North American RA-5C Vigilante

The North American RA-5C Vigilante was a long-range, carrier-based reconnaissance aircraft used by the US Navy during the Cold War years. It was developed from the A-5 Vigilante strategic bomber, which had entered service in June 1961. The conversion into the RA-5C from the A-5B version of the bomber took place in 1963, with the US Navy receiving a first batch of eighteen reconnaissance aircraft in December that year. In this role, it began flying sorties over North Vietnam in 1967.

During the Vietnam War, the North American RA-5C was the eye and ear of the US Navy. It took off from the American carriers sailing in the Gulf of Tonkin to fly intelligence-gathering sorties over North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. To carry out the task of collecting information, the aircraft was fitted with a special reconnaissance equipment, which included frame and panoramic cameras, side-looking airborne radar (SLAR), and a compliment of electronic countermeasures equipment, which was fully capable of dealing with advanced electronic warfare scenarios. This equipment was located in a specially-designed ventral canoe (on the belly of aircraft), and it was precisely this feature which differentiated the reconnaissance from the original bomber model.

The RA-5C Vigilante proved to be remarkable successful in its reconnaissance role as the Navy had no other available aircraft at that moment to fly these types of sorties. One of the advantages it had was its supersonic speed, as it flew at the constant speed of Mach 1.3, with afterburner, at high altitudes. It also had good handling characteristics flying at low altitudes. The RVAH-5 was the first squadron to be equipped with this aircraft. In all, 156 RA-5Cs were built and they were retired from active service in 1979. The word 'vigilante' is Spanish and it means 'watchful' or 'alert'.

Below, the efficient reconnaissance aircraft about to take off from the flight deck of USS Constallation (CVA-64).

Technical Description

The North American RA-5C was a two-seat, twin-engine monoplane of all-metal construction. It was a reconnaissance platform of the A-5 attack bomber. Like the original combat version, it had shoulder-mounted, swept wing, which was made of aluminum-lithium alloy. The tail assembly consisted of movable horizontal stabilizers, which acted as elevators and a single-piece slab-type vertical stabilizer (fin). The aircraft was powered by two General Electric J79-GE-10 turbojet engines, each of which could develop 16,500 pounds of thrust.

Photographic Equipment and Avionics

The aerial photographic systems installed in the North American RA-5C Vigilante endowed the aircraft with a capability of obtaining day and night high-resolution aerial photographs over a broad range of altitudes, speed, and atmospheric conditions. Thus, it was fitted with one forward oblique KA-51A or KA-51B, with a 6-inch focal length, serial frame (S/F) camera, as well as with one azimuth/vertical (Az/V) S/F camera. These cameras were controlled from a control panel in the systems operator/navigator compartment, which was located behind the pilot seat. High-altitude photography required cameras with longer focal lengths and higher-resolution lenses to maintain a scale that would provide a sufficient image size to produce enough resolution for detailed study.

The RA-5C was also equipped with one Westinghouse side-looking airborne radar (SLAR) system, which was designated AN/APD-7. It also had an AN/AAS-21 infrared detector set, which was referred to as the IR mapping system, which detected, recorded, and photographed surface infrared (heat) radiation. The aircraft was also fitted with a passive electronic countermeasures system designated AN/ALQ-61.

Specifications

Type: long-range reconnaissance

Length: 23.32 m (76 feet, 6 inches)

Wing Span: 16.15 m (53 feet)

Height: 5.91 m (19 feet, 5 inches)

Power Plant: two General Electric J79-GE-10 turbojet engines

Maximum Speed: Mach 2.1

Range: 4,800 km (2,983 miles)

Service Ceiling: 19,500 m (63,976 feet)

Crew: two

Below, the second RA-5C aircraft, BuNo 150824, flying over the USA's territory in 1963.

A watchful Vigilante in flight as it is about to bank left, showing its underside, which features the underbelly canoe containing the photographic and sensor equipment.

Below, the aircraft, with BuNo 150823, during low-speed flight, with leading and trailing edge flaps and landing gear extended. You can notice it carries four external tanks, for extra range (3,500 miles).

North American A-5 Vigilante

The North American A-5 Vigilante was a carrier-borne strategic bomber of the Cold War. It was in service with the US Navy between 1961 and 1979, flying missions over Vietnam for a few years. However, during its 19-year-long career, it flew more sorties as a long-range reconnaissance aircraft than as a bomber. It had originally been designated A3J Vigilante. Later, the Department of Defense would change its name.

