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    This page documents a history of a specific aircraft. The details provided vary from aircraft to aircraft and are dependent on the research and amount of data uploaded to the Aerial Visuals database.

    Airframe Family: North American A3J/A-5 Vigilante
    Latest Model:A-5A-5-NH Vigilante
    Last Military Serial:146697 USN
    Construction Number:247-6
    Compressed ID:NA A-5A-5-NH sn 146697 USN cn 247-6...
    Latest Owner or Location:NAS Patuxent River, Lexington Park, Maryland

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    Dates

    Event

    Constructed as an A3J-1.

    August 1959

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Navy with BuNo 146697.

    From 1960 to 1975

    To Naval Air Test Center (NATC).

    1962

    Converted to an A-5A-5-NH.

    May 1963


    Photographer: Unknown
    Notes: Naval Air Test Center (NATC) Markings. Photographed during an airshow.

    Warren Mack McKanna comments (September 2016): I became a Plane Captain on the Vigilante in 1965. 146697 was condemned from flight due to structural stress. This aircraft was used for testing a water cooled blast deflector located off to the side of the runway. We were supposed to make 100 run ups. One run ups was from idle to 101 percent back to idle then, up to 101 percent then to after burner and back to idle. During these tests we had many problems. Three time a fuel vent leak caused fires. Twice I blew a leak in the blast deflector and one the air flow ramp came undone and fodded the right engine. Needless to say the tests never came off with success. 697 became a gate guard for a brief time then was on display as shown. This took place at Flight Test Division Pax River.

    In the inventory of National Naval Aviation Museum-Loan Program, NAS Pensacola, Pensacola, FL.
    View the Location Dossier

    May 1979

    Placed on display with NAS Patuxent River, Lexington Park, MD.
    View the Location Dossier
    This dossier is waiting for review by an editor.This airframe dossier is based on
    unreviewed imported data.
    If you can verify the documented history or add to it with additional text and/or photos please feel free to do so by using the upload tool and the history editor.
    Credits
     Data for airframe dossiers come from various sources. The following were used to compile this dossier...
    Print Sources
     U.S. Military Out of Service 2016 by Andy Marden
    Internet Sources
     Aerodata Quantum+
    National Naval Aviation Museum
    United States Military Services Serial Number Lists by Joe Baugher
    Individual Contributors
     John Bennett
    Mike Henniger
    Warren Mack McKanna
    Max Sabin
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