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- Vigilante!: 1,200 Hours Flying the Ultimate US Navy Reconnaissance Aircraft
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.
Pages: 192
Size: 10 X 10 (inches)
Format: Hardback
Illustrations: 142 color, 125 b/w
Publisher: Specialty Press
ISBN: 9781580072618
Product Code: SP261
Dedication
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Prologue
Chapter 1: The Bomb Goes to Sea
Chapter 2: Concept and Construction
Chapter 3: Vigilante at Sea
Chapter 4: “R” Is for Reconnaissance
Chapter 5: Freshman Term
Chapter 6: Hard Times: 1967–1968
Chapter 7: Master’s Degree: 1969–1972
Chapter 8: There Was Still a War On: 1969–1972
Chapter 9: Linebacker and Beyond: 1972–1973
Chapter 10: Seven Years
Epilogue
Selected Biographies
Glossary
End Notes
Index
Reviews
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Aviation History
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(Posted on 7/12/2020)"... the sidebars and photos really bring the U.S. Navy recon plane to life. I highly recommend Vigilante!"
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IPMS/USA
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(Posted on 8/10/2020)"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."
Robert "Boom" Powell, US Navy (Ret.)
Originally from Long Island, New York, pilot and author Robert Boom Powell is the son of a World War II B-24 navigator. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and became a naval aviator flying the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk in Vietnam. He later flew photoreconnaissance missions in the North American RA-5C Vigilante becoming a renowned authority on this historic aircraft. Powell served as LSO (Landing Signal Officer) aboard the carriers USS Intrepid and USS Kittyhawk, and flew in a naval fighter adversary squadron as well. He retired at the rank of Commander and was hired as an airline pilot flying Boeing 747s for Pan American. An active aviator today, Powell flies sailplanes, instructs in air combat, and pilots vintage Warbirds for the Virginia Beach Military Aviation Museum. He has written countless articles on naval aviation plus a best-selling book on aircraft carrier operations. Powell lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with his wife, Marie.
