The gunship strikes with such force that it actually chops down a tree under which an insurgent is hiding. The ac gunship and the vietnam war warfare history. Jockey 14 was operating in support of ongoing operations in and around mogadishu, somalia at the time of the accident. It helped that my father was a navigator on a ch gunship with 115 combat missions over laos. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Eight of the 14 crewmen aboard were killed in the crash. All gunships evolved from the first operational gunship, the ac47 the ac gunship has a combat history dating to vietnam.
Continuing the distinguished combat history of sidefiring ac gunships, the new acu spectre gunship is being fielded as a replacement for the aca aircraft and to supplement the ach gunship fleet. Ac h spectre acu spooky shared with ac47 acj ghostrider acw stinger ii unofficially. The first night mission was flown on the night of december 23, over an outpost under attack near thanh yend. Andrew koegl, 16th sos commander, shared his sentiments with team cannon. Ac absolutely did fire in marjah battle against taliban. The accepted callsign for the ach series is the threatening spectre while the acu series enjoys the mysterious spooky callsign.
Air force video offers a rare glimpse inside an ac spooky ii gunship during a livefire exercise over florida. History juvenile nonfiction this title explores the development and use of the ac hu gunship. On 3 january 1991, one ach and crew deployed to an east african country to start planning for the noncombatant evacuation operations of an american embassy. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the c was originally designed as a troop, medevac, and cargo transport aircraft. The ac spectre hightech military weapons fitzpatrick, kevin j. Feb 11, 2017 ac gunship the ac h spectre and the acu spooky primary missions are close air support, air interdiction and armed reconnaissance. This program acquires new basic ch aircraft for modification and integration by boeing to the acu gunship configuration. I also love cs as one of my top five favorite aircraft. This gave the gunship a much greater firing range and allowed it to fire from a higher altitude. The gunship scored its first verified enemy kills on december 21, 1964, with 21 vc dead.
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 mutza, wayne on. All gunships evolutionized from the first operational gunship, the ac47. On 5 january, the gunship assisted us marines with their entry into the embassy compound and remained at an orbit point east of the city. The lockheed ac spectre is a tactical support version of the c hercules. Jan 20, 2016 the spooky is the third generation of c gunships. Aboard the ac spectre gunship, he flew a total of 287 combat missions over.
An ach gunship jettisons flares as an infrared countermeasure during a training exercise on aug. The air forces newest, deadliest gunship just hit a major. Its mission is to support conventional and joint special operations forces any time, any place. What it was really like to fly combat helicopters in vietnam. The acj is the fourth generation gunship replacing the aging fleet of acuw gunships. Puff the magic dragon shared with the ac47 positive. It is a variation of the c hercules transport plane. All orders are custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours. Ach spectre acu spooky shared with ac47 acj ghostrider acw stinger ii unofficially. Continuing the distinguished combat history of sidefiring ac gunships, the new acu spectre gunship is being fielded as a replacement for the aca aircraft.
As the ach chapter of gunship evolution comes to a close, the ach is the single deadliest aircraft and flying squadron in the war on terrorism. The acus call sign is spooky, and traces its history to the first operational gunship, the ac47. Burns, an aerial gunner assigned to the deadliest squadron in air force history. The versatile airframe has found uses in a variety of other roles, including as a gunship. The ach spectre gunships primary missions are close air support, air interdiction and armed reconnaissance.
The ach spectre gunships were fielded in 1972 and retired in 2015. It also has twice the munitions capacity of the ach. In may 2015, the air force finally retired the last ac h during a ceremony at cannon air force base in new mexico. Gunship definition is a helicopter or cargo aircraft armed with rockets and machine guns. It resulted in the loss of all 14 crewmembers, the largest single air power loss of the war. The acw stinger ii, previously known as the mcw dragon spear, is a gunship that is created by applying a rollon, rolloff precision strike package to existing mcw combat spear aircraft. All gunships evolved from the first operational gunship, the ac47.
Since the advent of the airplane as an instrument of war, warplanners have relied on the power of mobile aerial attacks to keep an enemy on its toes. 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. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and the most definitive collection ever assembled. What it was really like to fly combat helicopters in vietnam kindle edition by garrison, mark. It was so cool to read this book and walk in daves flight boots during the. Meet the air forces ultimate battle plane and your new. Ballards work is one of a series of books dealing with the war in. Manufacturing is a cooperation between boeing and lockheed. By 30 october 1968, enough ac gunship iis arrived to form a squadron. It is powerful enough to provide close air support to ground troops and also against insurgents. The acu spooky and acw stinger ii variants are used to support ground troops, escort convoys, and in towns and cities.
Gunships destroyed more than 10,000 trucks and were credited with many. The newest version, the acu spectre gunship, replaced the original aca and represented a major advancement. The ac is flown by usaf special operations, mostly in the close air support role. By january 2016, the flying branch still had nearly 30 of the older acus and acws. The primary purpose of the ac gunship is to provide close air support and armed reconnaissance. The lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed, longendurance, groundattack variant of the c hercules transport, fixedwing aircraft. If the series has a failing, its the understandable but. The ac h spectre gunships were fielded in 1972 and retired in 2015. This book features a wealth of outstanding color photographs, many of which. Feb 11, 2017 ac gunship the ach spectre and the acu spooky primary missions are close air support, air interdiction and armed reconnaissance. The acj ghostrider is the fourth generation gunship set to replace the special operations fleet of achuw gunships at hurlburt field, fla.
