Vigilante - straight or curved intakes? TWO

[Space Tiger Hobbes]

I know what's shown in the attached photo, but does anyone know if these planes actually had the straight edge intakes or the curved edge intakes? Thanks. (Mod, free to delete the previous post. My connectivity stinks.)

Edited May 20, 2017 by Space Tiger Hobbes
added delete for mod

[efd327]

156608 would have the straight intakes.  148925 had curved intakes.

Edited May 20, 2017 by efd327
Incorrect information in initial post.

[Space Tiger Hobbes]

Thanks. I bought a set of resin intakes before I knew there was a difference. I'm not so caught up on one or another version that I'm going to buy another set just because the markings don't match if I can help it.

[Tailspin Turtle]

Note that engines were different too, among other things: http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2010/12/vigilante.html

[Space Tiger Hobbes]

Thanks for the link. So I have the later straight inlets but I bought the earlier Aires engines instead of the later J-79s, which I assume I could source from any later Phantom kit or aftermarket engines?

 

[jpk]

Quote

Yes, any later J79-10 exhaust will work, F-4J/S or F-4E

 

[Tailspin Turtle]

There wasn't a very good illustration comparing the nozzles in that link. See http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2012/12/j79-exhaust-nozzles.html

 

However, I'm still looking for good pictures of the -8 and -10 nozzles in the A-5.

[Paul Boyer]

Seems to me there was a wing leading-edge extension on the later ones, too, if I am not mistaken. Can't remember if that was tied to the intake profile shape or not.

 

 

[Tailspin Turtle]

11 hours ago, Paul Boyer said:

Seems to me there was a wing leading-edge extension on the later ones, too, if I am not mistaken. Can't remember if that was tied to the intake profile shape or not.

 

 

As far as I know, it was. That's in the first link. There was also a different fairing added to the tip of the vertical fin for an antenna at some point. And a pair of antennas or sensors appears to have been added to the top of the fuselage on a few aircraft but nobody has told me what it is yet.

[picknpluck]

On 5/20/2017 at 0:09 PM, Tailspin Turtle said:

There wasn't a very good illustration comparing the nozzles in that link. See http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2012/12/j79-exhaust-nozzles.html

 

However, I'm still looking for good pictures of the -8 and -10 nozzles in the A-5.

Edited May 21, 2017 by picknpluck

[jpk]

Those appear to be the -8's in a late -10 airframe.

[Tailspin Turtle]

6 hours ago, jpk said:

Those appear to be the -8's in a late -10 airframe.

They probably are. The problem is while the -8s are obvious if you can see the collar (the upper portion of which is generally hidden by the A-5 airframe), the tips of the outer petals (they are not terminated straight across but have sort of eyelet on each end), the exterior of the outer petals (they do not have a smooth surface), the interior of the petals (there is an obvious longitudinal rib), or the nozzle is completely closed down as it would be between idle and military power, some pictures do not provide a good enough view of those features and in fact the most obvious, petal tips and interior actuator, are hidden by the red cover in the above pictures. However, the nozzle does appear to be closed down like a -8's and the exterior of the outer petals is not smooth.

[Falcon50EX]

Any chance the leading edge root extensions on the late-build aircraft had anything to do with reducing approach speeds? Its strictly an educated guess, but my take on the extended trailing edge on the RA-5s was its an earlier effort to either reduce landing speeds or maybe accommodate the higher gross weights of the recce versions.....?

 

Like i said strictly a guess.

 

-d-

[habu2]

Not to reduce landing speeds but to improve control at low (including landing?) speeds.

 

From Aerofax Minigraph #9 by Michael Grove & Jay Miller:

 

With the advent of the J79-GE-10, the increased mass flow requirements  of this engine led to a re-design of the Vigilante's intake configuration.   .....   Along with this upgrade, wing leading edge root extensions were added to enhance longitudinal control while operating in the low speed end of the performance envelope.

 

J79-GE-10s were installed at the factory in the last 36 airframes, BuNo 156608 thru 156643.  These airframes were essentially the "second" production run.

 

Early airframes from the initial production run (145157 thru 151728) that received AFC328 had provisions for installing either -8 or -10 J79s.  It's unclear (to me) if AFC328 included the larger intakes and root extensions but I assume it did.

 

The enlarged flaps, along with the blown leading edge flaps and the increased thrust of the J79-GE-8, increased the gross takeoff weight of the A3J-2 / A-5B by 60% over the A3J-1.  

 

 

[habu2]

On 5/20/2017 at 2:09 PM, Tailspin Turtle said:

However, I'm still looking for good pictures of the -8 and -10 nozzles in the A-5.

 

The Aerofax book has a small but clear photo of a -8 nozzle in 147856 on p. 47

 

The book also has a good selection of color photos. Worth searching for on amazon / ebay if you're a Vigi-fan.

[jpk]

I don't have much info on the Viggie, were any early RA-5C airframes updated to the latter version with the extended lex and -10 engines?