The usaf finally gives its acw gunship the big gun it. Ac gunship is a heavilyarmed groundattack aircraft. Air force armament museum, fort walton beach picture. This military aircraft was developed during the vietnam war. No way to treat a lady first hand account combat story. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. The spooky ac is one of the ground attack aircraft variants of the c hercules transport plane. The ac u spooky and ac w stinger ii variants are used to support ground troops, escort convoys, and in towns and cities. The ac spooky ii gunship is a standard c transport aircraft engineered for closeair support combat. Spooky gunship operations in the vietnam war historynet. This particular aircraft air force serial number 533129 was the first production hercules built. Other missions include perimeter and point defense, escort, landing, drop and extraction zone support, forward air control, limited command and control, and combat search and rescue. The ach and acu gunships have served with distinction in both iraq and in afghanistan.
For the ac to perform its mission, it needs the air force to achieve air dominance or air superiority. The spooky, a close air support variant of the lockheed ac hercules aircraft. The douglas ac47 spooky also nicknamed puff, the magic dragon was the first in a series of fixed wing gunships developed by the united states air force during the vietnam war. Background the spooky is the third generation of c gunships. Two pilots are awarded dfcs after flying spooky hercules gunship. Between spooky and spectre there were shadow and stinger.
Acu spooky gunship 1122 scale by mastercraft models part number pw07047 at. The lockheed martin ac spookyspectre is an gunship, that is used by the united states air force for close air support. The ac spectre is a gunship version of the ubiquitous hercules transport aircraft. In 1987, north american rockwell began to modify the c hercules airframe, manufactured by the lockheed martin aeronautics company, for the ac gunship. In 2007, the c became the fifth aircraft to mark 50 years of continuous service with its original primary customer, which for the c is the united states air force. Book depository books with free delivery worldwide. Compilation with the ac ac h spectre, ac u spooky ii, ac w stinger ii during conducting live fire missions during exercise emerald warrior. Jan 20, 2016 the acs navigational devices include inertial navigation systems and global positioning systems. Upgrade your style with gunship tshirts from zazzle. Continuing the distinguished combat history of sidefiring ac gunships, the acu spooky gunship was fielded in the 1990s as a replacement for the remaining aca aircraft and to. The ach spectre gunships primary missions are close air. The hercules family has the longest continuous production run of any military aircraft in history. Compilation with the ac ach spectre, acu spooky ii, acw stinger ii during conducting live fire missions during exercise emerald warrior. The cj is a comprehensive update of the lockheed c hercules, with new engines, flight deck, and other systems.
With three side firing weapons, a 25mm gatling gun. Deadly ac gunship in action firing all its cannons the ac is the worlds biggest flying artillery gunship, nicknamed hell in the sky. The lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed, longendurance groundattack variant of the c hercules transport fixedwing aircraft. The cjsof is the 10th production variant of the super hercules. The usaf finally gives its acw gunship the big gun it desperately needs the service did not originally plan to put the hardhitting 105mm howitzer on. The basic airframe is a c hercules which is then converted into a gunship and for aircraft support. Description development of the ac begun with a requirement in the vietnam war, where an aircraft with more. Aboard the ac spectre gunship, he flew a total of 287 combat missions over laos, south vietnam, and cambodia, in pursuit of the truck traffic coming down the ho chi minh trail. This quarter there have been some great stories of the c and a history of the gunship on the internet. Rustark 21pcs modeler basic tools craft set hobby building tools kit for gundam car model building. With three side firing weapons, a 25mm gatling gun, a 40mm bofors cannon, and a 105mm howitzer, its easy. The newest version, the acu spectre gunship, replaced the original aca and represented a major advancement.
The lockheed ac gunship is a heavilyarmed groundattack aircraft variant of the c hercules transport plane. As i had heard that they put diving weights on babies there, to keep the mosquitoes from carrying. Burns, an aerial gunner assigned to the deadliest squadron in air force history. The basic airframe is manufactured by lockheed, while boeing is responsible for the conversion into a gunship and for aircraft support. The story of spooky, shadow, stinger and spectre mutza, wayne on. The hercules cargo airframe was converted into aca project gunship ii because it could fly faster, longer, higher and with increased munitions load capabilities. Plans announced in april 2010 are for afsoc to acquire 15 of the new acjs, based on new production airframes from lockheed martin. The lockheed martin cj super hercules is a fourengine turboprop military transport aircraft. During vietnam, gun ships destroyed more than 10,000 trucks and were credited with many lifesaving close air support missions. The air commando association stories on the lockheed c. It is a variant of the c hercules transport plane. Lockheed ach spectre acu spooky close airsupport cas air interdiction force protection gunship the lockheed ac is a specialmission gunship variant of the storied c hercules highwing transport. It is a variation of the c hercules transport plane.