Post war restriction on iraq required the presence of ac. Click on persons name for link to that persons photo page if then and now photos have larger format pictures, clicking on the photos will reveal them. The lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed ground attack aircraft currently in service with the united states air force. The ac gunship first arrived in south vietnam on 21 september 1967 under the gunship ii program, and began combat operations over laos and south vietnam that year. Gunships destroyed more than 10,000 trucks and were credited with many life. Click download or read online button to get lockheed c hercules book now. The complete story of ac h spectre gunship operation urgent fury kindle edition by couvillon, michael. Oct 25, 2016 the acj ghostrider is the fourth generation gunship set to replace the special operations fleet of ac h uw gunships at hurlburt field, fla. 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. Southeast asia which is being published by the office of air force history. The acj ghostrider the latest in the air forces line of heavilyarmed gunships marked a major developmental milestone sept.
Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. How the ac destroyed at least 20 vehicles per night. Lockheed ac spectre a warbirds resource group site. 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 acus will soldier on while acjs will replace older ach models. On march 14, 1994, an ac h spectre gunship from the 16th special operations squadron crashlanded 200 yards off the kenyan coast, near the town of malindi. Ac gunships have an extensive combat history dating to back to vietnam where gunships destroyed more than 10,000 trucks and were credited with many lifesaving, close air support missions. It helped that my father was a navigator on a c h gunship with 115 combat missions over laos. On march 14, 1994, an ach spectre gunship from the 16th special operations squadron crashlanded 200 yards off the kenyan coast, near the town of malindi. To help celebrate the illustrious accomplishments of the decorated aircraft, lt. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. The aircraft is heavily armed with sidefiring weapons that use sensor, navigation and fire. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. It carries a wide array of ground attack weapons that are integrated with sophisticated sensors, navigation, and firecontrol systems.
These gunships were configured to circle the target instead of performing strafing runs. A gunship is a military aircraft armed with heavy guns, primarily intended for attacking ground targets in modern usage the term gunship refers to fixedwing aircraft having laterallymounted heavy armaments i. The lockheed c hercules is an american fourengine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by lockheed now lockheed martin. The port side of the ac houses firing ports for an array of cannons, howitzers and gatling guns. Turn your home, office, or studio into an art gallery, minus the snooty factor. The lockheed ac is a c cargo plane converted into a gunship. For the ac to perform its mission, it needs the air force to achieve air dominance or air superiority. Two months later, the service received the first of the newest gunship variant, the acj. The lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed, longendurance, ground attack variant of the c hercules transport, fixedwing aircraft. Lockheed c hercules download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl.
Dec 26, 2017 it is powerful enough to provide close air support to ground troops and also against insurgents. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading guts n gunships. The bird saw its first combat when a ca task force was deployed to nha trang, republic of vietnam, on 20 september 1967. Gun camera footage from an ach spectre gunship flying a combat mission over afghanistan, and striking insurgents in a wooded area. Most gunship activity in 1972 countered assaults by communist forces on firesupport bases and provided fire support for troops.
Gunships destroyed more than 10,000 trucks and were credited with many lifesaving close air. The resulting acw stinger iis are operated by the air force 73rd special operations squadron out of cannon air force base, new mexico. Oct 10, 2017 the acj ghostrider the latest in the air forces line of heavilyarmed gunships marked a major developmental milestone sept. Unlike other modern military fixedwing aircraft, the ac relies on visual targeting. Page was created on 80915 and work will progress as time permits. After taking care of the insurgents in the open, the crew moves on to an opening of a cave system where other fighters are taking refuge.
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. In may 2015, the air force finally retired the last ach during a ceremony at cannon air force base in new mexico. The ac gunship is an armed variant of the c hercules. The ac gunship has a combat history dating to vietnam. Independent art hand stretched around super sturdy wood frames. The video includes handling of the gunships unique weapon systems, some. Sep 24, 2019 the lockheed ac is a specialmission gunship variant of the storied c hercules highwing transport. Ac spectre gunship annihilates entire taliban unit. 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. What follows is an absolutely thorough working of the taliban forces by the gunships armament. The usaf uses the ac for close support, air interdiction and force protection including supporting ground troops, escorting convoys, flying urban operations and covering air bases and other facilities.
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. Oct 29, 2015 what follows is an absolutely thorough working of the taliban forces by the gunships armament. The douglas ac47 spooky was the first notable modern gunship. In 1964, during the vietnam war, the popular douglas c47 skytrain transport was successfully modified into a gunship by the united states air force with three sidefiring miniguns for circling attacks. High quality ac gunship inspired canvas prints by independent artists and designers from around the world. Military machines library library binding august 1, 2010 by carlos alvarez author visit amazons carlos alvarez page. The primary missions of the united states air forces ach spectre and acu spooky gunships are close air support, air interdiction, and force protection.
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