The bomber prototype YA3J-1 first flew on August 31, 1958. It was flown by North American Aviation's test pilot Dick Wenzel. It was powered by two General Electric YJ79-GE-2 turbojet engines. The roll out of the aircraft had taken place on May 16, 1958. After more than three years of flight tests and trials on carrier, the aircraft finally entered into service with the US Navy on June 25, 1961, as the A3J-1, which would be redesignated A-5A in 1962. This was the first version of the bomber. Nevertheless, it would perform the role of a reconnaissance aircraft, as the RA-5C, during most of its career.

During the Vietnam War, A-5 Vigilante reconnaissance planes took off from American aircraft carriers in the Gulf of Tonkin on intelligence-gathering missions to locate with pin-point precision the most heavily guarded areas of North Vietnam. The information they collected was stored in a memory bank aboard the carriers. This information was very useful during combat missions carried out by ground-ground aircraft. These missions were so important to the US Navy that they were usually escorted by McDonnell F-4 Phantom II fighters.

As a long-range aircraft, the North American A-5 Vigilante carried plenty of internal fuel, flying in afterburner acceleration speed throughout a mission usually at Mach 1.1 or 1.3. The first four operational A3J-1 aircraft were assigned to Squadron VAH-3. However, the first squadron to be equipped with the RA-5C version was the RVAH-5, which was exclusively created to operate these reconnaissance planes. During the war in Southeast Asia, eighteen aircraft were lost to enemy SAMs as they flew over North Vietnam. The RA-5C first flew on June 30, 1962; it was equipped with a Side-Looking Airborne Radar (SLAR) and a photographic equipment.

Below, the first version of the bomber, the A-5A (A3J-1). You can see it had a flat belly, in comparison with the reconnaissance variant, which had a ventral canoe that protruded from it.

Technical Description

The North American A-5 Vigilante was a two-seat, twin-engine, supersonic monoplane. It was designed for either carrier-based or land-based operations. The fuselage of the aircraft was of conventional semi-monocoque, all-mental construction. The main materials used were aluminum and steel, as well as some titanium for the engine bay. The aircraft had swept wing, which was mounted on shoulder of fuselage. The wing skins were aluminum-lithium alloy, which was stronger than conventional aluminum alloys. The tail assembly horizontal stabilizers were movable and acted as elevators. The A-5B version of aircraft was powered by two General Electric J79-GE-8 turbojet engines, which generated 16,500 pounds of thrust.

The bomber had a two-seat cockpit, in which the pilot and the systems operator sat in tandem. The flight controls and direction and altitude indicators were located in front of the pilot, while the navigation and bombing indicators were installed in the systems operator's panel, right behind the pilot's seat. The cockpit was pressurized, with two-independent oxygen supply installed. The aircraft was fitted with a fully retractable, tricycle landing gear, which was electrically-controlled and hydraulically-actuated. To land on flight deck, the plane had an arrestor hook.

Specifications

Type: strategic nuclear bomber

Length: 23.32 m (76 feet, 6 inches)

Wing Span: 16.15 m (53 feet)

Wing Area: 70 m2 (754 square feet)

Height: 5.91 m (19 feet, 5 inches)

Power Plant: two General Electric J79-GE-8 turbojet engines.

Maximum Speed: Mach 2.1 (2,230 km/h or 1,356 mph) at 12,000 m (39,370 feet)

Range: 4,800 km (2,983 miles)

Armament: capacity for 3,600 kg of bomb-load; two hardpoints for two conventional Mk-84 bombs; one B28 free-fall nuclear bomb.

Crew: two

Below, the A-5B flying over the western part of the United States in the mid 1960s.

A color picture of the Vigilante in flight in the 1970s.

Below, the A-5 Vigilante on the flight deck of USS Independence (CVA-62).

This picture shows the bomb-load capacity of the aircraft.

Cessna O-1 Bird Dog

The Cessna O-1 Bird Dog was an observation aircraft in service with the US Army during the Cold War. It was extensively used in the Korean and the Vietnam War as a liaison, observation, even ground-attack and light cargo plane to supply isolated American Special Forces troops who were deep in the jungle of Southeast Asia. Originally known as the L-19, it was developed from the Cessna 170 of the 1940s. It would enjoy a long and successful career both with the Army and US Air Force. It was also used by the French and other European and Latin American armies.

