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AC-130 "Puff the Magic Dragon"

Posted on 10/16/2001 7:19:27 AM PDT by Dirk McQuickly

Puff the Magic Dragon


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To: thucydides
Like you, I was wondering about the recoil of that 105mm cannon. It's hard to see how the aircraft's frame could take that sort of a pounding. I'd imagine that the plane must be knocked sideways a bit as each round is fired; after all, the 130 itself isn't mounted to anything, and has only it's own weight and perhaps the gyroscopic effect of the props and turbines to resist the recoil, and to the extent it did resist the recoil, even more stress would have to be absorbed by the frame. I wouldn't be surprized to hear that the 105s are light loads or something, if that's the right term for it.
21 posted on 10/16/2001 7:44:10 PM PDT by PUGACHEV
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To: Dirk McQuickly
During a night defense of a hamlet in the Mekong River Delta, a reporter from the Stars and Stripes watched an AC-47 attack from inside the fortitfications. Upon witnessing the wrath that the AC-47 brought down on the VC attackers that night, he reported that visual effect of the tracers, 1 in every 5 rounds or 20 per second, gave the appearance of dragon's breath. He also tied the roar of the guns into the description. Upon reading the account in the Stars and Stripes, the CO of the 1st Commando Squadron exclaimed "Well, I'll be damned! Puff, the Magic Dragon." from a child's song recently popularized in the U.S. by the trio Peter, Paul and Mary. Captured VC documents later told of orders not to attack the Dragon as weapons are useless and it will only infuriate the monster.

Pic of a AC-47 gunship aka "Puff".

My service in the USAF special ops was a bit after the Vietnam war. A few of the old sergeants I worked with related how the mere mention of Puff on the radio sent the VC scurrying out of the area. Sometimes they even simulated a call to Puff to get the same effect when no Puff was available.

22 posted on 10/16/2001 7:56:24 PM PDT by spectr17
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To: PUGACHEV
The M102 105mm Cannon was derived from the Army field artillery M1A1 howitzer and was modified to be fired from the left rear side door of the AC-130 gunship aircraft. To accomodate this cannon, one of the side-firing 40mm guns was removed from the aircraft and replaced by the radome that formerly had been installed in the door cavity. That change provided enough space for the 105mm gun to be mounted in the doorway in place of the radome. The gun was used extensively beginning with the Vietnam War.

The 105MM cannon fires both the M-1, 32.5 pound high explosive (HE) and the M-60, 34.2 pound white phosphorous (WP) projectile. The fuzes available for the HE round are the super quick M-557,selectable to point detonate (PD) or a 0.05 second delay, the hardened FMU-153B, with PD or 0.007 second delay, and the M-732 proximity fuze, which detonates at approximately 7 meters above the ground, or point detonates if the proximity function is not set or fails.

The M-1 HE projectile with the M-557 fuze in the PD mode is effective against personnel and light vehicles. The M-1 HE projectile with M-557 fuze in delay is effective against light structures and personnel under heavy foliage or cover as the round penetrates prior to detonation. This combination does not work as well against concrete or hardened structures as the fuze and projectile may break up on impact, causing the round to not function. With the FMU-153B fuze in delay mode, the M-1 HE projectile has hardened target penetration capability. The M-732 also makes the M1 HE round an effective personnel physical suppression weapon, as the air burst enables the fragmentation to impact prone or entrenched troops.

For effective area coverage it may be necessary to fire several rounds at least 20 degrees apart, aiming approximately 2 mils high of the central point. The M-732 fuze may function based on the height of the highest obstacle in the area. The M-60 WP round, used only with the M-557 fuze, is an effective smoke round with limited incendiary effect.

23 posted on 10/16/2001 8:08:47 PM PDT by spectr17
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To: Dirk McQuickly
Have any FREEpers seen this baby up close?

This REMF has only seen one at an air show. They actually let us walk through it. An amazin' machine!

Here's another pretty piece of eye candy I haven't seen on FR before:

Here's another one, over Vietnam perhaps?

Anyone know? . . . What is the difference between Puff the Magic Dragon and Spooky?

24 posted on 10/16/2001 9:03:16 PM PDT by LibWhacker
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To: LibWhacker
. What is the difference between Puff the Magic Dragon and Spooky?

83.

The former's an AC-47, the latter's an AC-130.

130-47=83 ;-)

25 posted on 10/16/2001 11:48:55 PM PDT by DuncanWaring
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To: DuncanWaring
Thanks for the cypherin'.

A merry tune sung by the gunship crews. It is sung to the tune of "Ghost Riders in the Sky", an old country/western tune.

Fly high you mighty Spectre, you ship of blazing fools
Deal death around the table, and never play by rules
Lift up your wings at suns last ray, and silent like the night
Fly East to where your target lies, and start your deadly fight

Your foes will not suspect you're near, until they feel your sting
Spit forth a flame that points at death, and make your bullets sing

Though flak explode around you, stay on your circled path
Bathe the bad in bloody steel, make them feel your wrath

When all is quiet down below, and flames reach for the sky
Speed home you battle-weary ship, for soon the dark will fly

Speed home you mighty Spectre, touch down at sun's first ray
You've flown to hell for battle, but shun the light of day

Rest, rest you awesome Spectre, lick your battle wounds
And fill your side with deadly store for night is coming soon.

26 posted on 10/17/2001 12:06:11 AM PDT by spectr17
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To: thucydides

I saw this and my first thought was: "HOW THE F do you get a howitzer in a plane?"

27 posted on 10/17/2001 10:26:34 AM PDT by pittsburgh gop guy
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To: LibWhacker
That'd be Navarre Beach -- just south of Hurlburt Field, Florida, home of USAF Special Forces and the Spectre Gunships.
28 posted on 10/17/2001 10:57:54 AM PDT by Orbiter
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To: Dirk McQuickly
The AC-130 is not Puff the Magic Dragon -- it is Specter or Spooky. Puff the Magic Dragon was built on a DC-3 airframe.

This is Puff:

More information can be found at this website.

29 posted on 10/17/2001 11:17:08 AM PDT by Junior
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To: SLB
the original AC-47 used in Vietnam was "Puff."

Actually, the official Air Force name was "Spooky." I saw many while I was in Nam. It was interesting to see them work out at night. All we could see, was a steady stream of tracers raining down from the sky.

30 posted on 10/17/2001 11:22:15 AM PDT by Mark17
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