{"id":1121,"date":"2019-12-09T16:23:43","date_gmt":"2019-12-09T23:23:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pimaair.wpengine.com\/?post_type=museum_aircraft&p=1121"},"modified":"2019-12-30T09:03:17","modified_gmt":"2019-12-30T16:03:17","slug":"north-american-ra-5c","status":"publish","type":"museum_aircraft","link":"https:\/\/pimaair.org\/museum-aircraft\/north-american-ra-5c\/","title":{"rendered":"North American RA-5C"},"content":{"rendered":"

North American RA-5C Vigilante<\/h1>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

The Vigilante is one of the largest aircraft to routinely fly from the U.S. Navy\u2019s aircraft carriers.\u00a0 It was designed in the late 1950s as a supersonic nuclear capable attack bomber.\u00a0 The Vigilante first flew in August 1958 and deliveries of operational aircraft began in 1960.\u00a0 The A3J, as it was then designated, featured a unique bomb bay arrangement in which the bomb was ejected out a chute that exited between the aircraft\u2019s engines.\u00a0 This system proved to be very troublesome and in fact many problems were never solved.\u00a0 A change in policy eliminated the Navy\u2019s strategic nuclear bombing role and the Vigilante\u2019s mission was changed to reconnaissance.\u00a0 At the same time the Navy\u2019s aircraft designation system was changed and the A3J became the A-5A and the reconnaissance version became the RA-5C.\u00a0 Existing Vigilantes were upgraded and modified to serve as photo reconnaissance aircraft and further examples were built in the new configuration.\u00a0 The Vigilante served with the U.S. Navy until 1979.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Wingspan<\/td>\n53 ft<\/td>\n\n

Wingspan<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Length<\/td>\n76 ft 6 in.<\/td>\n\n

Length<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Height<\/td>\n19 ft 4 in.<\/td>\n\n

Height<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Weight<\/td>\n79,588 lbs (loaded)<\/td>\n\n

Weight<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Max. Speed<\/td>\n1,385 MPH<\/td>\n\n

Maximum Speed<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Service Ceiling<\/td>\n48,400 ft<\/td>\n\n

Service Ceiling<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Range<\/td>\n3,000 miles<\/td>\n\n

Range<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Engines<\/td>\nTwo General Electric J79-GE-10 turbojets with 10,800 pounds of thrust each<\/td>\n\n

Engines<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Crew<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n\n

Crew<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\n
\n

Manufacturer<\/strong><\/span>
North American<\/p>\n

Markings<\/strong><\/span>
Heavy Reconnaissance Attack Squadron 3 (RVAH-3), Naval Air Station Albany, Georgia, 1970<\/p>\n

Designation<\/strong><\/span>
RA-5C<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Serial Number<\/strong><\/span>
149289<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Service History<\/strong><\/p>\n

Manufactured by North American Aviation, Columbus, Ohio and delivered to the U.S. Navy as an A-5A on December 17, 1962.<\/p>\n

January 1963\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To Heavy Attack Squadron 1 (VAH-1), Naval Air Station Sanford, Florida.\u00a0 Deployed on USS Independence.<\/p>\n

August 1963\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To Heavy Attack Squadron 3 (VAH-3), Naval Air Station Sanford, Florida.\u00a0 Deployed on USS Independence.<\/p>\n

August 1964\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To North American Aviation, Columbus, Ohio for conversion to RA-5C.<\/p>\n

January 1966\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To Heavy Reconnaissance Attack Squadron 6 (RVAH-6), Naval Air Station Miramar, California.<\/p>\n

November 1966\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Unit moved to Naval Air Station Sanford, Florida.<\/p>\n

May 1967\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Unit moved to Naval Air Station Albany, Georgia.\u00a0 Deployed on USS America.<\/p>\n

June 1968\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To Reconnaissance Attack Squadron 13 (RVAH-13), Naval Air Station Albany, Georgia.<\/p>\n

November 1968\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To Reconnaissance Attack Squadron 3 (RVAH-3), Naval Air Station Albany, Florida.<\/p>\n

April 1969\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To Reconnaissance Attack Squadron 7 (RVAH-7) aboard USS Constellation.<\/p>\n

June 1969\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To Reconnaissance Attack Squadron 5 (RVAH-5), Naval Air Station Albany, Florida.<\/p>\n

August 1969\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To Reconnaissance Attack Squadron 3, (RVAH-3), Naval Air Station Albany, Florida.<\/p>\n

September 1970\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona for storage.<\/p>\n

November 1980\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Loaned to Pima Air & Space Museum by the National Naval Aviation Museum.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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