Sheet:

Superscale 72-528: RA-5C Vigilante

Units: RVAH-6 / 7

Price

$6 when new.

Reviewer:

David Traill

The Vigilante was used by the Navy at first for an attack platform, with the ability to drop a nuclear bomb from a unique "tunnel" towards the rear of the plane.  The first example was rolled out in 1958, and only 59 were produced before the Navy's interest in delivering nuclear weapons switched to the SSBNs. 43 Vigilantes were turned into reconnaissance versions known as the RA-5C, where they served until the late 1970s.

This sheet covers two aircraft that operated off of the carrier Kitty Hawk in the early 1970s. There are a decent amount of stencils to be applied, muting some of the concern that only two aircraft could be represented on this decal sheet.

The first example on the sheet is for NH-605 of the RVAH-6 "Fleurs" flown off of the USS Kitty Hawk in 1975.  At the time they were part of Carrier Air Group 11.  During this cruise they took in 1975, they were awarded the Battle "E" for recon units in the Atlantic Fleet.  Overall, the unit operated the RA-5C from 1965 to 1978.  The aircraft is mostly light gull gray, with some white and radome off-white in the appropriate places.

The second example on the sheet is for NH-601 of RVAH-7, also off the Kitty Hawk but in 1973.  Operating from 1964 to 1979, they were the first and last operator of the recon version of the Vigilante.  This plane also used the same paint scheme as noted above.

I got information on these units from www.vigilante.org and www.air-navy.com.

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