RA5C VIGILANTE AIRCRAFT ABOARD THE USS RANGER VIETNAM ERA (SILENT FILM) 80354

This silent footage shot aboard USS Ranger (CVA 61) shows RA-5C Vigilante aircraft operating off Vietnam. The RA-5C was a reconnaissance variant of the Vigilante. 69 of the aircraft were built by North American, plus 20 were redesignated and 61 converted from earlier variants. Based on a slate (8:08), we believe this film dates to the week of May 6, 1968 and features Carrier Air Wing 2 (CARAIRWING TWO) CVW-2. It’s unclear why the film was shot, but it might represent an operational test of the aircraft, which was the largest and fastest airplane to ever operate from an aircraft carrier.. At this time, USS Ranger had just completed a combat deployment at Yankee Station off the coast of South Vietnam. On May 5 (the day before this film was shot), the ship made a port of call at Hong Kong and then headed home. There followed a shipyard availability at Puget Sound that ended with Ranger’s departure 29 July for San Francisco. Three months of leave, upkeep and training culminated in another WestPac deployment 26 Oc