Tell us a Story A4's

[Lawman]

This ones mainly for him because I knew he was on the deck around them at some point. But Ive always been facinated with the RA-5. Only thing is there seems to be almost nothing about them except tech specs, a couple pictures, and alot of aviation enthusiasts talking about how pretty they were.

I know the origin's, how they started as a Tactical Nuclear Bomber for the Navy, but this role proved to be moot so they became a Highspeed Recon Plane.

But A4's, as somebody who flew in combat around "The Steel Dart" what can you tell us about them.

 

[Grant]

Probably already seent this, but if not, they're interesting reads. Alot of the same info repeated, though.

http://www.vectorsite.net/ava5.html

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/a-3j.htm

http://www.military.cz/usa/air/post_war/a5/a5_en.htm

I too would like to hear any firsthand stories A4s has...

 

[Lawman]

Yeah, I remember hearing about jumping an F-8 a few years back and thinking... hmmm, my favorite all time jet fighter, and the biggest aircraft ever operated from a carrier deck... gotta check this out.

I think the best nickname Ive ever heard for the Vigilante was a retired LSO calling it "70000 lbs of Screaming Steel." Apparently it made the F-8 look like a dream to trap.

 

[Brett327]

When I was in A school in Millington (back in the day), they had an RA-5 on a stick in front of the galley, so I got to stare at it 3x per day while waiting in line.

Brett

 

[bch]

I think it is still there, was there for IVAN last year.

 

[Super18Ordie]

We have an A-5 on slits in front of HGR 201 here at NAS Pax. Painted in the Vintage colors when VX-23 was called Naval Strike Air Test Squadron

 

[bunk22]

Osprey has a good book on the RA-5. There happens to be one sitting over at North Island NAS right now. I think it's probably going to go to the Midway for display. I too think it's just an awesome looking airplane.

 

[gregsivers]

I think there's one on stilts inside the main gate at NAS Key West too, not sure though. Very impressive looking airplane to say the least.

 

[A4sForever]

O.K. , O.K. ... I will tell you a story .... but first, you gotta go to the bathroom, brush your teeth, then wash your hands, and get into your jammies with the feet and trapdoor in them ..... O.K. ??? Then you can all crawl up onto my lap(top) for a bedtime story and here we go ..... ??

"Vigis" ... or the "Vig" (phonetically, a "juh" sound on the "g" in "Vig") ... WHAT A FINE AIRPLANE .... just unappreciated and ahead (or behind?) its time. I am not going to go into the design and concept -- you can find that online -- just some experiences I had with it. It was originally intended to be a nuke bomber --really fast -- 2.0Mach or something close to it -- and "poop" the nuke out of its "pooper" in a loft maneuver. Never happened in reality ... thankfully. So it became a really fast photo-recon bird to replace the RF-8.

I flew most aircraft in the AirWing, thanks to my spot as a Wing LSO (cross-training) EXCEPT for the Vigi --- the C.O. was a dork, hated me, they only had 4 aircraft, and I never pushed it anyway. Too hot a bird for jumping into, cold, at Cubi, too many things could go wrong, too problematical, and ohhhhhhh .... that skinny, weak nose gear !!! I didn't want to go there ......

.. photo AirWing 11 RVAH-7 coming aboard ... read it and weep, landlubbers ...

As an LSO, it was the toughest A/C on the flight deck to wave, and even tougher to bring aboard as a pilot. Auto-throttles were mandatory, and without them -- it was considered an "emergency" landing on the ship. It was the LAST aircraft you qualified in (to wave) prior to designation as an AirWing LSO. It was a dedicated team effort between pilot and LSO to get that fire-breathing monster aboard. All the Vig pilots were above average -- hard core. I feel for their RAN's --- tough spot to be in for a left-over job -- their job was compromised from the get-go. Disclaimer: one of my classmates ended up a Vig RAN and gave me all the negatives of the position as he saw it throught the post-card sized window in the rear seat of the RA-5C. He originally was in flight school as an Aviator STUD but washed out and went NFO. He knew EVERYTHING about aviation (even what Ellyson and Whiting had for lunch at the Pensacola O'Club in 1925 -- except he didn't know how to fly ...... )

One night in 1974 -- waving a recovery in the I.O. with no bingo field -- the Indians said they would "shoot us down" if we crossed what passed for their ADIZ -- and here I thought Hindus were non-violent --- one of the Vigies in our "heavy" squadron lost his auto-throttles and I was on duty on the platform. Of course, ... great .....

