The ac is the worlds biggest flying artillery gunship nicknamed hell in the sky. The acs achieved impressive results due in part to higher operating altitudes and upgraded armaments that. The lockheed ac is a c cargo plane converted into a gunship. Kevin j fitzpatrick discusses the history and development of the united states air forces spectre gunship, its design and special features, and some of the missions it has flown in vietnam, panama, and in kosovo in. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and. The sound was indescribable, a deep guttural roar that anyone who has ever heard and lived, will always remember. Discusses the history and development of the united states air forces spectre gunship, its design and special features, and some of the missions it has flown in vietnam, panama, and in kosovo in 1991 this plane can fight. While other airframes and other types of close air support cas and interdiction weapon systems preceded or flew with the ac s, this fourengine cargo airframe proved to be not only the longest serving fixedwing gunship but also the most effective. It was the call sign of the last ac gunship shot down in combat. An amazing collection of information and photographs, the book details ever variant of the gunship, as well as the test beds for the weapons and sighting systems. The ac is flown by usaf special operations, mostly in the close air support role. The ac a gunship s principal advantages were more power four engines, more cargo space, and more cargocarrying capability. Just another date in spectre history 21 april 1970 the anniversary of gunship 541625 the warlord while truck hunting along the southern portion of the ho chi minh trail, in laos.
This video is graphic in content, view at your own discretion. 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. Continuing the distinguished combat history of sidefiring ac gunships, the new acu spectre gunship is being fielded as a replacement for the aca aircraft. Aboard the ac spectre gunship, he flew a total of 287 combat missions over laos, south vietnam, and cambodia, in pursuit of the. Ac spectre gunship annihilates entire taliban unit. The ac gunship and millions of other books are available for amazon. When the 16ths achs left afghanistan at the end of 20, other gunships quickly arrived to take their place.
Other roles include air interdiction preplanned airtoground strikes, armed. An entire mission is devoted to the ac in the game, where the player plays as the acs gun crew to support ground troops with the 25mm vulcan and the bofors. The newest version, the acu spectre gunship, replaced the original aca and represented a major advancement. We will post on this sight when the book is out for purchase. It carries a wide array of ground attack weapons that are integrated with sophisticated sensors, navigation, and firecontrol systems. Could one ac gunship have won the whole civil war. The c has an impressive resume of preposterous accomplishments with few limitations, postmodification. In 1987, north american rockwell began to modify the c hercules airframe, manufactured by the lockheed martin aeronautics company, for the ac gunship.
The story of spooky, shadow, stinger and spectre wayne mutza. The lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed, longendurance, groundattack variant of. Prior to the acs, aircrews flew the latest in the family of gunships which included the famous ac47 spooky, ac119g shadow, and the ac119k stinger. The ac h spectre gunships were fielded in 1972 and retired in 2015. Spirit 03 is a revered name in the afsoc community, often spoken of in hushed and pained tones. Readers will follow the history of the aircraft and learn about its military and performance. Head provides the first detailed study of the development and deployment of the ac gunship. Captain terry returned to vietnam in september 1967, this time to test the gunship variant of the c transport. Gunships destroyed more than 10,000 trucks and were credited with many lifesaving close air support missions.
The aca gunships principal advantages were more power four engines, more. The ac gunship has a combat history dating to vietnam. He includes some gunship exotica as well, such as the black spot nc123ks and the strange variety of gunships used by the south vietnamese, thai and khmer air forces. Acu spooky gunship sends ordnance to targets duration. This is a small synopsis from bill walter book covering the ac gunship. Book contains information and history on the ac47, ac119, and ac as well as other lesser known applications.
Readers will follow the history of the aircraft and learn about its military and performance specifications, as well as its advantages in the field. The lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed, longendurance, ground attack variant of. The aca prototype test program ended on december 12, 1967. This title explores the development and use of the achu gunship. The video includes handling of the gunships unique weapon systems, some. All gunships evolved from the first operational gunship, the ac47, to the ac119, and then the aca which was the basis for the modern c gunship. How the ac destroyed at least 20 vehicles per night. Usually the leadership of the army or the country that is the victim of your gunship wouldnt allow this. Features such as sidefiring weapons, sophisticated television and infrared. The gunship dropped flares on enemy positions and fired at them with its. The final evaluation stated that the ac had three times the combat effectiveness of the ac 47. 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.