The O-1 Bird Dog had been designed in 1949 by the Cessna Engineering Department, using the wings from the Model 170 and the tail assembly from the Model 195. The prototype, Model 305, first flew on December 14, 1949, beginning the flight test period. It was powered by one Continental E-190, six-cylinder piston engine, which delivered 213 horsepower and drove a metal, two-bladed, McCauley propeller. The excellent power to weight ratio of the Continental power plant allowed the prototype to have a high cruising speed yet retain enough power reserves for emergencies. On May 29, 1950, the US Army granted Cessna the production contract, ordering a first batch of 418 aircraft, which entered service under the designation L-19. That year, on June 25, the Korean War would break out, and the Army would use it right away.

The Cessna L-19 Bird Dog would go on to be built in five different models and became known under two different designations; in the US Army service it was known as the L-19, and as the OE-1 by the US Navy/Marine Corps. However, the Department of Defense would later standardize aircraft designations and all Bird Dogs were redesignated O-1 regardless of service. This versatile aircraft produced a number of 'firsts'. It was the first all-metal, high-wing aircraft in service with Army Aviation; the first turboprop light aircraft to fly over 35,000 feet (experimental); and the first military aircraft built by Cessna to the US Army, which would eventually accept a total of 3,105 L-19s.

Below, the first production L-19A (O-1A), No 14829, parked on an airfield.

Technical Characteristics

The Cessna O-1 Bird Dog was a two-seat, single-engine monoplane of all-metal construction. It had a high-wing configuration. Wings were propped up by two oblique struts attached to the plane airframe. The fuselage assembly was of semi-monocoque riveted metal construction, employing aluminum alloy bulkheads and stringers, as well as an aluminum alclad skin covering. Using aluminum for its construction made this versatile military plane both a rugged and a light aircraft at the same time.

The Bird Dog was fitted with a conventional, fixed landing gear, with two main wheels anchored to the belly of the fore portion of airframe/fuselage, and a small tail wheel. However, many aircraft were equipped with reinforced tandem landing gear, with four front wheels, to land on rough unprepared terrain during special operations. The cockpit had two side-by-side seats, plus two passanger seats behind. The cockpit also had a canopy which allowed an all-around vision capability. It was powered by one Continental O-470-11 air-cooled piston engine, which produced 213 HP.

Specifications (O-1E)

Type: light observation/liaison aircraft

Length: 7.85 m (25 feet, 9 inches)

Wing Span: 10.97 m (35 feet)

Wing Area: 16.16 m2 (170 square fee)

Height: 2.22 m (7 feet, 3 inches)

Power Plant: one 213-HP, Continental O-470, six-cylinder, piston engine.

Maximum Speed: 205 km/h (146 mph)

Range: 853 km (530 miles)

Service Ceiling: 5,640 m (18,500 feet)

Armament: four target marking rockets

Crew: two.

Below, the Bird Dog flies over the jungle of Vietnam.

An L-19A makes a low pass to snatch the line stretched out on the ground by two soldiers during an aerial message pick-up. Aerial message deliveries were made in areas where radio silence was enforced.

Below, an O-1 Bird Dog in service with the French Army (Armée de Terre).

The L-19B (O-1B) in flight over Kansas in the 1950s.

Below, six O-1s perform a formation aerial re-supply drop to ground troops.

A L-19A with a special tandem landing gear, which allowed operations from unprepared landing strips.

Cessna T-37

The Cessna T-37 was the primary training aircraft in service with the US Air Force for more than fifty years. Nicknamed the 'Tweet', it was a very stable and reliable jet trainer, with two side by side seats. Every US Air Force's pilot flew it during basic training in the Cold War period. The prototype, the XT-37, had performed its first flight on October 12, 1954, entering service in 1957. After several decades, it would be phased out in 2009.

The Cessna T-37 Tweet had been designed in 1952 to meet a USAF requirement for a jet-engine-powered primary trainer. It was a very practical trainer, with a low and wide-tracked landing gear to ease landing and ground handling. The side-by-side seating arrangement made student instruction easier, allowing for close coordination between the instructor and the fledgling during all phases of training. The flight characteristics of this trainer allowed students to solo after as little as six and a half hours of dual instruction. The aircraft's stability enabled it to be safely used for formation flying.

