Hobby Master HA4704 1:72 RA-5C Vigilante

Hobby Master HA4704 1:72 RA-5C Vigilante 156642, USS Independence, 1970s 

The North American A3J Vigilante first flew on August 31, 1958 and was in service until
November 1979. Originally designed as a Mach 2 all-weather bomber; the aircraft eventually had a new role of high-speed reconnaissance. In 1962 the Vigilante received new designators, the original A3J-1 became the A-5A, A3J-2 became A-5B while the reconnaissance version A3J-3P became the RA-5C and first flew June 30, 1962. The Vigilante was the largest and fastest aircraft to operate from an aircraft carrier. The RA-5C was heavily used in the Vietnam War.

Because of an early 1960s USN mission change the A-5 Vigilante production was halted and the high speed reconnaissance RA-5C variant was begun. The first RA-5Cs Vigilante was delivered in 1963. North American RA-5C 156642 was delivered to the USN in 1970 and assigned to RVAH-3. Over the next decade the aircraft served with five squadrons and a couple of them twice. In 1979 the aircraft was struck off charge and sent to the USN Weapons Center at China Lake, California and a year later salvaged.