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, longendurance, groundattack variant of the c hercules transport, fixedwing aircraft. Two pilots are awarded dfcs after flying spooky hercules gunship. If you have any interest in learning about these gunship platforms then this book is a must have for your collection. The lockheed ac gunship is a heavilyarmed groundattack aircraft variant of the c hercules transport plane. The story of spooky, shadow, stinger and spectre mutza, wayne on. Ac spectre spooky gunship being mothballed discussion in off topic discussion started by 9outof10mms, feb 7, 2014. The acj ghostrider will get a big ass gun afterall. In addition to the 105mm howitzer, these wmodel gunships have a 30mm. C hercules was selected to replace the douglas ac47 spooky gunship project. All gunships evolutionized from the first operational gunship, the ac47. 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 is armed with a fearsome array of weaponry, including a 105 mm cannon and 25 or 40 mm gatling guns. 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 ac gunship has a combat history dating to vietnam. The acu spooky gunships, located at hurlburt field, fla. The ach spectre gunships primary missions are close air. 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. Currently, acu spooky model gunships are stationed at hurlburt field in northwest.
The acu employs a synthetic aperture strike radar for longrange and adverse. The basic airframe is manufactured by lockheed, while boeing is responsible for. An acu spooky gunship c hercules variant from the 4th special operations squadron jettisons flares over an area near hurlburt field, florida, on august 20, 2008. Photo of a usaf acu spooky gunship banking over a florida air base.
Lockheed acu spooky ii shows off its power military. In the video below, the loadmaster and aerial gunners load various ammunition onto the acu spooky ii. Acu spooky aircrew from 4th special operations squadron, hurlburt field, florida, conduct a livefire and air refueling mission during exercise emerald warrior 2016. The ach spectre and the acu spooky primary missions are close air support. The ac is the worlds biggest flying artillery gunship nicknamed hell in the sky. The ach spectre gunships were fielded in 1972 and retired in 2015. Photo of a usaf acu spooky aircraft in flight more special operations photos at this site uses cookies. 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 4. 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 air forces acu spooky is more like terrifying gizmodo. How the ac destroyed at least 20 vehicles per night during vietnam war.
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 side firing weapons, a 25mm gatling gun. The lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed, longendurance, ground attack variant of the c hercules transport, fixedwing aircraft. Deadly ac gunship in action firing all its cannons youtube. The heavily armed acu spooky aircraft incorporates sidefiring weapons integrated with sophisticated sensor, navigation and fire control systems to provide surgical firepower. Us air force lockheed ac gunship spectre spooky hercules. Compilation with the ac ac h spectre, ac u spooky ii, ac w stinger ii during conducting live fire missions during exercise emerald warrior 2011 2016. The usaf finally gives its acw gunship the big gun it. 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. The gunships sole user is the united states air force, which uses ach spectre, acu spooky, acj ghostrider, and acw stinger ii variants for close air support, air interdiction, and. The acu has a crew of thirteen, including four gunners.
Gunships also played a pivotal role in supporting the nato mission in bosnia herzegovina. The squadron plans, prepares, and executes ac spooky gunship. Ac gunship in action firing all its cannons exercise emerald warrior duration. The spooky umodel is the third generation of c gunships. The aircrew of the acu gunship spooky 41 with hurlburt fields 4th special operations squadron from florida were honored at the. Ac gunships in action acj ghostrider in action acu spooky in action the lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed, longendurance groundattack variant of the c hercules.
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