The lockheed gunship is a heavily armed groundattack aircraft variant of the hercules transport plane. The acu gunship has completed its final combat deployment the u. Amer 1200 scale ac gunship groundattack aircraft fighter diecast metal military plane model toy for collectiongift. The douglas ac 47 spooky also nicknamed puff, the magic dragon was the first in a series of fixed wing gunships developed by the united states air force during the vietnam war. Jan 27, 2015 an ac is a precision strike platform in itself. The ac a gunship ii superseded the ac 47 gunship i in vietnam. The aca gunship ii superseded the ac47 gunship i during the vietnam war.
All gunships evolved from the first operational gunship, the ac 47 the ac gunship has a combat history dating to vietnam. Ac aircraft provide close air support, air interdiction and armed reconnaissance in support of special operation forces sof. Lockheed ac spectre spooky gunship section with description, specifications, pictures and videos. Buy ac gunship military aircraft shaped challenge coin. The ac relies heavily on visual targeting at low altitudes and punishes enemy targets while performing pylon turns around a fixed point on the ground during attack. Air force in nearly every major military conflict cars, houses, motorcycles, models and lifestyle the blacklist polo club gunship of special forces. The ac spooky gunships primary missions are close air support, air interdiction and armed reconnaissance. Continuing the distinguished combat history of sidefiring ac gunships, the ac u spooky gunship was fielded in the 1990s as a replacement for the remaining ac a aircraft and to. Oct 27, 20 the ac u spooky gunships, located at hurlburt field, fla. Acu spooky gunship 1122 scale by mastercraft models. Marines to turn super hercules, osprey fleets into missile slinging electronic. During the vietnam war, the c hercules was selected to replace the douglas ac47 spooky gunship project gunship i to improve mission endurance and increase capacity to carry munitions.
The spooky umodel is the third generation of c gunships. The ac is the worlds biggest flying artillery gunship nicknamed hell in the sky. During the vietnam war the c hercules airframe was selected to replace the original gunship, the douglas ac47 spooky project gunship i. Lockheed martin announce cjsof super hercules gunship. Ac gunship military aircraft shaped challenge coin. The gunships sole user is the united states air force, which uses ac h spectre and ac u spooky variants. The type was adopted by the us air force usaf in 1968. During the vietnam war the c hercules airframe was selected to replace the original gunship, the douglas ac47 spooky project. Unlike the transport version which is in service in many countries throughout the world the spectre has only seen service in the usaf. The air force is the only operator of the ac and the gunship has been providing close air. In addition, afsoc will retain their remaining acu spectres, while retiring older gunships based on earlier hercules models.
Keefe xingbao toys military series set ac air gunship building kit 06023 no original box,new in sealed bag only 19 left in stock order soon. The aca gunship ii superseded the ac47 gunship i in the vietnam war. Aircrew of the acu gunship spooky 41 with hurlburt fields 4th special operations squadron were honored at the military facility in fort. The ac gunship has a combat history dating to vietnam. It contains 3 weapons the models are based on the zu23 aa gun. The gunships sole user is the united states air force, which uses ac h spectre, ac u spooky, ac j ghostrider, and ac w stinger ii2 variants for close air support, air interdiction and force. It precisely delivers very low yield munitions with a 30 mm gun and a 105 and theyre very inexpensive to deliver, heithold said. Deadly ac gunship in action firing all its cannons youtube. The ach spectre and the acu spooky primary missions are close air support. The ach spectre gunships primary missions are close air support, air interdiction and armed reconnaissance. It was designed to provide more firepower than light and medium groundattack aircraft in certain situations when ground forces called for close air support.
Known variously as puff the magic dragon, dragon ships or just spooky, the ac47 gunship, with its broadside battery of ge miniguns, was a sight to behold. It is powerful enough to provide close air support to ground troops and also against insurgents. United states air force achu gunship download fact sheet tools printable fact sheet mission the ac gunships primary missions are. Its armed with a single sidemounted 25 mm gau12 equalizer gatling gun capable of unloading 1800 rounds a minute. Air force video offers a rare glimpse inside an ac spooky ii gunship during a livefire exercise over florida. It carries a wide array of ground attack weapons that are integrated with sophisticated sensors, navigation, and firecontrol systems. Some great stories on the lockheed c hercules and history of the gunship. The lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed, longendurance, groundattack variant of the c hercules transport, fixedwing aircraft. How the ac destroyed at least 20 vehicles per night. Capable of flying faster than helicopters and at high altitudes with excellent loiter time, the use of the pylon turn allowed the ac47 to deliver continuous, accurate fire to a single point on the ground. The lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed groundattack aircraft variant of the c hercules transport plane. The basic airframe is manufactured by lockheed, while boeing is responsible for.
