Beautiful jet! What was WRONG with it?


http://www.bobjellison.com/RA5C_Vigilante.htm

The RA-5C was a Mach 2+ aircraft, capable of electromagnetic, optical, and electronic reconnaissance. It could operate at altitudes from SL to above 50,000 feet. The Vigilante was employed to great effect by the 7th fleet during carrier air wing operations in the Vietnam war.

The Vigilante may have introduced more new and advanced designed features than any other aircraft in history.

Advanced aerodynamic features included:


• A small high loaded wing (made possible by the use of powerful flaps).
• Elimination of the ailerons, roll control being effected by spoiler/deflectors.
• A one-piece powered vertical tail (or all moving fin).
• Fully variable engine inlets with profile as well as area adjustments to suit flight Mach numbers.
• Internal weapons storage.
• A slim fuselage configured for Mach 2.
• The engine inlets were sharp tipped and swept back for peak supersonic efficiency, with front and rear ramps to control the internal profile and throat area.
• A fully retractable refueling probe in the forward fuselage.
• The first variable inlet using horizontal ramp geometry.

Quoted: Beautiful jet! What was WRONG with it? http://www.bobjellison.com/RA5C_Vigilante.htm The RA-5C was a Mach 2+ aircraft, capable of electromagnetic, optical, and electronic reconnaissance. It could operate at altitudes from SL to above 50,000 feet. The Vigilante was employed to great effect by the 7th fleet during carrier air wing operations in the Vietnam war. The Vigilante may have introduced more new and advanced designed features than any other aircraft in history. Advanced aerodynamic features included: If you were in the cock pit, you could'nt see shit behind you.   • A small high loaded wing (made possible by the use of powerful flaps). • Elimination of the ailerons, roll control being effected by spoiler/deflectors. • A one-piece powered vertical tail (or all moving fin). • Fully variable engine inlets with profile as well as area adjustments to suit flight Mach numbers. • Internal weapons storage. • A slim fuselage configured for Mach 2. • The engine inlets were sharp tipped and swept back for peak supersonic efficiency, with front and rear ramps to control the internal profile and throat area. • A fully retractable refueling probe in the forward fuselage. • The first variable inlet using horizontal ramp geometry.

Quoted: Quoted: Beautiful jet! What was WRONG with it? http://www.bobjellison.com/RA5C_Vigilante.htm The RA-5C was a Mach 2+ aircraft, capable of electromagnetic, optical, and electronic reconnaissance. It could operate at altitudes from SL to above 50,000 feet. The Vigilante was employed to great effect by the 7th fleet during carrier air wing operations in the Vietnam war. The Vigilante may have introduced more new and advanced designed features than any other aircraft in history. Advanced aerodynamic features included: If you were in the cock pit, you could'nt see shit behind you. • A small high loaded wing (made possible by the use of powerful flaps). • Elimination of the ailerons, roll control being effected by spoiler/deflectors. • A one-piece powered vertical tail (or all moving fin). • Fully variable engine inlets with profile as well as area adjustments to suit flight Mach numbers. • Internal weapons storage. • A slim fuselage configured for Mach 2. • The engine inlets were sharp tipped and swept back for peak supersonic efficiency, with front and rear ramps to control the internal profile and throat area. • A fully retractable refueling probe in the forward fuselage. • The first variable inlet using horizontal ramp geometry.

Is that all? Not really needed in a Strike aircraft.

My Dad worked on them in RVAH-12.   While beautiful and fast, they were very heavy birds that required a LOT of maintenance to keep up especially on missions that go hairy and the pilot lit up the burners.  The Viggie would leave its F-4 support in the dust and return home with a shitload of rivets missing. My Dad and the other guys in Maintenance used to marvel at the "new" A-7's and how easy to maintain they were.

Looks awfully large for carrier ops.

Great looking plane.

Why it went away? Well, the mission it was designed for ceased to exist.

Wasn't that the plane that could launch torpedoes out its ass, while it was flying away from it's target?

Holy shit, that looks like my Dad underneath that Viggie.  I even got to sit in the cockpit of the 603 bird.

IMHO the most beautiful airplanes of the cold war era.

Minuses:

Expensive
Very large
Hard to maintain
Difficult to learn and unforgiving to fly
Guzzled fuel
Nuke weapons seperation never really worked as advertised.

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Need more pics.

Quoted: IMHO the most beautiful airplanes of the cold war era. Minuses: Expensive Very large Hard to maintain Difficult to learn and unforgiving to fly Guzzled fuel Nuke weapons seperation never really worked as advertised.

Just about the same reasons the B-58 disappeared,other A/C could do the job cheaper/More reliably.

Quoted: Wasn't that the plane that could launch torpedoes out its ass, while it was flying away from it's target?

Not a torpedo, but it did launch the bomb out the rear, at least on the bomber version, probably not on the recon version.

Quoted: Quoted: IMHO the most beautiful airplanes of the cold war era. Minuses: Expensive Very large Hard to maintain Difficult to learn and unforgiving to fly Guzzled fuel Nuke weapons seperation never really worked as advertised. Just about the same reasons the B-58 disappeared,other A/C could do the job cheaper/More reliably.

Actually, it's replacement was not as good at the job as the Vigilante.  The Vigilante could hold a shitload more camera's and gear.   The Vigilante airframes were worn out, there were not a lot to begin with and the birds were shuffled to different Squadrons while a carrier came back to port and another about to ship off.   Look at the photo's, you will see the same bird like the 603 with several carrier markings and squadron markings.  The Navy got their moneys worth out of them.

Quoted: Quoted: Wasn't that the plane that could launch torpedoes out its ass, while it was flying away from it's target? Not a torpedo, but it did launch the bomb out the rear, at least on the bomber version, probably not on the recon version.

AFIK, the  internal weapons bay had problems with release/seperation and the Vigi was only certified for nukes on the underwing pylons.

They were getting old and worn out and they busted easily.  I used to show a film to the Navy AOCS students and a major portion was A-5 ramp strikes.

i would bet the cost/benefit ratio stopped adding up, and that's it.