Spooky | The Douglas AC-47 "Spooky" Gunship of Vietnam

None of the footage is mine, all sources linked below.
Hello all! Hope you all enjoy this edit I made last minute upon finding some amazing AC-47 footage from Vietnam. I know the American views sure will like it ;) I hope you guys enjoy! God Bless and thank you for 4,750 subscribers!
The Douglas AC-47 Spooky (also nicknamed "Puff, the Magic Dragon") was the first in a series of fixed-wing gunships developed by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. It was designed to provide more firepower than light and medium ground-attack aircraft in certain situations when ground forces called for close air support.
The AC-47 was a United States Air Force (USAF) C-47, (the military version of the DC-3) that had been modified by mounting three 7.62 mm General Electric miniguns to fire through two rear window openings and the side cargo door, all on the left (pilot's) side of the aircraft, to provide close air support for ground troops. Other armament configurations could also be found on similar C-47-based aircraft around the world.
The guns were actuated by a control on the pilot's yoke whereby he could control the guns either individually or together, although gunners were also among the crew to assist with gun failures and similar issues. It could orbit the target for hours, providing suppressing fire over an elliptical area about 52 yd (47.5 m) in diameter, placing a round every 2.4 yd (2.2 m) during a three-second burst. The aircraft also carried flares it could drop to illuminate the battleground.
The AC-47 initially used SUU-11/A gun pods that were installed on locally fabricated mounts for the gunship application. Emerson Electric eventually developed the MXU-470/A to replace the gun pods, which were also used on later gunships.
In August 1964, years of fixed-wing gunship experimentation reached a new peak with Project Tailchaser under the direction of Captain John C. Simons. This test involved the conversion of a single Convair C-131B to be capable of firing a single GAU-2/A Minigun at a downward angle out of the left side of the aircraft. Even crude grease pencil crosshairs were quickly discovered to enable a pilot flying in a pylon turn to hit a stationary area target with relative accuracy and ease. The Armament Development and Test Center tested the craft at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, but lack of funding soon suspended the tests. In 1964, Captain Ron W. Terry returned from temporary duty in South Vietnam as part of an Air Force Systems Command team reviewing all aspects of air operations in counter-insurgency warfare, where he had noted the usefulness of C-47s and C-123s orbiting as flare ships during night attacks on fortified hamlets. He received permission to conduct a live-fire test using the C-131 and revived the side-firing gunship program.
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Song Used:
Paranoid - Black Sabbath
• Paranoid
Footage Used:
• Video

[@trapatron2217]

Seeing this thing in action is hypnotizing. I had no idea they converted Skytrains into flying death platforms.

[@LionPoint]

"Modern Problems calls for Modern Solutions"

[@_Tirpitz_]

If gun fails, add more gun.

[@gargamel679]

...and that's how the AC130 came to be

[@Nexsoxs]

Honestly..... I mean yeah that's not the worst line of thought.

[@robertpaulson2946]

engineer gaming

[@andrewpeterson1588]

My grandfather was in a Spooky squadron during Vietnam doing this exact thing. It’s amazing to see video of this as this was something he loved and talks about to this day. I praise you for putting this together and bringing a very little known part of Vietnam back to life. It’s amazing how little people know about the ac-47/dc-47 Spooky/sky train. This is the father to todays Ac-130.

[@Ash007YT]

Another classic.

[@eae2047]

the AC-130's Grandad

[@ricardobento6474]

Spooky also saw action in El Salvador's civil war in the 1980s.

[@macjeez1450]

Saw Spooky in action many times in Vietnam in 67&68. Helluva a show at night. It would make the hair stand up on your arms. Had many thanks for Spooky.

[@chewbaccamon974]

One of the best! I had never seen this kind of plane in action, the logo this time looked soo cool with the different font Thanks for the spoopy boys!

[@C_Harold]

Beautiful red tracers! truly a genius idea to strap a minigun to a plane!

[@BlackTalon53]

I have seen a pic of a test version of an F-4 Phantom CAS plane with 11 or 12 minigun pods strapped to the hardpoints of its wings and fuselage.

[@visayanmissnanny2.076]

“AA pls” - me in Rising Storm 2 after getting ripped apart by a Spooky

[@alaric_3015]

tfw playing at Hue and your spawn at the last point got spooked

[@TelmenBudsuren]

ANTI ASS DEFENSE AR AKTIV😂 "WE LOST BRABOO"😂

[@rioku_noises]

Making it rain hell from the sky, a amazing aircraft

[@AbsoluteAmoeba]

“Bravo 2-6 this is Spook; Happy to comply, so clear the area. Spook out.”

[@tankergf]

ough idk what i was expecting for the music but this is a pleasant surprise nice job friend

[@ihavenocreativity2666]

the AC-130's grandfather

[@rexxsimba]

These Aircraft are exteamly potent ...even in modern conflict zones like Yemen , Gaza and Southern Lebanon ... **Just 03 Aircraft deployed on 4 hour overlapping missions can patrol at 10,000 feet and provide instant Interdiction with 20mm Gatling Guns and 105mm Recoilless Guns adequate to deal with Pirates , fast attack enemy speedboats , helicopters , artillery , missile launchers , APCs and Infiltrators**.... All with minimum cost , risk and collateral damage especially if paired up with Surveillance Drones ...

[@KyuMachi]

Ac-47 Spoopi Epic Video

[@ernstjunger714]

Goes hard

[@xfa33lupisrex52]

when one brrrt isn't enough.

[@Grunkreuz]

Nice work! : )

[@user-kc6yt4lk2h]

amazing job mate! if you take any request i would be happy to see australian eurocopter video

[@petylatov]

FIRST

[@intruder69lol]

Ah yes ac130 big brother

[@aregularperson7573]

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT

[@dn22731]

could you do a mirage 2000 ?

[@BushiNemuru]

sata andagi

[@garbagedumpactual]

Hopefully this helps you get to 5k

[@AudOnPoint]

Ah yes just what my grandpa saw during ‘nam..

[@eddiekrustysock4395]

F o u r p o u n d s

[@karimhammam9105]

Woulda been cool if you used the song spooky

[@mikoyanz]

uh oh

[@danielnwobhm]

Agent Orange art cover

[@alaric_3015]

that thumbnail looks like a metal album cover iirc, but I forgot which nvm I got it kzbin.info/www/bejne/nl7bZmyFg5qEbpo

[@dennismartin7406]

pp move

[@MikeSmith-fe2np]

Looks like a waste of ammo, how could you possibly hit any targets going over 230 mph???

[@yoamal1187]

just make an Israeli airforce video already🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