North American NAVY A-5 Vigilante USN Nuclear Bomber

We find one of the most beautiful supersonic bombers from the early jet age. The North American A-5 Vigilante looks fast standing still. And it's big. What's even more amazing is it was a US NAVY carrier airplane. It's a big aircraft to land on a boat.
The first design started in 1954 to build a supersonic bomber that could carry a nuclear bomb. The contract to build a prototype was issued on 1956. The first flight of the large complex aircraft was in 1958. She entered service with the US NAVY in 1961. One hundred and sixty seven Vigilantes were built between 1958 and 1970.
"On The Road With Norm" is about travelling with friends and family and investigating history with passion. We like pretty much anything with an engine. Come along for the ride. Leave a comment. Please help out with a LIKE and SUBSCRIBE. It would help very much thanks.

[@JBSmoke1]

One of the most beautiful jets to ever fly.

[@ontheroadwithnorm2024]

Yes indeed. Thanks for the comment.

[@markallan1382]

Amazing museum!

[@ontheroadwithnorm2024]

Yes and it is huge

[@whiplash8277]

Always one of my favorite planes as a kid. She's a beauty.

[@AP_42]

your commentary made me feel like I was a lil kid again. Dad showing me cool stuff and just talking.

[@ontheroadwithnorm2024]

Thanks for the comment

[@francisshaw7020]

That's an RA5C recon aircraft. It was used primarily for recon of before and after bomb missions during the Vietnam war. I worked in the Vigi family from 1971 to 1979 and it was a beautiful aircraft. Not easy to maintain but beautiful to fly.

[@ontheroadwithnorm2024]

Thank-you for the comment.

[@BrimHawk]

Reminds me of the AVRO CF105 ARROW.

[@ontheroadwithnorm2024]

I cannot believe we don't have a complete Arrow. The design engineers were all hired by NASA and moved to Florida. The year was 1959. Thanks for making a comment

[@leodiniz9031]

Very similar to an F 14 ! It was already comin...

[@walterbrown8694]

During the program development phase it was initially designated as the A3J, the J identifying it as manufactured by North American Aviation. Impressive plane, I don't know that she was ever deployed as a nuclear bomber. Photo-recon was all i remember in the late 60s. Quite a sight to behold during carrier "traps". By the time I became involved with the program in 1961, the Navy had already changed the designation system for its aircraft, eliminating the contractor ID letter, The A3J became the A5. Additional leading and trailing letters designated other parameters associated with the plane such as mission type and manufacture variants/versions.

[@ontheroadwithnorm2024]

Thanks for the awesome comment. Great to learn more and hear from the people that operated it. Real history. This is why I like KZbin

[@mikemcgonegal1616]

Beautiful in the air, but it was an unwieldy mofo on the ship.

[@ontheroadwithnorm2024]

I keep hearing that. It must have been the reason aircraft carriers kept getting bigger. I will revisit this aircraft one day and make a better video with everything I have learned from the comments on this one. Thank-you for your comment.

[@jimabbey9544]

"Ginormous"? LMFAO smfh

[@ontheroadwithnorm2024]

Yes google approved spell check word