Overview
"North American's RA-5C Vigilante represents the absolute zenith of Jet Age aerial reconnaissance at Mach 2. The aircraft's history corresponds to the evolution of the war in Vietnam, where Vigilantes located targets and assessed post-strike damage. The jet's two crewmen operated highly sophisticated sensors, cameras, infrared mapping, side-looking radar, and electronic countermeasure equipment. Because of their ultra-high-risk missions, Vigilantes suffered the highest loss rate of any US Navy aircraft, and the number of RA-5Cs built was small as was the cadre of dedicated men who flew them. This book explains the aircraft and its development in great detail and gives new insight into the courageous men who flew the Vigilante in combat. Author Robert ""Boom"" Powell was a US Navy carrier pilot for 16 of his 20 years in the service. His second combat tour in Vietnam was spent flying the Vigilante, and he incorporates historical fact, detailed new information, and never-before-published photographs to produce the definitive work on this aircraft. Personal sidebar anecdotes are interspersed in the text, adding the vital human element to this compelling story of Naval Aviation at its best. No book has ever been written about the A3J/RA-5C like this one, telling the story of North American's jet in such vivid detail. Many of the rare, never-before-published photographs were culled from the author's personal collection, archives of the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Florida, the Tailhook Association in San Diego, California, and several well-known photo historians. The author also contacted 40 veterans of the RA-5C community to acquire their Vigilante stories, which have also never been told."
Full Product Details
Author: Robert Boom Powell
Publisher: Specialty Press
Imprint: Specialty Press
Edition: 9781st ed.
Dimensions:
Width: 26.20cm
, Height: 1.80cm
, Length: 26.20cm
Weight: 0.953kg
ISBN: 9781580072618
ISBN 10: 1580072615
Pages: 192
Publication Date: 26 November 2019
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Available To Order
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Reviews
I absolutely recommend this volume, from both the scale-model and historical perspectives. I will also add that the scope of book, focusing a series of experiential anecdotes, gives a more 'in the plane' sense than many historical aviation books. -- (08/11/2020) ... the sidebars and photos really bring the U.S. Navy recon plane to life. I highly recommend Vigilante! -- (07/13/2020)
Author Information
"Having a very extensive background in military aviation, Robert ""Boom"" Powell has written countless articles for many naval magazines. As an active aviator today, Powell instructs in air combat, flies sailplanes, and also flies vintage warbirds for the Virginia Beach Military Aviation Museum."
