Developed from the A-5 nuclear bomber and used in a reconnaissance role, the RA-5C Vigilante was the largest and fastest aeroplane ever to operate from the deck of an aircraft carrier. During the Vietnam War it sustained the highest loss ratio of any American aircraft in that conflict. This volume includes compelling accounts of combat missions over key communist targets, where crews dodged Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs) and anti-aircraft fire to secure all-important mission photographs. Written by a Vigilante combat veteran this book is crammed full of action-packed first-hand accounts.

Author Biography

Robert 'Boom' Powell had a 20-year career as a naval aviator, flying both the Vigilante and A-4 Skyhawk in combat over Vietnam. Leaving the Navy to join Pan Am in the 1980s, he now flies B747-400 freighters across the globe. This is his first book for Osprey. Jim Laurier attended Paier School of Art in Hamden and has been working professionally in the field of Fine Art and Illustration ever since. As a pilot he combines his love of history with his flying experiences to create some of the most realistic and historically accurate aviation paintings seen today. Jim has aviation paintings on permanent display at the Pentagon and has been published in many books, magazines, and calendars.