North American A-5 Vigilante

The North American A-5 Vigilante was an American carrier-based supersonic bomber designed for the United States Navy.

Prior to 1962 unification of Navy and Air Force designations, it was designated the A3J Vigilante.

Variants

XA3J-1

(NA247) Prototypes, two built, one converted to RA-5C, one crashed 1959.

A3J-1

58 built, 6 cancelled, survivors re-designated A-5A in 1962, 42 converted to RA-5C.

A3J-2

18 built, redesignated A-5B, 5 completed as XA3J-3P (YA-5C), all converted to RA-5C.

XA3J-3P

5 x A3J-2 completed from A3J-2 order without reconnaissance systems and assigned to pilot familiarization, later converted to RA-5C.

A3J-3P

20 built, re-designated RA-5C.

A-5A

A3J-1 re-designated.

A-5B

A3J-2 re-designated.

YA-5C

The 5 XA3J-3P aircraft re-designated, before conversion to RA-5C

RA-5C

Reconnaissance aircraft, 77 contracted, 8 cancelled, 69 built, plus 20 redesignated and 61 converted from earlier variants

NR-349

Proposed Improved Manned Interceptor for U.S. Air Force with three J79 engines and an armament of six AIM-54 Phoenix missiles.

Specifications

Crew

2

Length

76 ft 6 in (23.32 m)

Wingspan

53 ft 0 in (16.16 m)

Height

19 ft 5 in (5.91 m)

Wing area

701 sq ft (65.1 m2)

Empty weight

32,783 lb (14,870 kg)

Gross weight

47,631 lb (21,605 kg)

Max take-off weight

63,085 lb (28,615 kg)

Powerplant

2 × General Electric J79-GE-8 after-burning turbojet engines, 10,900 lbf (48 kN) thrust each dry, 17,000 lbf (76 kN) with afterburner

Performance

Maximum speed

1,149 kn (1,322 mph, 2,128 km/h) at 40,000 ft (12,000 m)

Maximum speed

Mach 2

Combat range

974 nmi (1,121 mi, 1,804 km) (to target and return)

Ferry range

1,571 nmi (1,808 mi, 2,909 km)

Service ceiling

52,100 ft (15,900 m)

Rate of climb

8,000 ft/min (41 m/s)

Wing loading

80.4 lb/sq ft (393 kg/m2)

Thrust/weight

0.72

Armament

Bombs

1× B27, B28 or B43 freefall nuclear bomb in internal weapons bay

2× B43, Mark 83,

Or

Mark 84 bombs on two external hard points

Avionics

Systems carried by A-5 or RA-5C

AN/ASB-12 Bombing & Navigation Radar (A-5, RA-5C)

Westinghouse AN/APD-7 SLAR (RA-5C)

Sanders AN/ALQ-100 E/F/G/H-Band Radar Jammer (RA-5C)

Sanders AN/ALQ-41 X-Band Radar Jammer (A-5, RA-5C)

AIL AN/ALQ-61 Radio/Radar/IR ECM Receiver (RA-5C)

Litton ALR-45 “COMPASS TIE” 2-18 GHz Radar Warning Receiver (RA-5C)

Magnavox AN/APR-27 SAM Radar Warning Receiver (RA-5C)

Itek AN/APR-25 S/X/C-Band Radar Detection and Homing Set (RA-5C)

Motorola AN/APR-18 Electronic Reconnaissance System (A-5, RA-5C)

AN/AAS-21 IR Reconnaissance Camera (RA-5C).