USAF Vigilante (or Retaliator)

tigercat2 · December 16, 2004, 05:19:13 AM

What if the USAF had taken North American Aviation up on their first offer, around 1960, to purchase the A3J-1 as an interceptor? NAA made a proposal, IIRC and it included a rocket engine in the space between the engines, used for the bomb in the Navy version.

This is the old, old Monogram Vigilante marked as an Air Force Bird. IIRC, the name that NAA picked was "Retaliator", and if it had been purchased by the USAF, the likely designation would have been F-110.

In the early 70s, NAA made another pitch for a USAF interceptor version of the RA-5C, this time with a 3rd J-79 in the weapons bay.

I have always thought that these two attempts would have resulted in a "poor man's F-108", since they were less expensive, but not as capable.

Wes W.

elmayerle · December 16, 2004, 07:42:51 AM

The late 1960's/early 1970's proposal, the NAR-349 was derived from the RA-5C and used the aerodynamic shape of the recce "canoe" to mount six AIM-54's with an AWG-9 as in the F-14) in the nose If we can get someone from here down to the San Diego Air and Space Museum, they've got a namufacturer's deisplay model of the NAR-349 where it can be photographed.

tigercat2 · December 16, 2004, 09:53:19 AM

Thanks very much for the info, the NAR-349 derived from the RA-5C would have been a great machine, but by this time the Vigilante was nearing the end of its production run, and perhaps was viewed as a threat to the emerging FX (which became the F-15).

Wes W.

nev · December 16, 2004, 09:55:47 AM

sweet!

Love the squadron markings on the tail - from the days when the USAF knew how to paint their fighters properly!

elmayerle · December 16, 2004, 10:06:38 AM

QuoteThanks very much for the info, the NAR-349 derived from the RA-5C would have been a great machine, but by this time the Vigilante was nearing the end of its production run, and perhaps was viewed as a threat to the emerging FX (which became the F-15).

Actually, the NAR-349 was one of the proposals put forward in the late 1960's for the IMI (Improved Manned Interceptor) program, to replace or supplement the F-106, which McNamara didn't want (the SR-71 tooling was destroyed so that it couldn't be used for F-12B's, one of the other entrants in the competition). In the end, the program just died due to OSD discouragement.

elmayerle · December 16, 2004, 10:08:50 AM

Quotesweet!

Love the squadron markings on the tail - from the days when the USAF knew how to paint their fighters properly!

I agree, I rather fancy finishing a F-108 in the markings of that squadron.

Scooterman · December 16, 2004, 03:26:16 PM

Quote
Quotesweet!

Love the squadron markings on the tail - from the days when the USAF knew how to paint their fighters properly!
I agree, I rather fancy finishing a F-108 in the markings of that squadron.

Just for official-dom, the marking you refer to are (were) the 318th Fighter Interceptor Squadron from McChord AFB Washington.

Those specific markings were used on the ADC grey Darts and then the standard grey/grey Eagles. Oh and two hack ADC grey T-33s.....

Lemmie know if anybody wants to see pics. I was stationed there '90-'95. The FIS was already disbanded but the small base museum has (almost) one of everything flown at McChord.

elmayerle · December 16, 2004, 04:42:26 PM

I know what the squadron was, I've already done a fair bit of research. I'm looking to do a flightline with a F-108 in these markigns and an Arrow Mk.3 or Mk.4 in some commenmorative scheme.

tigercat2 · December 16, 2004, 05:42:45 PM

Quote
Quote
Quotesweet!

Love the squadron markings on the tail - from the days when the USAF knew how to paint their fighters properly!
I agree, I rather fancy finishing a F-108 in the markings of that squadron.
Just for official-dom, the marking you refer to are (were) the 318th Fighter Interceptor Squadron from McChord AFB Washington.

Those specific markings were used on the ADC grey Darts and then the standard grey/grey Eagles. Oh and two hack ADC grey T-33s.....

Lemmie know if anybody wants to see pics. I was stationed there '90-'95. The FIS was already disbanded but the small base museum has (almost) one of everything flown at McChord.

Over on Hyperscale, at http://hsfeatures.com/f108pb_1.htm,

there is a great F-108 done by Phil Brandt (Collectaire 1/48) with these markings. He is way, way ahead of me in modeling skill!!!

Wes W.