Vigilante - The Practical Kind

[Spino]

A few years ago I was gifted a Trumpeter RA-5C kit in 1:48 scale.  I attempted to build it to the best of my ability, and did fairly well considering my limited skills at the time, except that I managed to lose the nose cone!  Now that's quite a loss on a $70 kit, but I managed to scratch up a replacement out of thick card (well, sort of).  It was never exactly what I wanted it to be, so it went into storage - until yesterday when I remembered it.  I'm fairly confident I can 3D print a replacement nose cone and correct some of the issues that were created when I first built the model with more limited skills than I currently have.  Now IRL the Navy used the A-5 as a nuclear bomber and a recon bird, but the four wing hard points got me to thinking that it would make a rather good conventional strike aircraft, almost like a naval F-111 (wait, there was such a thing, but it wasn't supposed to be a strike aircraft  ).  So here goes.  Photos to follow. It seems I have to have at least three projects going simultaneously these days...

[PR19_Kit]

Only three?     

[HarryPhishnuts]

it would make a rather good conventional strike aircraft

I read somewhere that it was actually offered to Australia as a conventional strike aircraft at one point. There's a picture somewhere with the classic aircraft in the middle of all the load out it could carry on the 4 pylons. I've actually got that as a potential project as well 

[McColm]

it would make a rather good conventional strike aircraft

I read somewhere that it was actually offered to Australia as a conventional strike aircraft at one point. There's a picture somewhere with the classic aircraft in the middle of all the load out it could carry on the 4 pylons. I've actually got that as a potential project as well 

That was proposed 1962/63.

[McColm]

it would make a rather good conventional strike aircraft

I read somewhere that it was actually offered to Australia as a conventional strike aircraft at one point. There's a picture somewhere with the classic aircraft in the middle of all the load out it could carry on the 4 pylons. I've actually got that as a potential project as well 

That was proposed 1962/63.

One under- fuselage and four underwing points to carry the stores.

[Spino]

it would make a rather good conventional strike aircraft

I read somewhere that it was actually offered to Australia as a conventional strike aircraft at one point. There's a picture somewhere with the classic aircraft in the middle of all the load out it could carry on the 4 pylons. I've actually got that as a potential project as well 

That was proposed 1962/63.

One under- fuselage and four underwing points to carry the stores.

I"m tempted to add one under the fuselage, but my original idea was to add the recon canoe and fit a laser designator turret to it, sort of along the lines of what the A-6E TRAM had under its nose.  This will be necessary because I have some laser-guided weapons that I think would do very well on this jet.  However, the second seat has me thinking AGM-78s would be a good option too.

[McColm]

North America did submit a drawing with twin tail fins, a clear canopy with the radar attached to the lefthand side of the fuselage and a rear tail gun on the left side. The main landing gear was a twin boogie layout.
The twin tail fins were on the wooden mockup full scale model.

[Spino]

North America did submit a drawing with twin tail fins, a clear canopy with the radar attached to the lefthand side of the fuselage and a rear tail gun on the left side. The main landing gear was a twin boogie layout.
The twin tail fins were on the wooden mockup full scale model.

Seriously?  Twin tails I'll believe (in fact I'm considering going that route for this build anyway), but a radar attached to the port side of the fuselage and a tail gun?  On a Mach 2 aircraft?  I highly doubt that 

[Spino]

Okay, here's the current condition of the model, along with the canoe that I never fitted to it and the armament I'm currently thinking I'll add.  The vertical tail is missing, and I'm not entirely sure where it is, but I'll sort that out later.  I removed the canopies to prevent them from getting any paint on them by accident.  The underside needs a recoat of white rather badly, but at least it's otherwise in decent shape.  Since no pilot figures were included, it looks like I'll either be scrounging for some or 3D-printing them.  The former option is preferable given that my 3D-printed pilot figures have rather thick legs compared to kit figures in this scale - not an issue for my 3D-printed models but certainly one for kits like this.

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[Dizzyfugu]

A-5s are cool.    Reminds me that I have a Vigilante project (1:72, though) on my agenda, too... 

[McColm]

North America did submit a drawing with twin tail fins, a clear canopy with the radar attached to the lefthand side of the fuselage and a rear tail gun on the left side. The main landing gear was a twin boogie layout.
The twin tail fins were on the wooden mockup full scale model.

Seriously?  Twin tails I'll believe (in fact I'm considering going that route for this build anyway), but a radar attached to the port side of the fuselage and a tail gun?  On a Mach 2 aircraft?  I highly doubt that 

The mockup





So it's not officially the Vigilante but it certainly looks like one.

[Rick Lowe]

So a radar-sighted rear stinger... that'd make any tail-gaters sit up and take notice!

[Pellson]

It's so nice to see you back in production, Spino. Many of your projects, as are both this and the Super Tomcat, are right up my alley, interestwise. 

[Spino]

It's so nice to see you back in production, Spino. Many of your projects, as are both this and the Super Tomcat, are right up my alley, interestwise. 

Thanks!

I think since the tail of this Vigilante is gone anyway, I may 3D print twin tails for it, similar to what that mockup has. 

[Spino]

Okay, nosecone has been printed, fitted, and painted, and I went back over the underside of the aircraft with flat white and the top side with Vallejo Sky Grey.  Also painted the tailcone with Testors flat steel.

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