RA-5C Vigilante Units in Combat (Combat Aircraft) [Paperback]

Robert Powell (Author), Jim Laurier (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 22, 2004 | Series: Combat Aircraft (Book 51)

Developed from the A-5 nuclear bomber and used in a reconnaissance role, the RA-5C Vigilante was the largest and fastest aeroplane ever to operate from the deck of an aircraft carrier. During the Vietnam War (1955-1975) it sustained the highest loss ratio of any American aircraft in that conflict. This volume includes compelling accounts of combat missions over key communist targets, where crews dodged Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs) and anti-aircraft fire to secure all-important mission photographs. Written by a Vigilante combat veteran this book is crammed full of action-packed first-hand accounts.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Osprey's Combat series combines the best archival photography available with specially commissioned artworks and first hand accounts, making these books favourites amongst historians, modellers and aviation enthusiasts everywhere.

About the Author

Robert 'Boom' Powell had a 20-year career as a naval aviator, flying both the Vigilante and A-4 Skyhawk in combat over Vietnam. Leaving the Navy to join Pan Am in the 1980s, he now flies B747-400 freighters across the globe. This is his first book for Osprey.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (October 22, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841767492
• ISBN-13: 978-1841767499
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.2 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #859,935 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Robert R."Boom" Powell

Grew up on Long Island, NY. Son of an air-minded father who became a B-24 navigator during WW II; S.R.Powell, the comic book artist (Sheena, Mr. Mystic, "Tales from the Crypt"). Does not remember his first flight because he was a babe in his mother's arms. University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia on a Navy ROTC scholarship. Soloed a Piper Colt before Pensacola and Navy flight training. Vietnam tour and later instructor pilot in A-4 Skyhawk. Transitioned to RA5C Vigilante and returned to WestPac on USS Kittyhawk. Drafted to be the LSO for RA5C training squadron for three years. Returned to the fleet for deployments on Forrestal and Kittyhawk. Two years in fighter adversary squadron at NAS Oceana followed by tour as Naval Attaché to South Africa. Retired as a Commander and after a year flying a corporate Sabreliner was hired by Pan American. First at Pan Am Express on the ATR-42 (including ten ferry flights across the Atlantic), then to Pan Am Airways as a first officer on B-747's to Europe and South America. After Pan Am passed into history, joined Atlas Air and was a captain flying freight world-wide in Boeing 747's--both the classic and computer-managed 400 models.

Earned civil flight instructor ratings while in Navy and trained students from then on. Loves aviation and will try anything. Flew DC-3 charters in Africa, Turbo-porters, historic AD Skyraiders, SNJ's, and aerobatics in anything that can loop. Spent many exuberant weekends as jump pilot for sport parachuting. (Son "Rickster" is a world-class professional skydiver.) Instructor with Air Combat USA, "Be a Fighter Pilot for a Day!" in Sia Marchetti 260's. Discovered soaring and owns a Libelle 15-metre sailplane. Flies old aircraft, including WW 1 replicas, at Virginia Beach Military Aviation Museum.

Began writing while in the Navy and has a regular column in The Hook. Continues to write mini-biographies for that journal. Several articles have been published in well know aviation magazines. Much of his writing was done in hotel rooms in wee small hours--local time--in exotic cities around the world.

Married to Marie for 48 years and is happily ensconced with two large Poodles in Virginia Beach on the eastern branch of the Elizabeth River, which is more like a "squidgy creek" at his property. Only tells the story behind his nickname with a drink in his hand.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Naval Aviator's Guide To The Vigilante, October 13, 2008

By 

Robert I. Hedges - See all my reviews
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This review is from: RA-5C Vigilante Units in Combat (Combat Aircraft) (Paperback)

Robert Powell, an experienced RA-5C pilot, has written an excellent account of the development and history of the Vigilante from the early strategic A3J-1/A-5A to the "156 Series" RA-5C. Needless to say the employment of the aircraft in Vietnam is the primary focus of the book, and it does not disappoint. Powell skillfully gives the account of all the RVAH squadrons from both the historical standpoint of operational employment as well as a personal stories of noteworthy or colorful individual crewmembers and sorties.

Sadly, there are few references about this magnificent aircraft available, and this is by far the best I have seen. The book is organized roughly chronologically, and is generally very well illustrated with one exception: there are only two cockpit photographs in the entire book, and none illustrating the pilot's forward panel (although one shows a small piece of it); there is a good shot of the RAN's forward instrument panel which shows the radar display, optical viewfinder, and RHAW display in good detail. There are thirty beautiful color plates in the book showing aircraft from different squadrons at different times. They are brilliantly done, but to read about each of them (and the color photos as well), you will have to look in the appendices. The appendices also contain a host of very useful information on Vigilante losses, surviving Vigilantes, each RVAH squadron, bases, and designation details.

I would have liked to have seen better cockpit illustrations, but with that minor exception, I have nothing to critique about this book: it is a superlative account of a superlative aircraft.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vigilante Rocks, November 10, 2008

By 

Joe M. Donahoe (salisbury maryland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: RA-5C Vigilante Units in Combat (Combat Aircraft) (Paperback)

As always this book from the Osprey series does not disappoint. The Vigilante does not get the credit it deserves. For its time, it was a very modern aircraft design. It started out as a bomber but its role quickly became exclusively photo recon. The book does describe this early role as a bomber but then concentrates on the Vigilante's role as a blazingly fast photo recon aircraft. For all you F-4 Phantom fans, the Vigilante had the same twin J79 jet engines as the Phantom so the Vigilante was a Mach two camera. The book describes how the Vigilante was uses, and what the priority targets were, and the types of defenses it had to go up against (remember, speed saves !) and the book also desribes the different types of photo recon equipment and sensors the Vigilante carried. The book had lots of photos I had not seen before and the 5 pages of color photos were great. So eventhough the Vigilante did not carry any armament other than cameras, the book describes some of the missions that were still important and exciting.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ask the Man Who's Flown One, March 31, 2007

By 

Barrett Tillman (Mesa, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: RA-5C Vigilante Units in Combat (Combat Aircraft) (Paperback)

Aviation history usually is produced by dedicated enthusiasts who have never flown the airplanes they describe. In fact, many competent authors have never flown anything. But Bob Powell's history of the Vigilante is unusual in that he not only knows the subject, he's flown the RA-5 and "waved" it as an LSO. The result is an unusual depth of knowledge for this topic and for the Osprey series on combat aircraft. Tracing the development of heavy attack in the US Navy, the text describes the design and development of the beautifully crafted "Vige", its combat employment...and something more. Within the "VHA" squadrons there emerged an esprit and sense of community that remains unsurpassed not only in the navy but in military aviation. The pride and satisfaction of mastering a demanding aircraft are part and parcel of the RA-5 story, and are well described here.