Found insideHe had never seenthe gunships—AC47, called Puff the Magic Dragon, ... the AC54, AC119, AC130—whose primary weapons were the 7.62mm Gatling gun andthe 20mm ... It was officially called the “Spooky,” unofficially “Puff the Magic Dragon.” The U.S. Air Force (USAF) stopped operating AC-47s in Southeast Asia toward the end of 1969; most of the aircraft were turned over to the Vietnamese Air Force and the Royal Laotian Air Force. A more advanced aircraft than the AC-47D to begin with, the more heavily armed AC-119G Shadow mounted four side firing 7.62 millimeter six-barrel GAU-1/A miniguns as well as an AVQ-8 xenon . The tests were successful, and more C-47s were converted in the following months, with varying armaments. The mighty dragon Puff evolved from very humble beginnings. The AC-47 Spooky continued to be successfully tested (for the Americans) in early 1965. Found inside – Page 192... drone of “Puff the Magic Dragon” (US Air Force AC-47 gunship) was heard circling ... then, the buzzing of the gunship's weapon reached our ears with a ... In Panama in 1989, gunships destroyed the Panamanian Defense Force Headquarters and numerous command and control facilities by what the Air Force called a “surgical employment of ordnance in an urban environment.”. Join us in the quest to explore the innovative grassroots initiative, its members, and how they built a global community of gamers in less than a year. The Air Force introduced the AC-47 into its weapons system in 1964, and it was an unqualified success. They accounted for at least 5,300 enemy killed, and hundreds of enemy trucks destroyed or damaged. Preliminary tests were run, and the gunship flew its first-day combat mission on December 14, 1964, firing on enemy sampans, trails and staging areas. These advantages permitted the AC-130 to have more and larger armament, more ordnance, and more speed. AC-130 HÉRCULES. . The main problem was, you usually only had one shot. The U.S. Air Force (USAF) stopped operating AC-47s in Southeast Asia toward the end of 1969; most of the aircraft were turned over to the Vietnamese Air Force and the Royal Laotian Air Force. Found insideLAZY DOGS were no more inhumane or indiscriminate than a 500lb high-explosive bomb or a Douglas AC-47 Spooky (aka “Puff the Magic Dragon”) gunship mounting ... The AC-130 Spectre was a larger and much more modern aircraft. By then, the two converted gunships had flown 16 combat and 7 training missions. By the spring of 1969 there were six AC-130A “Spectre” gunships operating in Southeast Asia. Reports have it that, on occasion, just the sound of one of them flying overhead and the dropping of the first giant flare was enough to break off an enemy attack. Therefore, success in Vietnam might saddle the command with a number of aircraft that would prove useless and vulnerable where it really counted, in Europe. By 1969, the old AC-47s were beginning to wear out, and it was no longer feasible to keep rebuilding and maintaining them. All AC-119G and K gunships were equipped with four miniguns and a NOD (Night Observation Device) or starlight optical sensor. The need for fighter planes to be fast and highly maneuverable seriously restricts the weight and bulk of the guns and ammunition that can be fitted into them; this limits their ability to strafe ground targets. Its efforts successfully halted the Viet Cong assault. Before the addition of the flare launcher, the crews of gunships had only two crude but innovative defenses against the heat-seeking SA-7 Strela missiles commonly used by the enemy. Found inside – Page 13A History of the AC-130 Gunship William P. Head ... they eventually called “ Spooky ” or “ Puff the Magic Dragon ” to suppress enemy attacks against Special ... 23 Jun 2011 | Posted by vlogger. Currently, the Columbian Air Force continues to use a variant of the AC-47 known as the Basler BT-67, or as “ghost plane” to Columbian citizens. For a full evolution timeline and great 7 link fact filled read, check out this link. During its short combat career, the prototype was determined to be the most cost-effective close-support and interdictive craft in the U.S. Air Force arsenal. The AC-47 was a United States Air Force C-47, (the . Four squadrons of these ships flew more than 20,000 missions, day and The AC-130 also carried more equipment than the AC-47 for detecting targets at night: a side-looking radar, an infrared device that could detect the engines of trucks by their heat, and a starlight scope that could amplify images in