About the aircraft:
The RA-5C Vigilante was a large supersonic twin-engined carrier-based 
reconnaissance aircraft, that served with the US Navy from the early 'sixties 
until 1979. It was originally concieved as a nuclear bomber fitted with an 
innovative bomb ejection system in which a nuclear bomb was jettisoned from the 
aft of the plane between the engines. However, this system proved to be a 
failure due to the bomb's tendency to trail in the wake behind the aircraft, 
before falling to the ground. Obviously, bombing accuracy was poor. The aircraft 
itself was of very advanced design and otherwise highly capable. It had a state-
of-the-art navigation system, could reach high speed, and had long range. The 
fact that it was designed to carry rather large nuclear weapons of the 'sixties 
meant that it had plenty of internal volume to house a range of cameras and 
electronic sensors as well as large quantities of fuel. The aircraft were 
adapted to become high-speed reconnaissance aircraft and later production models 
were built as dedicated recce aircraft. 
This particular aircraft carries the markings of heavy attack reconnaissance 
squadron RVAH-6 "Fleurs" during this squadron's last operational deployment  
with the Vigilante, which took place aboard USS Nimitz in 1978. This aircraft 
has been preserved and is exhibited at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at 
Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida.

About the build:
The aircraft features two opening cockpit canopies: one for the pilot and one 
for the navigator/ reconnaissance system operator. The landing gear can be 
retracted, which proved to be a bit of a challenge, despite the aircraft having 
a roomy fuselage. I built the aircraft in 2002. It was slightly modified with 
new leading adge extensions on the wings. The shape is pretty much right, but 
sadly the parts I had for this are new in light grey, which messes up the colour 
somewhat. Fortunately, U.S. Navy aircraft generally had a somewhat patchy 
apperearance, due to the maintainers' constant fight against salt corrossion. 
Let's just say mine was repainted ?.