Because you can never have too much Harrier footage…
BeachAV8R
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Great footage. VMA-311 was the last squadron I was assigned to during my stint in the USMC in the early 60’s. We had A-4e Skyhawks back then.
Scooters are a cool airplane. They always struck me as so much more nimble coming aboard the carrier compared to the larger A-7s and F-14s… I always thought the RA-5C Vigilante must have been a handful to bring aboard the carrier. I mean…that thing is just a beast!
Wow…until I saw this footage…I had no idea that the upper portion of the tail of the Vigilante folded during deck ops! See about (@ 4:40 in the video…) Cool…
BeachAV8R
@NEVO - That’s a fascinating link… This astounded me:
"The Vigilante did not have ailerons, elevator or a rudder. Spoilers on
the wing provided roll control and acted as speed brakes, The horizontal
tail surfaces were solid slabs. Together, they controlled pitch and
were adjusted separately for roll trim. The vertical tail was also one
piece rather than a hinged ‘rudder.’ Each gave the RA5C some quirks."
What a unique aircraft…
BeachAV8R
Always thought the Vigilante was as fine a looking a/c as I’ve seen. I put it right in there with the B-58 Hustler for just being good looking. The RA5 was considered “big” aboard ship and when it had to go below to the hangar deck, all those “folding parts” sure helped getting them down there without getting “pranged”. What a nice video. Right in the middle of my service. A-4’s ,R3J’s, F4 Phantoms (just entering service, F8 Crusaders and of course that old workhorse the Skyraider. Memories a bunch!