The US Air Force ordered a total of 444 T-37A aircraft, which was the first version that was built until 1959. Then Cessna switched production to the T-37B variant, with 466 aircraft being produced; this version had upgraded Continental J69 turbojet engines and improved navigation and communications equipment. The T-37C was the last Tweet, but it was never used by the USAF as it was produced only for export, with 269 trainers being sold to ten countries. This trainer would be developed into the A-37 Dragonfly, a ground-attack aircraft used in the Vietnam War.

Below, the T-37B version of Tweet in flight in the 1960s.

Technical Description

The Cessna T-37 was a two-seat, twin-engine monoplane, with a straight, cantilever, low-wing configuration. The fuselage was all-metal semi-monocoque. The cockpit had two side-by-side ejection seats, with a canopy that was blown off (jettisoned) during emergency, and oxygen equipment; however it was not pressurized, which limited the service ceiling to 25,000 feet (7,620 m).

The Tweet had wide-track, short landing gear. This feature made landing easier for the new pilots and also eliminated the need for ground stands and ladders as all areas of the engine compartment was readily accessible from ground level. The T-37B version was powered by two Continental J69-T-25 turbojet engines which were buried in wing roots. They were the license-built version of the French Turbomeca Marboré used in the Fouga Magister.

Specifications (T-37B)

Type: trainer

Length: 8.92 m (29 feet, 3 inches)

Wing Span: 10.30 m (33 feet, 9 inches)

Wing Area: 17 m2 (184 square feet)

Height: 2.68 m (8 feet, 10 inches)

Power Plant: two Continental J69-T-25 turbojet engines, each delivering 1,026-lb thrust

Maximum Speed: 685 km/h (425 mph)

Range: 972 km (600 miles)

Rate of Climb: 1,067 m/min.

Service Ceiling: 7,620 m (25,000 feet)

Crew: two

The prototype of the Tweet, the XT-37, on the tarmac of an airbase, around 1955.

Below, three T-37A aircraft. The US Army tested the first variant of the trainer in the summer of 1957 under the High Performance Army Observation Aircraft program (HPAOA). However, the Tweet would not be accepted by the Army as it would choose the Grumman OV-1 Mohawk instead.

The Tweet in flight. It was a T-37A, the second one built, No 42730. It was on its acceptance flight over the Kansas prairie.

Below, the Cessna trainer on final approach for landing. Its wide-track landing gear made landings easy for fledgling pilots.

Cessna A-37 Dragonfly

The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly was a ground-attack aircraft employed by the US Air Force during the Vietnam War. Since it was a low-cost, light combat airplane, it was used to fight guerrilla armies in low-intensity warfare in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. It was a very maneuverable and reliable aircraft due to its wide wing span and sturdy fuselage, capable of carrying and delivering a heavy bomb-load. It was exported to Latin American countries, such as Peru, Colombia, and Chile.

Most military trainers are usually developed from combat aircraft. However, the case of the A-37 Dragonfly was the other way around, for it was based on a trainer; the Cessna T-37, whose prototype, the XT-37, had made its first flight on October 12, 1954. The combat version prototype (YAT-37D), on the other hand, first flew on October 22, 1963, entering service with the US Air Force in May 1967 as the A-37 Dragonfly, which would be nicknamed the 'Super Tweet'. Having been introduced, it was immediately deployed in Vietnam, where it would fly many combat sorties, providing important fire support to ground troops during search and destroy missions. When the war in Southeast Asia ended in 1975, some were abandoned to the communist forces.

Below, the A-37B version flying over the jungle-covered terrain of Vietnam.

Technical Characteristics

The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly was a two-seat, twin-engine monoplane. It had an all-metal, semi-monocoque fuselage. It was fitted with cantilever low-wing, with straight leading edge and a trailing edge that tapered only slightly. Thus, the wing was rather rectangular in shape. Because of its low drag characteristics, the aircraft featured a hydraulically-operated speed brake located on belly of fuselage. The A-37B version was powered by two General Electric J85-17A turbojet engines, each of which could deliver 2,850 pounds of thrust. To lengthen the combat range, the aircraft was equipped with two wing-tip fuel tanks.

