Navy guys will remember this plane

[Mike T]

 

[TurboDave]

Yup, Looks like an RA5C Vigilante .

 

[Mike T]

You are correct Dave it's a Vigilante. They are a lot bigger than it appears in the photo. We had a Navy base in our town years ago and a lot of the guys that were in the Navy at that time tell me stories of how it was not uncommon for home windows to break from some of the low passes and take off. They also say that the plane was capable of delivering nuclear weapons and almost went to work during the Cuban missle crisis.

 

[TurboDave]

All true. They were quite large and even though designated as an attack plane they had a central, enclosed bomb bay and could do significant bombing duties. We carried several on the USS America when I served in her. Two massive engines and yes, VERY loud!!

Here's a picture of one moving on to one of America's cats (catipults) All that smoke is not coming from the plane but rather the ship's stack.:

 

[Mike T]

From what I've heard it needed a high angle of attack to deliver the payload (almost vertical) to eject rather than drop it and on occasion the airframe would develop cracks due to the high g's.
The carrier picture reminds me of a large pin that one of my friend's had from his days on a A3D.
This large steel pin would lock the plane to the deck during throttle up and would break when the catapult had enough pressure to launch the plane.

 

[EVIL]

I’m not a navy guy but I do love planes and have gone as far as taking flying lessons. That one is beautiful. I have seen it before.
Thanks for serving guys.

D

 

[Nigel]

Where was the picture taken, P'cola. It's been a long time since they were in service, long before my time. I was the redheaded step child helo pilot on the carrier, served on the USS Independence from 94-97.

 

[Mike T]

I read an article that states the Vigilante was the largest/fastest plane ever deployed from a carrier. The plane was capable between mach 2.0-2.5 well over 1300 mph.

Where was the picture taken, P'cola. It's been a long time since they were in service, long before my time. I was the redheaded step child helo pilot on the carrier, served on the USS Independence from 94-97.

This was taken at the Orlando/Sanford airport, the former site of the Navy base. We had a couple of them crash in town during the period that the Navy base was active. BTW the name Independence may have been the ship my friend was on. Had the Independence been deployed by the 60's ?

 

[Gary Wells]

USS Ticonderoga, CVA-14, 1961-1964.
1 year in Bremerton, WA dry dock, 3 West-Pac cruises

 

[Mike T]

I’m not a navy guy but I do love planes and have gone as far as taking flying lessons. That one is beautiful. I have seen it before.
Thanks for serving guys.

D

I agree it's a beautiful plane. I received my pilot's certificate about twenty years ago and haven't flown much since then. I really enjoy hearing some of the stories from back in the day, these men & woman had accomplished amazing things back then that you don't hear about.

 

[Mike T]

USS Ticonderoga, CVA-14, 1961-1964.
1 year in Bremerton, WA dry dock, 3 West-Pac cruises

Sounds like you were in during the Cuban missile crisis as well. Most that I talk to say that we were very close to launching a nuclear attack. My friend said that his plane was loaded with an activated bomb, on the flight deck running.

 

[TurboDave]

I read an article that states the Vigilante was the largest/fastest plane ever deployed from a carrier. The plane was capable between mach 2.0-2.5 well over 1300 mph.



This was taken at the Orlando/Sanford airport, the former site of the Navy base. We had a couple of them crash in town during the period that the Navy base was active. BTW the name Independence may have been the ship my friend was on. Had the Independence been deployed by the 60's ?

I wasn't an airdale, but it would seem to me the F4 Phantom would have been faster. I could of course be wrong.

Yes, the Indy was commissioned Jan 59, so she would have started actively deploying later that year.

 

[Mike T]

This article may be dated but it's the one that I was referring to. http://www.bobjellison.com/RA5C_Vigilante.htm

 

[Nigel]

TurboDave beat me to it, I was going to say from memory that the keel was laid in the late 50s.

 

[Mike T]

Check this out. They landed a C17 but haven't found a way to take off yet.

 

[TurboDave]

Obviously photo shopped!! The yellow shirt is directing a takeoff/landing of a helo. How do I know? That's not an aircraft carrier, it's an amphib, likely one of the LHD class helo carriers. The wing on that plane would never clear the island, and the yellow shirt wouldn't be in death's way like that.

 

[Mike T]

I have to admit that I fell for that one hook, line & sinker. The whole time I was looking at it everything seemed to be off wing tips, smoke and the biggest problem was why would he be standing there. Does anyone have swampland or a bridge that they would like to sell me today?

 

[Bad Boyz]

USS FDR 61-66.The A5 replaced the A3.If my memory can go back that far.The F4 and the A5 had the same engines.I would much rather see an A5 land on the deck than an A3.For some reason I would always look for a clear path when an A3 would come in for a landing.During the Cuban crisis we had F3 demons.Which the F4s replaced around 1965.

 

[TurboDave]

Ah yes, the A3 whales. Brings back memories. They always looked so clumsy on landing.

I may be wrong but I don't think the A5 replaced the A3 did they? They both served simultaneously aboard the America during my two year stint on there.

Speaking of A3's:

 

[TurboDave]

Speaking of F3's, Here's the Indy with a deck load of them. Along with two A3's all the way aft.

Here's a test for you, see all the aircraft along side the island? The ones with the wings folded over their fusalage. Know what they are???

Also, name the three aircraft parked between elevators 2 and 3. There are 3 of them.

OH, one other test. Notice the 4 aircraft parked on the port quarter??? Two of them are parked between the two F3's. What are those two???