The video includes handling of the gunships unique weapon systems, some. Air force said its acu, known as the spooky, has returned stateside from its last scheduled deployment. During its years of service, the hercules family has participated in numerous military, civilian and humanitarian aid operations. The port side of the ac houses firing ports for an array of. Lockheed martin say that the aircraft is specifically intended to meet the unique demands associated with executing operations of strategic importance in. Military attack aircraft ac gunship united states air force fighter jet pictures wall art canvas frame art home decor 5 panel poster living room decorations paintings60wx32h. His squadron destroyed more than fifteen thousand trucks loaded with war munitions. Ac gunship airplane aircraft model is made from the highest quality mahogany wood and workmanship. The lockheed ac is a c cargo plane converted into a gunship. The lockheed martin ac spectre gunship is a heavily armed ground attack variant of the c hercules. The acs navigational devices include inertial navigation systems and global positioning systems.
In june, with the rainy season shutting down the air war in laos, all the ac s were sent back to the states for refitting. This is americas lethal ac gunship on steroids the. Discussion in off topic discussion started by 9outof10mms, feb 7, 2014. Minicraft model kits cj30 super hercules model kit. Home military aviation how the ac destroyed at least 20 vehicles per night during vietnam war how the ac destroyed at least 20 vehicles per night during vietnam war. Jul 14, 2017 lockheed martin officials introduced the cjsof, a super hercules configured for special operations requirements. The lockheed martin ach spectre retired, acu spooky, acw stinger ii, and acj ghostrider new are fixedwing gunship variants of the c hercules military transport aircraft. Captain terry returned to vietnam in september 1967, this time to test the gunship variant of the c transport.
Effective range of the gun is about 3,000 meters 9,800 feet. The port side of the ac houses firing ports for an array of cannons, howitzers and gatling guns. The acs achieved impressive results due in part to higher. Minicraft model kits boeing stratotanker model kit 1144 scale. The acu spooky gunships, located at hurlburt field, fla. The lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed ground attack aircraft currently in service with the united states air force. The story of spooky, shadow, stinger, and spectre tells the dramatic story of transforming military cargo transports into deadly groundattack aircraft used by the u. The acj ghostrider will get a big ass gun afterall. They were going to close the base, and it looked like blytheville was high on the list. It also employs a bofors 40mm antiaircraft autocannonthink a machine gun that fires artillery shellsas well as a 105 mm m102 howitzer that. Military videos angel of death ac gunship in action. Deadly ac gunship in action firing all its cannons. Therefore, the wright r3350powered ac119 was also selected for the gunship. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search.
Compilation with the ac ach spectre, acu spooky ii, acw stinger ii during conducting live fire missions during exercise emerald warrior 20. The acus capability to track and engage two targets simultaneously with different levels of ordnance is an invaluable asset to special operations forces on the ground. This replica model is made and available factory direct from scalecraft models. Though the hercules is developed by lockheed, the conversion to a gunship and to a support fighter is done by boeing. See more ideas about gunship, military aircraft, ac gunship. Spectre had its beginning when operational testing of a c as a gunship was conducted at eglin afb fl from june through september of 1967. With three sidefiring weaponsa 25mm gatling gun, a 40mm bofors cannon, and a 105mm howitzerits easy to see why it got its name. The lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed, longendurance, ground attack variant of the c hercules transport, fixedwing aircraft. The squadron plans, prepares, and executes ac spooky gunship. Finally, af fixedwing gunships starting with ac47 spookys, the ac119g shadow, the ac119k stinger and acaeh spectres made a significant contribution to the us war effort in vietnam. The original ac spectre, super spooky, was stationed at ubon air force base the following year and conducted interdiction raids along the ho chi minh trail.
Compilation with the ac ach spectre, acu spooky ii, acw stinger ii during conducting live fire missions during exercise emerald warrior 2011 2016. Like many of the specialised versions of the hercules the spectre came out of the involvement of the us in the vietnam war. Hercules ac spectre gunship scale model build youtube. Ac spectre spooky gunship being mothballed carolina. Ac gunship spectrespookyghost rider or better known as puff the magic dra check out tripadvisor members 4,954 candid photos and videos of air force armament museum. It replaced the previous douglas ac 47 spooky gunship.