AC-47D Spooky Ground Support Gunship

AC-47D Spooky Ground Support Gunship

Spooky, the first side firing gunship aircraft deployed in the Viet Nam War. Due to the need of heavier ground support fire from aircraft, a modified C-47 Skytrain was developed with three 7.62mm miniguns mounted to fire sideways from the plane. Nicknamed Puff the Magic Dragon, the aircraft met the needs of the battlefield admirably, but its aging airframe made it susceptible to ground fire. It was replaced by models build on newer airframes, notably a model build on the C-130 Hercules frame.
This example is on display at the US Air Force Armaments Museum in Shalimar, Florida.
Shot with a Nikon D80 and a 50mm AIS lens.


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