After a considerable amount of prepratory chit-chat with the pilot --- down he came .... I cannot remember the specifics of the pass, but I remember he got high -- really high -- in close and gritting my teeth -- I waved him off. More talk on the downwind leg to settle him down and here he came again --- do it this time or rig the barracade!!!

My hook spotter was a black kid from Deeee-troit, at least that was how he pronounced it. He usually showed up on the platform when I had the duty --- later found out he TRADED some of his blueshirt mates so he could be my shadow on the platform. Who could know ??? He was a character --- he did it his way. For example, he would not say "All down, F-4" like he was suppose to when the aircraft was abeam with everything down (day) or I.D.'ed through his binoculars (night) . Instead, he would say "All down Navy fighter" ..... an EA-6B was "All down ... Tactical Jamm-ah", the A-6 "All down ... all-weather attack" and so forth. He did it his way ..... and he was totally reliable.

But he was with me that night on the platform --- in fact, I cleared the platform of all hangers-on except for my assistant/writer and the kid from Deeee-troit; both of whom I needed. After the second Vig pass and the succesful trap --- I ended up almost lying down on the deck halfway between the platform and the foul line -- I didn't even realize it -- lots of "body -english" and my hook spotter said:

"Sheeeee-ut Lieutenant ******* (insert my name here) --- I NE-VAH SEEN A WHITE MAN DANCE LIKE THAT ... !!!" It was a successful recovery, saved a barracade engagement, and obviously my physical efforts had impressed the kid from Deeee-troit ...

couple stories to follow ... I'm weak from all this typing.

 

[Jakapr]

You could always tell when a Viggy came aboard. They had a high pitch whine to them when taxiing around. They had the same engines as our Phantoms. We had J-79 GE-8's
The Viggy squadron on our boat was RVAH-11.

Jack
VF-32
73 and 75 cruise

 

[A4sForever]

Oh yeah .... airplanes and the Navy. How about that for a thread???

Another thing the Vigi could do that would get your attention:

When the Shah was aboard for a "firepower demonstration" the Vig came by @ flight deck level after the ordnance was dropped and dumped fuel and lit burner. Witnesses have it that the Shah jumped about 50 feet into the air as the 500' flame trail brushed his eyebrows. Quite a show ... and for a Shah.

The Shah "loved" us and while walking through the airshow participant ranks shaking hands he wished aloud that we were in HIS Air Force ... no thanks. He also wanted to take a cat shot to the beach driving one of the F-4's (he was a qualified F-4 driver) but we demurred. In the big scheme of things --- probably would have not made any difference at the end of the day .....

 

[ChuckMK23]

The cockpit looks fairly conventional for it's day - on par with the F-4.

Notice the highly sculpted grip on the stick...

Was there a HUD?

 

[A4sForever]

Huh?? What's a HUD???

Although some of the F-8's had "HUD'n-HUD'n" painted across the front of their droop --- you could only see it when they were on the ball .....

 

[ea6bflyr]

HUD's are for the weak.

While we were in the Gulf, I had a Department Head (ECMO) on his last flight before leaving the Squadron call the ball with No HUD ("501, Prowler Ball, 7.2, No HUD"). The Air Boss didn't think it was too funny...They had a little one V. one. He didn't care and he was leaving anyway....Too Funny.

ea6bflyr

 

[ea6bflyr]

Yeah, that old Vigi was at NATTC Millington in '86 when I was in 'A' school. We always wondered why the Navy got rid of them. Big Friggin airplane.
ea6bflyr

When I was in A school in Millington (back in the day), they had an RA-5 on a stick in front of the galley, so I got to stare at it 3x per day while waiting in line.

Brett