A-5 Vigilante question

[duncank]

Hi there, I am a long time lurker and I thought i'd make a post about a question I have regarding the A-5 Vigilante.

This aircraft was capapult launch by using a bridle arrangement and not he more recent tow-bar arrangement.

From photographic sources it appears as if the bridle cable attaches to a single position beneath the airframe and not the usual twin pickups used of that era.

Can anyone confirm this for me?

 

[Racer]

2 hooks, near by the underbody canoe:

http://www.militaryfactory.com/imageviewer/ac/pic-detail.asp?aircraft_id=268&sCurrentPic=northamerican-a5-vigilante_14.jpg&sCurrentDescriptor=A North American A-5 Vigilante is readied aboard a US Navy carrier; color
http://www.ussindependencecv-62.org/gwf/grfx/cb6594a.jpg
http://www.bobjellison.com/RA5C_Vigilante.htm

 

[HeavyG]

2 hooks, near by the underbody canoe:

http://www.militaryfactory.com/imageviewer/ac/pic-detail.asp?aircraft_id=268&sCurrentPic=northamerican-a5-vigilante_14.jpg&sCurrentDescriptor=A North American A-5 Vigilante is readied aboard a US Navy carrier; color
http://www.ussindependencecv-62.org/gwf/grfx/cb6594a.jpg
http://www.bobjellison.com/RA5C_Vigilante.htm

Those two hooks are used to hold the launch bridle; carrier aircraft in the 50's and up the late 60's used them to connect to the catapult shuttle until the catapult towbar was integrated into the nose gear starting in the 70's. That's also why you see the "horns" extending from the forward part of the carrier on those carriers built in the 50's and 60's; those were used to catch the bridles.

 

[F-14D]

2 hooks, near by the underbody canoe:

http://www.militaryfactory.com/imageviewer/ac/pic-detail.asp?aircraft_id=268&sCurrentPic=northamerican-a5-vigilante_14.jpg&sCurrentDescriptor=A North American A-5 Vigilante is readied aboard a US Navy carrier; color
http://www.ussindependencecv-62.org/gwf/grfx/cb6594a.jpg
http://www.bobjellison.com/RA5C_Vigilante.htm

Those two hooks are used to hold the launch bridle; carrier aircraft in the 50's and up the late 60's used them to connect to the catapult shuttle until the catapult towbar was integrated into the nose gear starting in the 70's. That's also why you see the "horns" extending from the forward part of the carrier on those carriers built in the 50's and 60's; those were used to catch the bridles.

If I remember right, CVN-68 was the last carrier built with three horns, later reduced to one and then all were removed as bridle equipped a/c were phased out. CVNs 69 & 70 started out with one which was later removed, and starting with CVN-71 they were built without them.

 

[Racer]

Cutaway:

 

[Grey Havoc]

One of my favourite birds. B)

 

[Mark Nankivil]

Greetings All -

An RA-5C display model in USAF markings:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MILTARY-AVIATION-DESK-MODEL-RA-5C-VIGILANTE-NAVY-NORTH-AMERICAN-AVIATION-/221103210704?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item337ac740d0

Enjoy the Day! Mark

 

[litzj]

is there any plan for interceptor version of ra-5 vigilante?

 

[Arjen]

Here's the forum topic on Vigilante-based interceptors:
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,1127.msg9060.html#msg9060

 

[litzj]

Here's the forum topic on Vigilante-based interceptors:
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,1127.msg9060.html#msg9060

thank you very much

 

[Dynoman]

Picture from Alamy shows launch bridle on the RA-5. Because of the reconnaissance 'canoe' a twin hookup arrangement was probably used. Possibly a single bridle hookup on other models.