Revell RA-5C Vigilante Model Kit (1:72 Scale)
 
The RA-5C Vigilante, was designed by North American to be a nuclear strike aircraft. The bomb was held in a unique bomb bay that ran between the engines. The weapon was to be ejected aft of the speeding aircraft to give the crew time to escape the blast.  The A-5 was capable of very high speeds so that the bomb could be dropped at relatively low altitude and still ensure crew survivability.  As often happens, the aircraft was adopted to the recce platform which necessitated the addition of cameras and other sensors along the bottom of the aircraft in a canoe. In addition, fuel capacity was increased by using the now empty bomb bay between the engines for fuel as well as building up a fuselage hump for increased capacity.  In this role was born the RA-5C.
 
The aircraft was used extensively by the Navy in Vietnam.  So successful was the aircraft, that the production line was reopened to manufacture additional aircraft as attrition replacements.  As one would think, an aircraft of this sophistication was very maintenance intensive requiring over a hundred hours of maintenance time for each flight hour.  The Viggie was retired in the mid 1970's and not replaced, the Navy deciding to use Marine RF-4Bs for reconnaissance instead.
 
The Model box has some wear with age.