Lockheed AC130
Few American aircraft have reached legendary status like the Lockheed AC130.
This fixed-wing, ground-attack gunship has been around for almost six decades, and it
still has a long way to go.
First introduced during the Vietnam War, the AC130 has become the United States' most famous
gunship due to its multiple uses and tremendous combat effectiveness.
The C130 Hercules was part of Project Gunship II, an American program that sought to develop
a substitute for the Douglas AC47 Spooky gunship.
The American military wanted to produce a gunship with improved range, ammunition capacity,
and firepower.
In 1967, a modified C130 Hercules was selected as part of the secret program.
The Hercules had been in use since the 1950s as a military transport aircraft, but its
versatile airframe would soon be used in a new role.
The modifications to the Hercules included a direct-view night-vision telescope, a primitive
forward-looking infrared device near the left wheel, various miniguns and rotary cannons,
and other weaponry that was also fixed on the left side.
An analog fire-control computer was specially created to manage the arsenal of the aircraft.
It was made with the cooperation of the United States Air Force Avionics Laboratory at Wright-Patterson
AFB and Royal Air Force Wing Commander Tom Pinkerton.
In September of 1967, the modified Hercules, now dubbed AC130, was sent to Nha Trang Air
Base in South Vietnam for testing.
The AC130 served the special operators at Katum Special Forces Camp and other military
bases with pin-point accuracy, often firing within a perimeter of friendly forces but
only striking enemy forces.
By December of 1968, a dozen AC130s were operating in Vietnam escorted by F4 Phantoms.
In May of 1969, the first AC130 gunship was lost to the Vietcong forces.
It was shot down at 6,500 feet by 37-millimeter anti-aircraft artillery.
Although the AC130s generally flew at high altitudes, that did not stop the North Vietnamese
from striking them down with rocket-propelled grenades and surface-to-air missiles.
Other Hercules were fitted with different combat configurations, such as the Surprise
Package upgrade, which included 20-millimeter rotary cannons and a 40-millimeter Bofors
cannon, but ditched the 7.62-millimeter close-support armament.
And further versions used a powerful 105-millimeter howitzer cannon.
The Lockheed AC130 is still being used today by the American military to fight the war
on terror along with more powerful weapons.
Douglas AC47 Spooky
The Douglas AC47 Spooky, also known as Puff, the Magic Dragon, was the United States' first
attempt at creating a fixed-wing gunship for use in the Vietnam War.
During World War II, the Army Air Forces used civilian Douglas DC3 airliners with multiple
configurations, such as cargo aircraft or airborne assault, to carry and drop paratroopers
behind enemy lines.
Its military designation was C47.
After the war, several C47s were fitted with three 7.62-millimeter General Electric miniguns
that would fire through two rear window openings and the cargo door from the aircraft’s left
side.
The objective was to provide immediate close air support or suppress fire directed towards
ground troops in a specific area.
The aircraft would circle the zone for hours until it eventually ran out of fuel or ammunition.
Its elliptical area of coverage was about 55 yards, placing a round every 2.5 yards
during a three-second burst to maximize ammunition efficiency and rate of fire.
All three guns were activated and controlled through the pilot's yoke, and they could be
controlled individually or together.
Gunners from the crew could also manually control them.
After the first conversions were successfully built, the Air Force experimented by equipping
other gunships with up to 10 .30 caliber M1919 Browning machine guns.
All the armament was fitted into SUU11 gun pods or package guns popularized by B25 bombers
and other American bombers from World War II.
In early 1964, Captain Ron W. Terry launched Project Gunship with one C47 to develop a
gunship ideal for use in Vietnam.
The objective of these gunships was to protect villages, hamlets, and other valuable areas
from the hands of the Vietcong guerrilla.
The first C47 used was dubbed Puff and was equipped with three miniguns.
During the night of December 23, 1964, Puff provided close air support to a special forces
base near the Mekong Delta and poured over 4,500 rounds that halted the enemy's advance.
Puff was then called to action to break off a Vietcong attack located 20 clicks away from
its location.
When Puff showed up at Trung Hung, the enemy was about to overrun the position.
Still, its accurate minigun fire tore the Communist formation apart and forced them
to retreat.
Each of Puff's three 7.62-millimeter guns could fire either 50 or 100 rounds per second.
The gunship shot a glowing red tracer every fifth round into every square yard in less
than 10 seconds.
Its 24,000-round ammunition capacity could keep it flying for hours over a target with
extreme firepower and accuracy.
And although it was gradually replaced by the AC130, the C47’s efficiency during its
combat sorties earned it a Presidential Unit Citation.
