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. The lockheed martin ac spooky spectre is an gunship, that is used by the united states air force for close air support. Find ac gunship from a vast selection of model kits. The gunship contains a 40mm l60 bofors cannon firing at 120 rpm, a 10mm m102 howitzer firing at 610 rpm, and a downwardfacing 25mm gau12u gatling gun, firing at 1800 rpm. Air force video offers a rare glimpse inside an ac spooky ii gunship during a livefire exercise over florida. The aircraft that the taliban feared most in norwegian journalist peter refsdal embedded with the taliban in afghanistan during operation enduring free. Keefe xingbao toys military series set ac air gunship building kit 06023 no original box, new in sealed bag only 19 left in stock. 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 newer gunships. The specter gunship twin vulcan sixbarreled cannon. Us air force lockheed ac gunship spectre spooky hercules. Michael nardo, gunship requirements officer and ac instructor pilot at. Forces experience with the older transport versions of the hercules that have.
Ac in action firing its tanks cannon ac hercules at firing range. When you see spooky, or as we called it in vietnam, puff the magic dragon, in action, especially at night, it really sends a chill down your spine. This replica model is made and available factory direct from scalecraft models. Its the spooky, a close air support variant of the lockheed ac hercules aircraft. 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. 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 paintings 60wx32h 4. The ach spectre and the acu spooky primary missions are close air support. How the ac destroyed at least 20 vehicles per night. Fast forward half a century and the usaf now operates the acu spooky ii for close air support, air interdiction, and armed. Compilation with the ac ach spectre, acu spooky ii, acw stinger ii during conducting live fire missions during exercise emerald warrior 20. Unlike other modern military fixedwing aircraft, the ac relies on visual targeting. Embroidered patchpatches for women man lockheed ac hercules spectre gunship. May 12, 2017 the lockheed ac gunship is a weapons system that literally puts fear into the hearts of the enemy.
The acj ghostrider will get a big ass gun afterall. C c hercules military war plane 17 pcs army building blocks compatible with lego. Lockheed ac spectrespooky gunship section with description, specifications, pictures and videos. Russia is adding its own twist to americas fierce ac. The lockheed martin ac spectre gunship is a heavily armed ground attack variant of the c hercules.
Lockheed acu spooky ii shows off its power military. Spooky gunship operations in the vietnam war historynet. The ac specter gunship twin 20mm vulcan m61 sixbarreled cannon. With three sidefiring weaponsa 25mm gatling gun, a 40mm bofors. The first lady will rest beside the b52 and other planes that proved their mettle during vietnam. 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. The ac gunship has a combat history dating to vietnam. United states air force ac hu gunship download fact sheet tools printable fact sheet mission the ac gunships primary missions are close air support, air interdiction and force protection.
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. They were now to be designated ac47 a for attack spooky gunships. Ac gunship is a heavilyarmed groundattack aircraft. The ac u spooky gunships primary missions are close air support, air interdiction and armed reconnaissance. Its primary missions are close air support and armed reconnaissance. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and the most definitive collection ever assembled. 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. 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. The lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed, longendurance, groundattack variant of the c hercules transport, fixedwing aircraft.
Find great deals on ebay for ac gunship and ac gunship model. Jan 12, 2010 the gunships sole user is the united states air force, which uses ac h spectre and ac u spooky variants. The cjsof is the 10th production variant of the super hercules. 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. Ac gunship military aircraft shaped challenge coin. Air force selected the c hercules airframe as its new gunship because it could fly faster, longer and at higher altitudes, all while carrying more munition. The spooky umodel is the third generation of c gunships. The ac spectre is a gunship version of the ubiquitous hercules transport aircraft.
