A-5 (A3J) Vigilante

[James]

Gary F, I'd love to have seen that. 

[GTX]

Gary F, I'd love to have seen that. 

Ditto!!!

Thanks Gary - I wish someone had a photo of it.

Regards,

Greg

[Mossie]

Okay, nearly three years later but I've found a photo on t'web of three Vigilantes doing a dump and burn.  A bit grainy, but impressive.   Anyone that frequents BTS might like to bring Gregs attention to it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/8518500911/

[Mossie]

Detailed drawings the of the NR-349, posted on Secret Projects
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,14338.0.html

First drawing, based on artistic impressions (see page one on this thread):


Second drawing, after the artist saw manufacturers models of the NR349, appears more accurate:

[Mossie]

And those manfuacturers models that were mentioned
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,1127.0.html

Multiple variants, built and proposed.  Left to right, top to bottom: NR-349 with Phoenix load, RA-5C, NR-349 again without loadout, Retaliator, A-5A, A3J-2A-5B (I think)


All the following are of the NR-349:

[NARSES2]

Lovely find Mossie 

[kerick]

More power! Now that would make a great whif.....

[Mossie]

There are a few that have been done on the net.  None are quite right, probably because they didn't have access to plans or these models.
http://www.hyperscale.com/2011/features/nr349pb_1.htm
http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234908343-a-north-american-vigilante-interceptor-nr-349-adc/

It's one I've wanted to do for a while.  I was kindly given two kits and some other bits to do it.  Trouble was, I only had the three pics on the first page.  I'd read that the Tomcat's AWG-9 radar was to be used, and when I offered up a radome, it was obvious that the whole front end must have be redesigned.  Now I've got some referneces I can do it, but when I'll get around to it, who knows?

[rickshaw]

I've been trying to figure out why you'd need three engines.   The standard two engined A-5 was no slouch and I'd have thought the weapons bay would have been more usefully used either for fuel or even internal missile stowage so that you'd not have the drag from those honking big Phoenixes on the belly...

[Mossie]

Purely extra performance.  The NR-349 was touted in the late sixties/early seventies just as the F-15 was coming around.  It had to keep up.  I've heard that the reason there were three engines rather than two more modern units was that the spectacle frame housing the J79's was pretty much integral to the whole aircraft, changing it would basically mean a new design.

[rickshaw]

Yeah, I know the limitations of the rear frame but I still think the weapons bay could be better utilised.  The extra performance I think would be eaten up by the drag of the missiles.

[Mossie]

That's why you need the third engine.  If you can't change the engines, there's no way two would honk around six Phoenixes.  The Vigi's unusual weapon bay was less than successful for it's intended purpose and it's design doesn't seem to be very good for missiles.  There's a little bit in American Secret Projects about it, I'll see if I can dig up some performance figures.

To be honest, I like the NR-349 fo it's coolness factor, but by the time it's likely to enter service it's a bit of a dinosaur.  The F-15 will be in service, if you need a Phoenix toting machine, order the F-14 (if inter-service rivalry will allow).  I think there's good reason it never got past the early design stage, but I like it.

[Mossie]

Found those performance figures for the NR-349, not much, but impressive.  Mach 2.5+, 80,000ft+ ceiling.

Now it becomes a bit clearer, those figures are in Foxbat territory.  It was also touted in the early seventies around the time the Sukhoi T4 first flew, my guess it was a knee-jerk reaction to counter it?

[Weaver]

I've always fancied doing a three-engined "Vigi-fighter" as if it was designed that way from the start, i.e. the three engines are next to each other in a slightly widened rear fuselage and the centre fuselage sidewalls are straight rather than tapered to make the intakes 50% bigger.

Not easy, and with the price of Vigi kits, not likely to happen any time soon.

[The Wooksta!]

Might be worth tracking down one of the Chinese copies of the Hasegawa kits - they were straight copies but with recessed panel lines.  Or there's also the old Airfix one?