dim light. The first was to provide heavy firepower to ground forces engaged in combat in South Vietnam. The C-47 was first brought to Vietnam in November 1961 but was primarily used as a transport and cargo ship for the Americans. The flying maneuver that was necessary for this type of precision fire mission was to circle the enemy position in a tightly banked “pylon turn” while firing from side-mounted guns. The AC-47s were armed with three 7.62 miniguns, each capable of firing up to 6,000 rounds per minute, in one side of the fuselage; several tons of ammunition were also loaded on board. Found inside – Page 111The gunship could carry 24,000 rounds of ammunition and 45 parachute flares ... and also earned the nickname " Puff the magic dragon , " from those who had ... Post was not sent - check your email addresses! The Douglas AC-47: Puff the Magic Dragon, Vietnam Gunship AC-47 Vietnam Call Sign: "Spooky" Background In the early-1960s, the Air Force Systems Command began experimenting with fixed-wing, side-firing weapons systems for possible use in Vietnam. The tactic was meant to confuse the missile’s infrared tracking system by giving it another “hot” target to lock onto; sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. Known variously as Puff the Magic Dragon, Dragon ships or just Spooky, the AC-47 gunship, with its broadside battery of GE miniguns, was a sight to behold. The predecessor of the first fixed-wing gunship used in Southeast Asia was the WWII twin . Shortly after their arrival, many C-47s were outfitted as “flare ships” and designated FC-47 (“F” for flare) to drop huge parachute flares over enemy positions during night attacks. The AC-47 Spooky was a repurposed cargo plane with modifications that became the first fixed-wing gunship used in Southeast Asia. Many C-47s were eventually outfitted as “flare ships” and were thereby designated as FC-47s (F standing for flare in this case). An Air Force team was dispatched to Bien Hoa Air Force Base outside Saigon in December 1964 to convert two C-47s into gunships for evaluation. The latest version of the gunship, the AC-130J, continues to be well traveled. Mm guns and the newest gunship, the ACU, is equipped with 25mm, 40mm and mm weapons. The AC-47 was a United States Air Force C-47, (the . These weapons fired up to 6,000 rounds per minute and the aircraft carried 54,000 rounds. These C-47s, armed with as many as 3 GE miniguns and 10 Browning AN/M2 machine guns fitted to fire from the left hand side of the plane, were dubbed Spooky and Puff the Magic Dragon due to their . The North V. Initially three miniguns per ship would be fixed-mounted in a side-firing configuration. Even when stationary and hidden under heavy foliage, the new system could detect heat rising from still-warm engines. Off in the distance came the faint drone of a large propeller-driven aircraft. The Douglas AC-47 Spooky (also nicknamed "Puff, the Magic Dragon") was the first in a series of gunships developed by the United States Air . It carried four 7.62-mm miniguns, and also four 20-mm Vulcan cannons. The last American AC-47 combat mission happened on December 1, 1969, by the 4th Special Operations Squadron, formally the 4th Air Commando Squadron. In 1963, our singing group, Peter Paul and Mary, recorded a song called ''Puff the Magic . Found insideHe talks about a gunship named Puff the Magic Dragon. “'Send Puff out here,' we used to say when we called our superiors to tell them we needed more weapons ... Found inside – Page 99Gunships By the late 1950s American-owned Bofors Guns were being gradually ... The first gunship was the AC-47D ('Puff the Magic Dragon'), a conversion of a ... Out of the 53 AC-47 Spooky’s delivered to Vietnam, about 41 of them saw combat service throughout the Vietnam War. The mighty dragon Puff evolved from very humble beginnings. The gunship concept would be used in two very different roles. Found inside... gunships with three side-firing 7.62-mm Gatling guns. allied forces used what they called Spooky, or “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” to suppress enemy attacks ... Busy days. Between November 1970 and January 1971, six more “E” model gunships arrived in SE Asia. Unfortunately there were not enough of them available at the time, so the C-119G Flying Boxcar transport planes would be used until sufficient C-130s were available. In November 1963, FC-47s flung more than seven thousand flares over enemy positions. THIS KIT FEATURES A HEAVILY armed version of the stalwart