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. Seeing this plane in the skies above you generally means youre about to have a really shitty day. Deadly ac gunship in action firing all its cannons. Burns, an aerial gunner assigned to the deadliest squadron in air force history. 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. I had decided a couple of years ago that i wanted to build displays of the two aircraft i spent 24 years of my life on, the first 17 years being on the b52h at castle afb, ca and the last seven with the umodel gunship program at hurlburt field, fl. Captain terry returned to vietnam in september 1967, this time to test the gunship variant of the c transport.
May 03, 2017 the usaf finally gives its ac w gunship the big gun it desperately needs the service did not originally plan to put the hardhitting 105mm howitzer on newer gunships, but has since made the. Like many of the specialised versions of the hercules the spectre came out of the involvement of the us in the vietnam war. Upgrade your style with gunship tshirts from zazzle. The first flight of the aca which has been removed from service was in 1967. In addition, afsoc will retain their remaining ac u spectres, while retiring older gunships based on earlier hercules models. Discussion in off topic discussion started by 9outof10mms, feb 7, 2014. The test of the new gunships was considered successful and the order was given to convert 20 c47s into gunships.
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. The first lady has flown for 40 years, and is the first production c. Currently, there are two versions of the ac in use the ach spectre, and the acu spooky. The lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed, longendurance, ground attack variant of the c hercules transport, fixedwing aircraft. Ac spectre spooky gunship being mothballed carolina. The basic airframe is a c hercules which is then converted into a gunship and for aircraft support. This was the badass predecessor to the ac spooky gunship. The air commando association stories on the lockheed c. Effective range of the gun is about 3,000 meters 9,800 feet. Lockheed martin announce cjsof super hercules gunship. The model aircraft arrives fully assembled and includes a display stand. Aircrew of the acu gunship spooky 41 with hurlburt fields 4th special operations squadron were honored at the military facility in fort. The ach spectre gunships were fielded in 1972 and retired in 2015.
Rustark 21pcs modeler basic tools craft set hobby building tools kit for gundam car model building. Ach spectre gunship, airstrike on insurgents the lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed, longendurance groundattack variant of the c hercules. An acu spooky flies a training mission over hurlburt field, fla usaf photo. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and. Ac spooky spectre gunship drops chaff and flares hercules. 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. Between spooky and spectre there were shadow and stinger. This military aircraft was developed during the vietnam war. The port side of the ac houses firing ports for an array of cannons, howitzers and gatling guns. Lockheed ac spectrespooky gunship video gallery milavia. As the vietnam war came to an end, the dating douglas ac47 spooky gunship needed an upgrade. During the vietnam war the c hercules airframe was selected to replace the original gunship, the douglas ac47 spooky project.
The lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed groundattack aircraft variant of the c hercules transport plane. The ac is powered by four rollsroyce t56a15 turboprops and has an armament. Some great stories on the lockheed c hercules and history of the gunship. Jul 14, 2017 lockheed martin officials introduced the cjsof, a super hercules configured for special operations requirements. Graphic tee featuring the ac gunship, a modified long endurance ground attack variant of the c hercules transport. The type was adopted by the us air force usaf in 1968. All gunships evolved from the first operational gunship, the ac 47 the ac gunship has a combat history dating to vietnam. Ac gunship spectrespookyghost rider or better known as puff the magic dra check out tripadvisor members 5,010 candid photos and videos of air force armament museum.
The ac 47d contained three miniguns mounted in the cargo hold. Plans announced in april 2010 are for afsoc to acquire 15 of the new ac js, based on new production airframes from lockheed martin. Feb 12, 2015 the lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed groundattack aircraft variant of the c hercules transport plane. The hercules gunship aircraft is a variant of the c hercules transport aircraft manufacturered by lockheed martin. It is a variant of the c hercules transport plane. It replaced the previous douglas ac 47 spooky gunship. Air force in nearly every major military conflict cars, houses, motorcycles, models and lifestyle the blacklist polo club gunship of special forces. It precisely delivers very low yield munitions with a 30 mm gun and a 105 and theyre very inexpensive to deliver, heithold said. The ac gunship in action 08 nov 2012 posted by vlogger the lockheed ac gunship is a heavilyarmed groundattack aircraft variant of the c hercules transport plane. 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. High quality ac inspired tshirts by independent artists and designers from around the world. With three sidefiring weapons, a 25mm gatling gun, a 40mm bofors cannon, and a 105mm howitzer, its easy to see why it got its name. The lockheed ac gunship is a heavilyarmed groundattack aircraft variant of the c hercules transport plane. This is very impressive, it is a hercules ac gunship firing decoy flares to confuse heat seeking missiles during vn war.
