-mounted swept wing with aluminum-lithium alloy skins and no
ailerons. The Vigilante featured cutting-edge technology and was
one of the first aircraft to use fly-by-wire systems and a heads-up
display, as well as inertial navigation among other advanced
systems. The Vigilante's bomb bay was located between the
aircraft's engines, giving it a streamlined appearance and making
the large aircraft surprisingly agile. As a result of shifts within
the Navy's nuclear strategy brought on by the advent of the nuclear
ballistic missile submarine, the A-5 never served in a strategic
role. Instead most were converted to the RA-5C reconnaissance
platform. Beginning in 1964, Vigilantes flew missions in Vietnam.
Although extremely fast and maneuverable, the RA-5C's combat record
was far from stellar. Difficult and expensive to maintain in the
field, the Vigilante also compiled a dubious loss record. Out of
156 built, 18 aircraft were lost in combat and nine more succumbed
to accidents during the Vietnam conflict. After 1974, a phase out
of the Vigilante began with smaller, less complex fighter aircraft
taking on the recon role. The RA-5C was deployed for the last time
in 1979. Originally printed by the U.S. Air Force, this A-5A
Vigilante flight operating manual taught pilots everything they
needed to know before entering the cockpit. Originally classified
"Restricted," this manual was declassified long ago and is here
reprinted in book form.
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