The project gunship ii lockheed aca spectre was also in use at the time, but was in short supply due to the air forces need for standard c hercules airlifters to process the war in vietnam and meet worldwide airlift commitments. The lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed groundattack aircraft variant of the c hercules transport plane. Air force video offers a rare glimpse inside an ac spooky ii gunship during a livefire exercise over florida. The final evaluation stated that the ac had three times the combat effectiveness of the ac47. Another ac47 airman was awarded the medal of honor for his actions. All gunships evolved from the first operational gunship, the ac 47, to the ac 119, and then the ac a which was the basis for the modern c gunship. The point of view is from a black and white ir screen within the ac, giving a fairly authentic experience to the player. The ac gunship and the vietnam war warfare history network. During the first missions the spectre was also able to achieve an aerial victory when on may 8, 1969 an ac shot down an enemy helicopter, as told by wayne mutza in his book gunships the story. Airman 1st class john levitow was the loadmaster aboard that aircraft. The story of spirit 03, whilst sad, was also one of heroism the kind youd find in the us air force special operations command community.
The ac a prototype test program ended on december 12, 1967. Wayne mutza has a grand slam home run with the book gunships. The lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed ground attack aircraft currently in service with the united states air force. In december 1969, the ac123k began operations with the 16 sos. The insurgent forces, including some high value targets hvt, were using a local mosque as a venue for their terrorist meeting, so the ac air force special operations command personnel decide to wait until the enemy fighters leave the religious site so as not to upset the local population. The ach spectre and the acu spooky primary missions are close air support.
Deadly ac gunship in action firing all its cannons. The lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed, longendurance, groundattack variant of the c hercules transport, fixedwing aircraft. Need to land a massive cargo plane in a football stadium or on an aircraft carrier. The port side of the ac houses firing ports for an array of cannons, howitzers and gatling guns. Two months later, the service received the first of the newest gunship variant, the acj. The flying first lady americans have long had a fascination with arming airplanes. The books first half presents a fixedwing gunship history through the vietnam war. This is a soft cover book by squadronsignal publications by larry davis. The lockheed ac gunship is a heavilyarmed groundattack aircraft variant of the c hercules transport plane. During operation urgent fury in grenada in 1983, acs suppressed enemy air defense systems and attacked ground forces enabling the successful assault of the point salines. On february 24, 1969, an ac47 designated spooky 71 was defending the army base at long binh from a determined communist attack.
Aboard the ac spectre gunship, he flew a total of 287 combat missions over laos, south vietnam, and cambodia, in pursuit. It is a slightly smaller but similar looking cargo plane like the c. Unlike other modern military fixedwing aircraft, the ac relies on visual targeting. A mixture of ac gunship and apache helicopter flir footage taking out taliban forces. Therefore, the wright r3350powered ac119 was also selected for the gunship role. This program acquires new basic ch aircraft for modification and integration by boeing to the acu gunship configuration. Weapons and defense systems the spectre gunship crew. With three sidefiring weapons, a 25mm gatling gun, a 40mm bofors cannon, and a 105mm howitzer, its easy. The ach spectre gunships were fielded in 1972 and retired in 2015.
Italy has decided to get in on the game with a gunship version of the alenia c27j spartan, called the stinger. By january 2016, the flying branch still had nearly 30 of the older acus and acws. Probably not, unless its appearance and operation in a battle so terrified the other side that it decided to surrender. The basic airframe is manufactured by lockheed, while boeing is responsible for the conversion into a gunship and for aircraft support. The acu spooky and acw stinger ii variants are used to support ground troops, escort convoys, and in towns and cities. 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. Burns, an aerial gunner assigned to the deadliest squadron in air force history. The ac47 gunship, commonly referred to as spooky, packed a trio of miniguns in the cargo hold of a wwii transport and could churn out 6,000 rounds per minute, with spent brass streaming out the.
In 1912 when the aeroplane was only just 9years old, a us army officer brought a lewis machinegun up for a test flight, zipping rounds at targets on the ground below. Have an issue with a landing gear in the arctic and need to swap for snow skis with a rocket boost. The ac gunship and the vietnam war warfare history. It is a variation of the c hercules transport plane. Known as goon 76, the ac47t holds a special place in gunship history as the oldest gunship still fighting. The ac is the worlds biggest flying artillery gunship nicknamed hell in. While other airframes and other types of close air support cas and interdiction weapon systems preceded or flew with the acs, this fourengine cargo airframe proved to be not only the longest serving fixedwing gunship but also the most effective. The basic airframe is manufactured by lockheed, while boeing is responsible for. Pursuit onto nas lemoore ends when jeep crashes into f18 super hornet duration. While strafing the trucks, the ac gunship, from the 16th sos, was hit by 37 mm aaa, catching fire. The primary emphasis here is on vietnam operations, but the author also covers ac service in the middle east.
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