The ac is also known as the spooky and stinger ii in the close air support or interdiction roles. The aca gunship ii superseded the ac47 gunship i in the vietnam war. The lockheed ac is a c cargo plane converted into a gunship. The ac is the gunship variant of the immortal c hercules which will be mentioned in a later section. The ach spectre and acu spooky ii are hercules transports that have been converted into sidefiring gunships, primarily for night attacks against ground targets. Spooky is the nickname for the ac gunship, the fiercest and, yes, spookiest weapon in the american arsenal. The hercules cargo airframe was converted into aca project gunship ii because it could fly faster, longer, higher and. The gunships sole user is the united states air force, which uses ac h spectre and ac u spooky variants. The ac is flown by usaf special operations, mostly in the close air support role. Unfollow ac gunship to stop getting updates on your ebay feed.
The usaf finally gives its acw gunship the big gun it. The ac hercules gunship model airplane is crafted from philippine mahogany wood and is an impressive aviation gift. Published on oct 27, 20 the acu spooky gunships, located at hurlburt field, fla. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Two pilots are awarded dfcs after flying spooky hercules gunship.
The ac spooky gunship the acs is a heavily armed groundattack variant of the c hercules transport plane. The ac is the worlds biggest flying artillery gunship nicknamed hell in the sky. The lockheed ac gunship is a weapons system that literally puts fear into the hearts of the enemy. It contains 3 weapons the models are based on the zu23 aa gun. Unlike the transport version which is in service in many countries throughout the world the spectre has only seen service in the usaf. Amer 1200 scale ac gunship groundattack aircraft fighter diecast metal military plane model toy for collectiongift. Lockheed martin spooky ii, starting from the front, one general dynamics equalizer cannon, one bofors cannon, and one howitzer. Air force armament museum, fort walton beach picture. The ac j ghostrider will get a big ass gun afterall.
Description development of the ac begun with a requirement in the vietnam war, where an aircraft with more. In the video below, the loadmaster and aerial gunners load various ammunition onto the acu spooky ii. Inspired designs on tshirts, posters, stickers, home decor, and more by independent artists and designers from around the world. Two pilots are awarded dfcs after flying spooky hercules. Lockheed ac gunship usaf aerospace power courtesy. Shop for the perfect ac gunship gift from our wide selection of designs, or create your own personalized gifts. The story of spooky, shadow, stinger and spectre mutza, wayne on. The lockheed gunship is a heavily armed groundattack aircraft variant of the hercules transport plane. Ac gunship airplane aircraft model is made from the highest quality mahogany wood and workmanship.
An ac gunship provides close air support for coalition forces in a mountainous region of afghanistan. 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. An era ended when the first lady made its last flight before retiring at duke field, fla. The ac a gunship ii superseded the ac 47 gunship i in vietnam. Lockheed ac spectrespooky gunship book listing, various titles linked to amazon. The ac has proven invaluable in small wars against lightly defended targets in. It carries a wide array of ground attack weapons that are integrated with sophisticated sensors, navigation, and firecontrol systems. 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 ac 47, dubbed puff, the magic dragon, by an officer who saw it at work, was so effective that the air force launched project gunship ii, the program which resulted in the ac still in service today. Thats why the aging ac gunship is still revered by ground troops for its ability to fire a 105mm cannon a weapon normally mounted on light tanks.