RVAH-7 North American A3J-1 (RA-5C) Vigilante 149291 / Cutaway by Wing attack Plan R Via Flickr: The basis for this photo was found in the March 2001 edition of AIRPOWER magazine. The North American A-5 Vigilante was an American carrier-based supersonic bomber designed and built by North American Aviation for the United States Navy. It set several world records, including long-distance speed and altitude records. Prior to 1962 unification of Navy and Air Force designations, it was designated the A3J Vigilante. The aircraft only replaced the Douglas A-3 Skywarrior as the Navy's primary nuclear-strike aircraft briefly, however its RA-5C tactical strike reconnaissance variant saw extensive service during the Vietnam War. The reconnaissance version of the Vigilante, the RA-5C, had slightly greater wing area and added a long canoe-shaped fairing under the fuselage for a multi-sensor reconnaissance pack. This added an APD-7 side-looking airborne radar (SLAR), AAS-21 infrared line scanner, and camera packs, as well as improved electronic countermeasures. An AN/ALQ-61 electronic intelligence system could also be carried. The RA-5C retained the AN/ASB-12 bombing system, and could, in theory, carry weapons, although it never did in service. Later-build RA-5Cs had more powerful J79-10 engines with afterburning thrust of 17,900 lbf (80 kN). The reconnaissance Vigilante weighed almost five tons more than the strike version with almost the same thrust and an only modestly enlarged wing. These changes reduced its acceleration and climb rate, though it remained fast in level flight.
