“Puff the Magic Dragon” by Leonard Lipton (lyrics) and Peter Yarrow (music) appears on the 1963 Peter, Paul and Mary album, Moving. The AC-47s were armed with three 7.62 miniguns, each capable of firing up to 6,000 rounds per minute, in one side of the fuselage; several tons of ammunition were also loaded on board. For a similiar variant, see C-47 Skytrain The AC-47 Spooky (also nicknamed as Puff the Magic Dragon after a 1963 song of the same name) is a modified C-47 Skytrain built by Douglas Aircraft Company who later became McDonnell Douglas. The tests were successful, and more C-47s were converted in the following months, with varying armaments. Oh! The majority of Viet Cong and NVA attacks against bases took place at night and the Air Force responded by converting the Second World War vintage transport planes into flying gun platforms. ( Log Out /  Early Vulcans could fire 2,500 rounds (usually high-explosive incendiary, sometimes armor-piercing incendiary) per minute. See more ideas about gunship, ac 130 gunship, military aircraft. The Douglas AC-47 Spooky aka “Puff the Magic Dragon” was not banned during the Vietnam War. The Douglas AC-47 Spooky was an effective gunship. More firepower than could be provided by light and medium ground-attack aircraft was thought to be needed in some situations when ground forces called for close air support. The ex-USAF aircraft were passed to local allies, who continued to operate the AC-47 until the end of the War. The National Museum of the Air Force has an extensive photo collection, where most of the below are drawn from, and a mockup of an AC-47 Spooky gunship, 43-49010, shown in the last four images, is on display at the Air Force Armament Museum in Florida. The first combat use of this system was on February 1, 1971; the bomb was dropped by an F-4 Phantom. Known variously as Puff the Magic Dragon, Dragonships or just Spooky, the AC-47 gunship, with its broadside battery of GE miniguns, was a sight to behold. See more ideas about c 130, military aircraft, fighter jets. The aircraft’s success continued, but better gunships were coming on-line. They were known as Spooky, but the GIs christened it Puff the Magic Dragon after a well-known song because the thousands of tracer bullets made it look like the plane was breathing fire. For a similiar variant, see C-47 Skytrain The AC-47 Spooky (also nicknamed as Puff the Magic Dragon after a 1963 song of the same name) is a modified C-47 Skytrain built by Douglas Aircraft Company who later became McDonnell Douglas. Jun 23, 2018 - Explore Jeff 148 RA's board "Puff the magic dragon" on Pinterest. The Destruction of Army Group Center, 1944. See more ideas about gunship, puff the magic dragon, ac 130 gunship. Support missions where an excess of 20,000 rounds were fired in a sortie were a reality. Coupled with the Revenant's fairly heavy protection against anti-aircraft weapons, it can fly circles around enemy divisions ignoring counterattack. It was during this time the gunship acquired its two famous nicknames, “Spooky” from its radio call sign and “Puff the Magic Dragon” from the popular song of the time. ( Log Out /  Ronald Terry forcefully articulated a concept of C-47s delivering accurate and massive firepower to hamlets under attack. Unknown. ‘Puff’ became the call sign for Harvey’s AC-47, then the only gunship in Vietnam, since the second one returned to the States for training. The gunship version of the C-47D was initially designated FC-47D (Fighter-Cargo), but was changed to AC (Attack Cargo) primarily because of complaints by traditional fighter pilots. The Pave Aegis variant of the AC-130E, introduced around the beginning of 1972, had a 105-mm cannon as well as one 40-mm and two smaller guns. Skip to comments. The AC-47D contained three miniguns mounted … Aug 29, 2019 - Explore Samuel Owens's board "AC47" on Pinterest. The Douglas AC-47 gunship known as 'Puff the Magic Dragon' had served in Vietnam but was a very old aircraft by the time of the war and was starting to show its age. The four-engined turboprop had much greater flying performance than the ancient “Gooney Bird” and carried much heavier firepower, four 7.62 mm and four 20 mm Gattling guns compared to the AC-47’s three 7.62 mm guns. Change ). This site is part of the Fallen Never Forgotten Network. Three 7.62mm Gatling guns make short work of infantry and a 105mm howitzer for armour. The lyrics for "Puff, the Magic Dragon" are based on a 1959 poem by Leonard Lipton, then a 19-year-old Cornell University student. Things moved ahead rather rapidly, for on November 2, 1964 Terry helped brief the concept to the Air Force Chief of Staff Curtis LeMay, who ordered that the C-47 be tested in Vietnam. I’ve always heard great things about old Colt revolvers, and let’s just say this gun made me think twice about my stance on revolvers. Stay in the know. The first gunship. – The original and unofficial nickname for the AC-130 gunship was “Puff the Magic Dragon” or “Puff.” – The AC-130H Spectre was introduced in 1969 and was used for 46 years in service; the longest service time of any AC gunship. Nov 30, 2020 - Explore Jose Ballesteros's board "C-130 Puff the Magic Dragon" on Pinterest. Lyrics. These experiments earned high praises for the concept and caused officers to compare the Guns A Go-Go with the Air Force's lethal C-47, dubbed "Puff the Magic Dragon". Learn how your comment data is processed. The aircraft had several nicknames: "Spooky", Puff the Magic Dragon", and "Puff". The plane was redesignated the AC-47 late in 1965. The Stinger was also armed with two 20mm multi-barrel guns capable of firing up to 2,500 high explosive incendiary rounds per minute while a 2-billion candlepower searchlight lit up targets. The Douglas AC-47 Spooky (also nicknamed "Puff, the Magic Dragon") was the first in a series of gunships developed by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. Well the ultimate evolution of that is the AC-130 Specter gunship. Time lapse photograph of an AC-47 helping defend Tan Son Nhut Air Base during the enemy Tet Offensive in 1968. It was the AC-47 gunship. Vietnam War * Saved by Nukenin1. Puff the Magic Dragon: The AC-47 “Spooky” Gunship. THE WAR OF THE SPANISH SUCCESSION – FRANCE. The concept of a Hercules gunship was applied to a test aircraft in 1965. The VC also knew of ‘Puff.’ Captured documents often referred to the plane and said not to attack the ‘dragon’ since weapons were useless against it … Therefore, success in Vietnam might saddle the command with a number of aircraft that would prove useless and vulnerable where it really counted, in Europe. It would stay overhead until the base’s own helicopters were in the air and able to take over. The 'puff the magic dragon' was a specially equipped Huey helicopter with guns & rockets all over it. The AC-130 also came to be equipped with a laser target designator, to guide a smart bomb (see bombs) to its target. Also know as the Douglas AC-47 Spooky. Toward the end of 1966, modified AC-47s with added armor and fire extinguishers were being sent to Nakhon Phanom in Thailand, to be used for operations in Laos, where the danger of ground fire was too great for the unarmored AC-47s used for missions in South Vietnam. ‘Puff’ Spooks the Enemy A history of the AC-47 gunship The basic gunship concept is quite simple: an aircraft flying in a level turn around a point on the ground (as if tethered to a pylon, hence called a “pylon turn”) can deliver fairly accurate firepower from guns firing perpendicular to the line of flight. We spent six months and turned the corner of the recommend break-in round count on the striking Kimber Rapide Black Ice in 10mm Auto and have some things to report. Puff The Magic Dragon. ‘Puff’ became the call sign for Harvey’s AC-47, then the only gunship in Vietnam, since the second one returned to the States for training. By the following November, 20 C-47s had been pulled from the boneyard and refurbished as gunships… The AC-47, dubbed “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” by an officer who saw it at work, was so effective that the Air Force launched Project Gunship II, the program which resulted in the AC-130 still in service today. The AC-119 Shadow and AC-119 Stinger were introduced at a later date. The AC-130 Spectre was a larger and much more modern aircraft. Arguments over this issue, and problems with the infrared gear and other equipment, delayed the program; in late 1968 and early 1969 only four were in action, based at Ubon in Thailand, and mainly devoted to hunting trucks on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The breakthrough came in August 1964 when a C-131 armed with a 7.62 mm Gattling gun achieved better than expected accuracy in firing tests over the Gulf of Mexico. It was said that no village or hamlet under Spooky’s protection was ever lost to the enemy. Without his life-long friend, puff could not be brave, So puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave. – The original and unofficial nickname for the AC-130 gunship was “Puff the Magic Dragon” or “Puff.” – The AC-130H Spectre was introduced in 1969 and was used for 46 years in service; the longest service time of any AC gunship. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! It was a highly successful aircraft which was replaced by heavier armed AC-119 and AC-130 aircraft. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. By 1964, the first gunship conversion of a World War II Douglas C-47 Skytrain transport was completed under the Project Gunship… Some AC-130 aircraft were given heavier weapons, both to make their fire more destructive and to enable them to fire from a greater distance and thus reduce their exposure to anti-aircraft fire. The Douglas AC-47 gunship known as 'Puff the Magic Dragon' had served in Vietnam but was a very old aircraft by the time of the war and was starting to show its age. ( Log Out /  The Suomen Ilmavoimat (Finnish Air Force). The flames and tracer bullets coming from the gunship were so awesome that the Viet Cong called the old Gooney Birds, “Dragon ships,” and from that came the American nickname, “Puff the Magic Dragon.” Our GIs and Marines said it looked like a Fourth of July fireworks display whenever Puff was on … WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military on Monday attacked Afghan targets around the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar with an Air Force Special Forces AC-130 gunship, one of the most devastating weapons in America's air arsenal, a senior defense official said. And Puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Jul 31, 2019 - Explore Andy Davies's board "Spooky" on Pinterest. Nicknamed “Spectre,” it also mounted an array of advanced Sensors. On December 1, 1969, US Air Force AC-47s flew their last mission. Nevertheless, the tests went forward. Puff the Magic Dragon. There was opposition to the concept. The next month, three Gattling guns were mounted aboard a C-47 and also successfully tested. Terry and his team arrived in South Vietnam in December 1964. In a land called Vietnam." It had the capability of covering every inch of an area (the size of a football field) in less than 3 minutes. This concept was first proposed in 1926 and demonstrated the next year. Gun Review: Going the Distance with the Kimber Rapide Black Ice 10mm. It carried four 7.62-mm miniguns, and also four 20-mm Vulcan cannons. Three miniguns per plane eventually became standard. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military on Monday attacked Afghan targets around the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar with an Air Force Special Forces AC-130 gunship, one of the most devastating weapons in America's air arsenal, a senior defense official said. Aug 9, 2020 - Explore james cozze's board "Gunship" on Pinterest. The predecessor of the first fixed-wing gunship used in Southeast Asia was the WWII twin-engined C-47 (DC-3) “Gooney Bird,” which was first brought to Vietnam as a transport and cargo ship in November 1961. To maximize effectiveness and minimize risk to the gunships, they typically flew at night with call signs Spooky and Puff, each for obvious reasons. Oct 20, 2016 - Explore Chuck Farnsworth's board "Gunships, Puff, Spooky or Spectre" on Pinterest. The AC-130 is based upon "PUFF the Magic Dragon", the AC-47 that was one of the most affective weapons platforms used during the Vietnam War. Simple answer: it was not, an upgrade took its place. 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