The AC-47 gun ship

[Cranky]

Never heard about this one.....

 

[DeltaV]

Good stuff

https://www.historynet.com/strange-gunship-operations-in-the-vietnam-war.htm

 

[tmaleck]

I built a Revell model of this plane when I was a kid.

 

[Ranger16]

I never had support from them, but I have heard of them. It was rumored, that with all 3 guns traversing and searching, they could place one round in every square foot of a foot ball filed.

 

[Curiousyellow71]

Thanks for sharing! My Dad always talked about Puff the magic dragon raining the fire down. He was in Vietnam served as a Navy Seabee, worked on Diesel generators. He still struggles with plenty from being over there, even though it was '69.
He hopped from job to job usually on helicopters. He asked the helicopter pilots " if they had room for him?"...and they would say sure...hang on to this rail. He would sit in the door on the floor holding his toolbox with one hand and the rail w the other...with his feet on the landing gear... I think he made it through the war thanks to Puff the magic dragon. Thankfully! As I came 2 years later!

 

[Sahara]

I have a book on these. Some had freakin’ cannons on them, as well as mini guns. There’s a few good videos out there of spooky working out. I can’t imagine being on the receiving end.

 

[Photon440]

I built a Revell model of this plane when I was a kid.

I remember that model too.

 

[snakeyes]

there was a thread about both of the gunships in Viet Nam with a good back on them and videos

 

[Hemi 354]

I spent 3 1/2 years in Vietnam / Thailand. I flew on the AC-47 about 4 or 5 times, until we finally got the AC-130 (2nd version of the gunship) . Usually, it was night flights that took us over the trail in search of trucks, etc....and in support of Fire bases. In my final year there (71-72) I was assigned to the 18th SOS (Special Operations Squadron) flying out of Phan Rang and NKP on the 3rd version of the Gunship, now a AC-119. Depending on which one you were on -- AC-119G (Shadow) or the AC-119K (Stinger) of which the AC-119K models had JATO, and were armed differently. We had night scopes, ECM, FLIR, Side-Looking Radar, M61 Vulcan Cannons, + 20MM, etc. Please refer to my avatar to see my Squadron patch...."Vengeance by Night" Boy, what a ride that was.

 

[Ranger16]

He would sit in the door on the floor holding his toolbox with one hand and the rail w the other...with his feet on the landing gear..

Brings back memories. I made many air assaults in that position in '68 (substituting an M16 for the tool box of coarse).

 

[Curiousyellow71]

Brings back memories. I made many air assaults in that position in '68 (substituting an M16 for the tool box of coarse).

Dad said it was pretty spectacular seeing the tracer rounds in the jungle at night from the door opening of the helicopter.

 

[dadsbee]

Anyone wants to build a full scale model I have a few used and NOS engine cowlings for the C-47..

 

[Ranger16]

Dad said it was pretty spectacular seeing the tracer rounds in the jungle at night from the door opening of the helicopter.

I can only imagine. I always saw them from the other end. Still pretty spectacular.

 

[Sahara]

Anyone wants to build a full scale model I have a few used and NOS engine cowlings for the C-47.. View attachment 1083390 View attachment 1083391 View attachment 1083392 View attachment 1083393 View attachment 1083394

I’ve got five or six of the old Collins 618 HF aircraft radios I could toss in...

 

[tallhair]

I did one of my speeches on this plane at the SNCOA in Alabama.

Cone of death. Check it out.

 

[tallhair]

And the best part was they could loiter ... for hours



That BRRRR sound is the Gatling gun

 

[tallhair]

This was a cargo plane with lots of room to store more gattling gun food.

 

[Ironbuilt]

Thank you everyone, for educating me on those awesome aircraft.

 

[Sahara]

I’ve had this book for a few decades, there must be others but this is all I have. Lots of cool history, and paint schemes and colour images for the model builders.

 

[tallhair]

Thank you everyone, for educating me on those awesome aircraft.

These spooks saved many lives. I recall in my research reading about an 18 year old young man who had just arrived in Vietnam and was scared to death when surrounded and overwhelmed, many and most of his unit was killed and he thought he would be too.

but fortunately a spooky showed and held the enemy at bay and decimated them until he and his surviving comrades could be rescued by the extremely brave Jolly Green pilots and crew.