Both trainer and attack aircraft were equipped with two ejection seats and jettisonable canopy. It had a wide-tread landing gear and steerable nose wheel for maximum safety in landing and ground operations. The cockpit was wide and comfortable, with two, side by side seats. To withstand the rigor of combat flying at low altitudes, the A-37 was stressed for 6-G loading and, as such, was a capable dogfighter. The nose of the aircraft housed a gatling-type GAU-2 minigun.

Specifications (A-37B)

Type: two-seat ground-attack aircraft

Length: 8.62 m (28 feet, 3 inches)

Wing Span: 10.93 m (35 feet, 10 inches)

Wing Area: 17.09 m2 (184 sqaure feet)

Height: 2.70 m (8 feet, 10 inches)

Power Plant: two General Electric J85-17A turbojet engines.

Maximum Speed: 816 km/h (507 mph)

Range: 740 km (460 miles), with maximum bomb-load.

Service Ceiling: 12,730 m (41,750 feet)

Armament: one 7.62-mm, GAU-2B minugun; 2,268-kg (5,450-lb) of bombs/rockets.

Crew: two

Below, the T-37B trainer, from which the A-37 would be developed.

A Dragonfly in a combat operation drops two Mk 82 bombs on enemy positions.

Below, the Super Tweet during combat exercises in the 1970s.

Combat footage of a squadron of A-37 Dragonfly aircraft in Vietnam (video)

Below, the nose of a A-37B was opened to expose the GAU-2 minigun.

Douglas A-3 Skywarrior

The Douglas A-3 Skywarrior was an American carrier-based bomber in service with the US Navy between 1956 and 1967. Nicknamed the 'Whale', it was one of the first aircraft that dropped bombs in anger over North Vietnam in 1965 at the beginning of Operation Rolling Thunder. However, from late 1966, the Skywarrior began to adopt other roles, such as reconnaissance and intelligence gathering, which were very important during the Cold War, as well as tanker.

Designed by Ed Heinemann in 1951, the prototype, the XA3D-1 first flew on October 28, 1952. In early flight testing, it was powered by two 7,000-lb, Westinghouse turbojet engines, which would later be replaced by two Pratt & Whitney J57 turbojet machines, which generated 10,000 pounds of thrust. From 1953 to 1954, Douglas produced 50 of its first production model; the A3D-1, which would later be redesignated A-3 Skywarrior in 1962. After the carrier trials, it finally entered service with the US Navy in November 1956 aboard the USS Forrestal. A total of 282 aircraft would be built in the following versions: A-3A and A-3B in the bomber role, and EA-3A electronic reconnaissance, RA-3B photo-reconnaissance, and EA-3B electronic warfare version.

Technical Description

The Douglas A-3 Skywarrior was a twin-engine, medium-size monoplane. It had a fuselage of all-metal construction and swept shoulder-wing, whose outer panel could be folded up and was hydraulically operated. Twin speed brakes were fitted to the rear portion of fuselage. The aircraft featured a conventional tail assembly, with swept horizontal stabilizer and vertical fin, which could be folded down sideways to the right for stowage below deck. The reconnaissance version was equipped with one AN/ASB-12 radar system.

Below, the A-3B version of VAH-3 in 1960 during carrier flight operations

Specifications (A-3B/or A3D-2)

Type: strategic attack/bomber aircraft

Length: 22.8 m (74 feet, 9 inches)

Wing Span: 20 m (72 feet, 6 inches)

Wing Area: 75.43 m2 (812 square feet)

Height: 6.86 m (22 feet, 8 inches)

Power Plant: two Pratt & Whitney J57-P-10 turbojet engines, each generating 10,000-lb.

Maximum Speed: 982 km/h (610 mph)

Range: 4,000 km (2,465 miles)

Service Ceiling: 12,495 m (41,000 feet)

Armament: two backward shooting 20-mm cannons in tail turret; 12,800-lb (5,800-kg) of ordnance, which included a nuclear bomb.

Crew: 3

Below, the prototype of the 'Whale', the XA3D-1, BuNo 125412, in 1952.

The Skywarrior flying over the Atlantic. It is an A-3B version, BuNo 142236, attached to Carrier Air Wing Twenty-one.

Below, the A-3A (A3D-1) version of the bomber.

Two 'Whales' on flight deck of USS Forrestal in 1958. Notice their vertical fins and wings are folded up.