Cessna A37 Dragonfly
The Super Tweet or A37 Dragonfly was an American light attack aircraft developed from the T37
Tweet trainer.
It was mainly used during the Vietnam War, but it also served several Hispanic American
countries for the war on drugs.
The Dragonfly was conceived in a time when the United States gradually increased its
involvement in Vietnam.
In preparation for an eventual military conflict, the US Air Force began experimenting with
counterinsurgency aircraft that could be used to sabotage North Vietnamese operations.
The Air Force believed the T37 perfectly fitted this intended role and manifested interest
in an improved version fit for combat.
In 1963, Cessna began working in a prototype with a stronger airframe, extended fuel capacity,
a lethal 7.62-millimeter minigun with a rate of fire of about 3,000 rounds per minute,
and wing pylons to carry explosive ordnance.
The Dragonfly replaced the aging Douglas A1 Skyraider in 1967 with tremendous success.
It quickly earned the Super Tweet nickname to honor its combat proficiency.
The Dragonfly participated in more than 1,000 sorties without suffering a single casualty.
The Tweets were used for night interdiction, helicopter escort, reconnaissance, and close
air support roles.
In its gunship-like support, the Tweet easily tore apart enemy formations hidden in the
jungles thanks to its maneuverable speed, lethal minigun accuracy, and ordnance.
The payload included napalm tanks, unguided rockets, cluster munition dispensers, and
explosive bombs.
Ground troops knew they could rely on the support provided by the Super Tweets.
There are no registered accounts of friendly fire suffered by one.
A second version of the Super Tweet, the A37 B configuration, was heavier and featured
more fuel capacity, armor, and upgraded General Electric engines.
Alternate armaments included 20- and 30-millimeter cannon pods, but they were never used in combat.
The Super Tweet became a clear example of how an effective and aggressive aircraft does
not necessarily need to be bigger or have additional ordnance to prove its value in
combat.
Helio AU24 Stallion
The Helio AU24 Stallion is one of the lesser-known gunships tested by the United States for use
in the Vietnam War.
It was planned to be used for gunship, transport, and counterinsurgency roles during the entire
conflict, but less than 25 were produced.
Developed in 1963 before the escalation of the conflict in Vietnam, the Helio HST-550
Stallion was conceived as a short takeoff landing utility aircraft.
It was meant to be a slightly different variant of the Helio Courier but eventually turned
into a completely new design.
When the company realized that its size would not fit the commercial market, it decided
to ditch the 20 produced aircraft.
It was then that the US Air Force decided to buy the design and experiment with it.
The Stallion was quickly converted into a mini gunship equipped with an M197 rotary
cannon fitted in the left cargo door and underwing space for explosive ordnance.
The M197 featured a 20-millimeter three-barreled electric Gatling-type cannon and was a replacement
for the 7.62-millimeter minigun.
It operated identically to the General Electric's M61 Vulcan cannon, except it only included
three barrels instead of six.
The Stallion was never used in combat by American forces.
It would be used as a gunship under the Credible Chase program that began in 1971, but the
United States had already started to withdraw from Vietnam.
Tests indicated that the Stallion was unfit for combat, and the expected deliveries of
some of them to the South Vietnamese Army were canceled.
All of the existing aircraft were sold in 1972 to the Khmer Air Force and eventually
used in the Cambodian Civil War.
Fairchild AU-23 Peacemaker
The Fairchild AU-23 Peacemaker was yet another unfortunate gunship design tested by the US
Air Force during the Vietnam War.
The aircraft was envisioned as a counterinsurgency and cargo transport version of the PC6 Porter,
but only 20 were produced.
Continuing its plans to use light utility short takeoff and landing aircraft for Vietnam,
the Aeronautical Systems Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base believed that something useful
could come out of the Credible Chase program.
The US Army believed that their South Vietnamese counterpart had a fighting chance against
the Communists if they developed a robust, strong, and mobile air force that could support
ground forces.
Developed in conjunction with the Helio Stallion, the Fairchild Porter would also be militarized
for gunship tasks with the same specifications.
It was equipped with a 20-millimeter M197 cannon and four wing pylons for explosive
ordnance.
The aircraft was then tested for gunship, reconnaissance, border surveillance, and counter-infiltration
roles.
US Air Force crews flew over 70 sorties and fired over 8.000 rounds of ammunition to test
the Peacemaker, but it was never greenlighted for actual combat due to its less than desirable
speed of 135 knots.
The Peacemakers were never sold to the South Vietnamese and were instead delivered to Thailand
under the Military Assistance Program.
They were then incorporated into the Royal Thai Air Force and are still used to this
day.
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