And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
The cannon has a shock system to help absorb the recoil. The massive weight of the aircraft helped In Vietnam the operated up north near the DMZ. They were called Spectra Gunships. As I was down south supporting mainly the 25th Infantry Division we never saw anything but the AC-47s and the A119s. Flying above them at night it was quite a show watching those miniguns work out over ground troops. If the fixed wing crews had dropped flares it was very surreal. If a mouse moved it cast a long moving shadow. Just so you will know we had a Huey slick with Pontiac M-39 20mm belt fed revolving cannon fired by a gunner out the right door. You can google that gun and find plenty of information and pictures. Great times for a young Huey Gunship door gunner!
You would be correct John. I have been through a couple of those bad boys and that's what they all had. I live 100 miles north of the Air Force base that does the flight training for everyone including foreign students. They fly north to the White River at Batesville, Arkansas and turn back west to fly low above river putting them below the mountain tops. Quite a site to see.
When they are firing the gun sighting system is actually operating the autopilot. Everything is synced up. Have not been around the project in a while but I think they replaced the 40 mm Bofors "pom pom" guns with a 25 mm bushmaster.
Guy I worked with was on one during desert storm, Iraq's shot a couple missiles at them one night, he pilot supposedly pulled upside down negative 9 G's avoiding the missiles, the air force made them fly back to the US because they figured once they landed that was it, their aircraft would be totaled because the G loads wrecked the wings and engine mounts. When examining the wings, 2 out of 3 engine mount bolts had sheared off on two engines, but the plane was OK otherwise. He said it was about as scary as anything ever happened to him.
Highly recommended: Ghostriders 1968-1975 covering development and combat history of the AC-130 Spectre Gunship in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia and the follow up volume Ghostriders 1976-1995 by William (Bill) Walter, CSM, Air Farce (Ret.) who lived the history of the second period as an aerial gunner. Available on Amazon in several formats.
I got to see the “new” AC-130U gunships being tested at Edwards AFB many years ago. And later got to tour a AC-130A when at Dover AFB. Lots of screaming Hate. Wandering Neurons
Puff
ReplyDeletePuff (in Nam) was an AC-47.
Delete(spooky?)
ReplyDeletec130 goin down the strip...
Ugh, maintenance.....
ReplyDeleteHave a friend who flew nav in one of those in Nam.
ReplyDeleteFlying hatred. Awesome when it's helping you and your section.
ReplyDeleteThe Air Force calls this the AC-130 Spectre Gunship; Marines still call it Puff, The Magic Dragon - JDK
ReplyDeleteWe Marines in Vietnam called the AC-130 "Spooky" and the AC-47 "Puff."
DeleteIs it true the recoil from the big-ass cannon (sorry, forgot the caliber) actually knocks the plane off-course?
ReplyDeleteThe cannon has a shock system to help absorb the recoil. The massive weight of the aircraft helped In Vietnam the operated up north near the DMZ. They were called Spectra Gunships. As I was down south supporting mainly the 25th Infantry Division we never saw anything but the AC-47s and the A119s. Flying above them at night it was quite a show watching those miniguns work out over ground troops. If the fixed wing crews had dropped
Deleteflares it was very surreal. If a mouse moved it cast a long moving shadow. Just so you will know we had a Huey slick with Pontiac M-39 20mm belt fed revolving cannon fired by a gunner out the right door. You can google that gun and find plenty of information and pictures. Great times for a young Huey Gunship door gunner!
If I am not mistaken the cannon is a 105 mm howitzer.
DeleteYou would be correct John. I have been through a couple of those bad boys and that's what they all had. I live 100 miles north of the Air Force base that does the flight training for everyone including foreign students. They fly north to the White River at Batesville, Arkansas and turn back west to fly low above river putting them below the mountain tops. Quite a site to see.
DeleteThe perfect thing for "mostly peaceful protests".
ReplyDelete-lg
When they are firing the gun sighting system is actually operating the autopilot. Everything is synced up. Have not been around the project in a while but I think they replaced the 40 mm Bofors "pom pom" guns with a 25 mm bushmaster.
ReplyDeleteGuy I worked with was on one during desert storm, Iraq's shot a couple missiles at them one night, he pilot supposedly pulled upside down negative 9 G's avoiding the missiles, the air force made them fly back to the US because they figured once they landed that was it, their aircraft would be totaled because the G loads wrecked the wings and engine mounts. When examining the wings, 2 out of 3 engine mount bolts had sheared off on two engines, but the plane was OK otherwise. He said it was about as scary as anything ever happened to him.
ReplyDeleteHighly recommended: Ghostriders 1968-1975 covering development and combat history of the AC-130 Spectre Gunship in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia and the follow up volume Ghostriders 1976-1995 by William (Bill) Walter, CSM, Air Farce (Ret.) who lived the history of the second period as an aerial gunner. Available on Amazon in several formats.
ReplyDeleteThanks; added to my ever-growing list.
DeleteI got to see the “new” AC-130U gunships being tested at Edwards AFB many years ago. And later got to tour a AC-130A when at Dover AFB. Lots of screaming Hate.
ReplyDeleteWandering Neurons
I want to drive that. - Snakepit
ReplyDeleteI'd rather be manning the weps station when it goes hot.
DeleteMy beloved C-130 fulfilling another niche to protect civilization and freedom :-)!!!
ReplyDeleteDo not shine your weapons' laser at the big airplane as it starts its bank turn to the left.....
ReplyDelete