North American placed a linear weapons bay between the Vigilante's engine tailpipes so that its nuclear weapon could be expelled rearward in high-speed flight. Two internal fuel tanks emptied before the target and then left the aircraft with the weapon, acting as aerodynamic stabilizers. Rearward ejection allowed the bomber to release its payload while maintaining a fast, clean flight profile. It was an unconventional solution to carrying a nuclear store internally in a supersonic carrier aircraft.
Notable Point · 3:27-5:34
The Vigilante's rear-ejecting linear bomb bay
The A-5's unusual linear bomb bay ejected a nuclear weapon and empty fuel tanks rearward between its two engines.