North American a/c designs

Has anyone else noticed that the North American aircraft designers seemed to have the edge? The P-51 was a great example, as was the XB-70.

However the plane I think was the most amazing was the A3J or the A5 after the idiot McNamara redesignated it. The amazing Vidilante!!! The origional plane was produced in he late 50s. Just look at it—it was basically the father of all the great fighter planes of the 70s. The F-14, the F-15, the Mig 29 and several other Russian planes followed the basic layout of the A-5. Also if you read some of the history of the A-5 NA to begin with submitted the plane with the twin rudders that the 70s fighters ended up with. The mockup looked just like a large F-15.

I first saw the Vigilante at an airshow at Moffett Field in the late fifties when I was stationed there. I was so taken by the beauty of the plane I took half a roll of film of it.

The edge I first mentioned came true in Nam. By then it was used as a photo recon plane. On missions it was protected by F-4s. Both the A5 and the F4s had twin GE J79 engines. But after the photos were taken the pilots of the A5 throttled up and headed for the barn to get away from any harm. They were leaving so fast it left the F4 pilots screaming slow down so we can keep up.

As I say it was a beautiful fast forerunner of a whole generation of fighters. North American engineers seemed to be at least 10 years ahead of everyone else!!!