Powell, Robert R. Vigilante! A Pilot's Story. 1,200 Hours Flying the Ultimate US Navy Reconnaissance Aircraft

The zenith of Jet Age aerial reconnaissance at Mach 2 came in the form of North Americans RA-5C "Vigilante" with two crewmen operating highly sophisticated sensors, cameras, infrared mapping, side-looking radar and electronic countermeasure equipment. The aircrafts history almost exactly corresponds to the evolution of the war in Vietnam, where the "Vigilante" located targets and assessed post-strike damage. Because of this ultra high risk mission, the RA-5C suffered the highest loss rate of any U.S. Navy aircraft, and the number of A-5s built was small as was the cadre of men who flew them. This book explains the aircraft and its development in great detail and gives new insight into the courageous men who flew the "Vigilante" in combat. No comprehensive book has ever been written about the RA-5C "Vigilante". Author Robert Powell was a U.S. Navy carrier pilot for 16 of his 20 years in the service, and his second combat tour in Vietnam was spent flying the "Vigilante". He incorporates historical fact, detailed new information, and never-before-published photographs to produce the definitive work on this aircraft. Easy-to-read historical facts and technical information is interspersed with personal stories giving the pilots point-of-view. The author also contacted 40 veterans of the RA-5C community to acquire their "Vigilante" stories, which have also never been told. Aviation enthusiasts of all types will be fascinated by this complete study of the unique and exotic RA-5C "Vigilante".

No comprehensive book has yet been written about the RA-5C "Vigilante". The author was a pilot in the U.S. Navy for 16 of his 20 years of service, and he flew his second tour of duty in Vietnam in the Vigilante. He incorporates historical facts, detailed new information and never before published photographs to deliver the most complete work possible on this aircraft. Easy-to-read historical facts and technical information are interspersed with personal stories that convey the pilot's point of view. The author also contacted 40 veterans of the RA-5C community to secure their stories, which have also never been told.