Reviews : Trumpeter RA5C Vigilante Aircraft

The two fuselage halves came out of the box warped (well documented problem for this kit) which was corrected by using a Nautilus brace (available via the web). The fuselage seams required much filler and sanding as did the wing joints and intakes. The detail on the kit is somewhat overdone but nothing a light sanding didn't cure. The flaps and slats come as separate pieces from the wing and are designed to be built in the down position, however the Vigilante when shut down commands the slats and flaps to retract. When built in this configuration the slats and flaps are actually thicker than the wing which leads to some heavy sanding. I also had problems with the canopies fitting correctly. They seemed to be too narrow for the fuselage and took some work to fit. I guess if I had built the model with the canopies open this would have been a non-issue. Finally, make sure you got some room for this one!!! It is BIG!!! Overall, even with all the issues this is still a nice kit (and currently the only one on the market in this scale) that I am aware of at least!!!

I was delighted that Trumpeter put out a 1/48 Vigilante for us, the first ever in this scale. I was prime kid building age when we saw reports of RA-5C ops over Vietnam. And as noted, it is really big. My worst build problem was the positionable leading edge slats: if you want them in place on the wings, the top and bottom slats make up a thickness greater than the wing surface where they attach. A serious modeler who knew about this in advance might want to shim the front seam of the wings. The rest of the build went normally for me. I used the kit decals; they were satisfactory. But contrary to the instructions, if your Vigilante is fitted out for photo recon missions, it should not carry any ordnance or even the pylons on the wings. Finally, be aware that customer support is a concept entirely lost on the folks at Trumpeter, so whatever you do, don't spoil the clear parts or shatter your landing gear.

Trumpeter did a good job on this model but there are some issues that need to be addressed. The rudder/vertical stabilizer tip is not the right shape but it's an easy fix. The long fuselage seams are prone to popping open and as other reviewers have pointed out, the Nautilus brace for this kit is the best solution to deal with the problem and it is also designed to allow the use of the Aires J-79 afterburner set and their wheel well set. The cockpit isn't bad but if you want to display it with open canopies you need to add locking rails, operating handles, lifting actuators and hinges. It's not a bad kit, it just needs some attention to make it better.

First of all you'll need to clear some space on your shelf for this this airplane because it's big and free some time from your schedule. You'll need Nautilus Brace or some other home made structural element to align the fuselage half's. the decals that come with the kit are great but i use aftermarket alternatives. the cockpit if your modeling the airplane with closed canopies is also quit good. if your planning to pose them open then you'll need to add some details or use resin cockpit.

This is a long awaited kit for my collection. The Nautilus brace really helps out during assembly of the fuselage & keeps things aligned. Very straight forward construction of all other components. This kit will look great on my shelf of 1/48 U.S. Navy aircraft.

The upper fuselage part was not fully formed. At the back where the tail goes is a huge gap in the plastic. Check before you open.

Great kit lots of detail for size goes together nicely