Douglas C-47, used as an aerial gunship in the Vietnam War. When Puff unleashed that first six-second burst every man knew instantly what it was. These experiments earned high praises for the concept and caused officers to compare the Guns A Go-Go with the Air Force's lethal C-47, dubbed "Puff the Magic Dragon". In fact the concept had been proposed in the years leading up to the Second World War. Puff, the Magic Dragon - the AC-47 Gunship. The effectiveness of this type of gun-ship depended on the planes’ ability to direct concentrated fire on specific enemy positions, and enough power and space to carry the necessary armaments that were required. The Columbian Air Force has about six AC-47T gunships in its inventory. In recent years, Spectre gunships have provided support for NATO ground forces in Sarajevo. What weapons are on the AC 130? "The Dragonship", "Puff, the Magic Dragon" The People, the Places, The Mission In August 1965, the 4th Commando Squadron was established as the first operational unit flying AC-47s. Close-air support was the most appropriate use for the “G” model. Found inside – Page 84... hand grenades, mortars and artillery guns of various shapes and sizes, the Huey and Cobra gunships and Puff the Magic Dragon (those were C-47 up-gunned ... During its 38-day combat evaluation, the Surprise gunship destroyed 178 enemy trucks, damaged 63 others, and logged 37 vehicles as “results not observed.” In addition, it attacked three antiaircraft sites, destroying one and causing major explosions at the other two. In 1956 alone, the gunships flew 277 combat missions, fired 137,136 rounds and 2548 flares. The basic gunship concept is quite simple: an aircraft flying in a level turn around a point on the ground (as if tethered to a pylon, hence called a “pylon turn”) can deliver fairly accurate firepower from guns firing perpendicular to the line of flight. The C-47 was chosen as the test plane. The Surprise Package variant of the AC-130A, carrying two 40-mm Bofors cannon originally designed as anti-aircraft guns, plus two 20-mm guns, underwent its first combat trial in December 1969; the 40-mm cannon became standard equipment for the AC-130 during 1970. 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.It was designed to provide more firepower than light and medium ground-attack aircraft in certain situations when ground forces called for close air support Toward the end of 1966, modified AC-47s with added armor and fire extinguishers were being sent to Nakhon Phanom in Thailand, to be used for operations in Laos, where the danger of ground fire was too great for the unarmored AC-47s used for missions in South Vietnam. These 7.62 mm mini guns held a rate-of-fire of 6000 rounds per minute, or, in other words, could cover every square foot of a football field with one round in one minute. The Douglas AC-47 Spooky was an effective gunship. In August 1965, the 4th Air Commando Squadron operated a total of five aircraft, but by the end of the year, a total of 26 planes had been converted to AC-47s. The AC-119 and the AC-130 succeeded the AC-47 in the gunship role with their greater capacity and better . Not a single hamlet or fort defended by Puff was ever overrun. The other was to interdict enemy logistics in Laos. It has been around for quite a while. The resulting advanced model was designated the AC-130E, and began arriving at Ubon AFB in Laos during October 1970. Found inside – Page 1033... 3 mounted with these fantastic Gatling guns on the side ? General HOLZAPPLE . Yes , Puff the Magic Dragon , is the original gunship . Senator MCINTYRE . To appease these pilots, the new aircraft was officially designated the AC-47, meaning attack/ cargo. It was officially designated ACH-47A by US Army Attack Cargo Helicopter and unofficially Guns A Go-Go. Coupled with the Revenant's fairly . Their mission was to respond with flares and firepower support of friendly positions under night attack, convoy escort, armed reconnaissance, close-air support, and interdiction. Answer (1 of 12): Hello, Apologies for the delayed answer. In addition, a flare-launching system equipped with 24 chaff flares to counter SAMs (Surface-to-Air Missiles) was installed. Both the AC-130H and third-generation AC-130U Spooky pack a lethal combination of . Found inside – Page 10... and automatic weapons , attacked through the breach in the wire . ... Douglas AC - 47 flare plane and gunship the Marines called “ Puff the Magic Dragon ...
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