A formal procurement program for the acx was expected to begin in fiscal year 2005 fy05. Air force acu spooky ii oef oif gunship patch tshirt. The versatile airframe has found uses in a variety of other roles, including as a gunship. Ac gunship model airplane stunning collectible model. The ac a gunship ii superseded the ac 47 gunship i during. Fast forward half a century and the usaf now operates the ac u spooky ii for close air support, air interdiction, and armed. Perfect air force gift for any active duty usaf airmen or retired airmen or fans of us airforce planes.
The acx could be either a further upgrade to the existing ac an entirely new followon system. It carries a wide array of ground attack weapons that are integrated with sophisticated sensors, navigation, and firecontrol systems. The basic airframe is manufactured by lockheed, while boeing is responsible for the conversion into a gunship and for aircraft support. The story of spooky, shadow, stinger and spectre mutza, wayne on. The acu is yet another variant of the c hercules airframe, this time especially produced for the usaf special operations as an upgraded gunship to take them into the 21st century. Ac gunship airplane aircraft model is made from the highest quality mahogany wood and workmanship. Acu spooky gunships firing during training of the the 4th special operations squadron in florida. Acu spooky ii instructions the acu is a gunship version of the c hercules transport aircraft, armed with sidemounted 105mm howitzer, 40mm bofors cannon, and 25mm gatling gun this minifigurescale model measures 82 x 68 studs, contains 1962 parts, and features. The ac hercules gunship model airplane is crafted from philippine mahogany wood and is an impressive aviation gift. Lockheed ac spectrespooky gunship video gallery milavia. The aircrew of the acu gunship spooky 41 with hurlburt fields 4th special operations squadron from florida were honored at the. During the vietnam war the c hercules airframe was selected to replace the original gunship, the douglas ac47 spooky project. After 41 years of flying the c aircraft, the 144th airlift squadrons eight cs were divested, with the planes either being transferred to.
Plans announced in april 2010 are for afsoc to acquire 15 of the new acjs, based on new production airframes from lockheed martin. This book features a wealth of outstanding color photographs, many of which. The ac w stinger ii primary missions are close air support and air interdiction. The ac is armed with a fearsome array of weaponry, including a 105 mm cannon and 25 or 40 mm gatling guns. During the battle, the aircrew facilitated additional fire support from ah64 apache helicopters, prepared medical helicopters to evacuate casualties, and launched a quick reaction force qrf to help. Acu gunship spooky hyperscale is proudly supported by squadron. Ach spectre gunship, airstrike on insurgents youtube. The hercules gunship aircraft is a variant of the c hercules transport aircraft manufacturered by lockheed martin. I was at ubon, thailand before the end of january, and flew my first mission the next day, my first time in an ac. This custom model is made from scratch just for you in only 910 weeks, with rush production available to meet tight deadlines. It contains 3 weapons the models are based on the zu23 aa gun. The acu employs the latest technologies and can attack two targets simultaneously. All gunships evolved from the first operational gunship, the ac 47, to the ac 119, and then the ac a which was the basis for the modern c gunship. It also has twice the munitions capacity of the ach.
The acu is named for the ac47d and has the spooky nickname rather than the spectre nickname used by all other ac gunships. Upgrade your style with gunship tshirts from zazzle. All gunships evolutionized from the first operational gunship, the ac47. The spooky ii is a c transport aircraft converted to an attack role for close air support and armed reconnaissance. The air commando association stories on the lockheed c. The ac h spectre gunships were fielded in 1972 and retired in 2015. It is a variant of the c hercules transport ac spectre gunship. A c hercules from the 144th airlift squadron, alaska air national guard, flies away from denali, the highest point in north america, march 4, 2017. Lockheed martin officials introduced the cjsof, a super hercules configured for special operations requirements. Lockheed ac hercules gunship large mahogany model. An acu gunship from the 4th special operations squadron. The lockheed c hercules is an american fourengine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by lockheed now lockheed martin. When the gunship was approximately 2 miles south of the special forces camp, the pilot initiated a left hand turn to position the aircraft for a. Your custom 4 sos acu spooky ii model will be a perfect replication with squadron markings and any tail number.
Because of their accents the ground troops they are supporting appear to be british or australian. The ac spectre is a gunship version of the ubiquitous hercules transport aircraft. Evasive action acu hercules gunship aircraft an acu gunship jettisons flares aug. As the vietnam war came to an end, the dating douglas ac 47 spooky gunship needed an upgrade. The port side of the ac houses firing ports for an array of cannons, howitzers and gatling guns. Two pilots are awarded dfcs after flying spooky hercules gunship. This is a 10minute video of an ac spooky gun ship flying a support mission against alqaeda in iraq. The ac gunships usually operate at night, because it is an easy target due to its large profile and low operating altitude. Ac spectre spooky gunship being mothballed discussion in off topic discussion started by 9outof10mms, feb 7, 2014. The lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed ground attack aircraft currently in service with the united states air force. From the acu spooky gunship 25mm gatlingtype rotary cannon gunners point of view during live firing in korea september 20, 2012 david cenciotti military aviation 0. What you see is the infrared viewing screen of a 20mm cannon fire gatling gun. See more ideas about ac, fighter jets and military aircraft. The acus call sign is spooky, and traces its history to the first operational gunship, the ac47.
The model aircraft arrives fully assembled and includes a display stand. Us air force poster ac u spectre gunship ac poster 18x24 af56 5. Burns, an aerial gunner assigned to the deadliest squadron in air force history. The acu employs a synthetic aperture strike radar for longrange and adverse. Photo of a usaf acu spooky aircraft in flight more special operations photos at this site uses cookies.
When engaging the target this aircraft operates at an altitude of just 1. Lockheed acu spooky ii shows off its power military. We trained in ac119s over southern indiana, there being a shortage of ac at the time. How the ac destroyed at least 20 vehicles per night during vietnam war. Missionthe acu spooky gunships primary missions are close air. I had decided a couple of years ago that i wanted to build displays of the two aircraft i spent 24 years of my life on, the first 17 years being on the b52h at castle afb, ca and the last seven with the u. The acu has a crew of thirteen, including four gunners. Airmen from the 4th special operations squadron load a 105mm gun aboard an acu spooky during a training mission at hurlburt field, fla. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the c was originally designed as a troop, medevac, and cargo transport aircraft. Unlike other modern military fixedwing aircraft, the ac relies on visual targeting. Acu spooky gunship model 4 sos customize and personalize this 4th special operations squadron acu spooky gunship model with your choice of pilot and crew chief names, weapons load out and patch and text on stand.
The cjsof is the 10th production variant of the super hercules. Like many of the specialised versions of the hercules the spectre came out of the involvement of the us in the vietnam war. The squadron plans, prepares, and executes ac spooky gunship. The lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed, longendurance, groundattack variant of the c hercules transport, fixedwing aircraft. Aboard the ac spectre gunship, he flew a total of 287 combat missions over laos, south vietnam, and cambodia, in pursuit. Lockheed martin say that the aircraft is specifically intended to meet the unique demands associated with executing operations of strategic importance in. Unlike the transport version which is in service in many countries throughout the world the spectre has only seen service in the usaf. Special operators want the new gunship, or acx, to be much smaller than a. Vietnam conflict ac47d spooky gunship aircraft roster.
Ac h spectre gunship, airstrike on insurgents the lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed, longendurance groundattack variant of the c hercules transport fixedwing aircraft. This quarter there have been some great stories of the c and a history of the gunship on the internet. The ac is flown by usaf special operations, mostly in the close air support role. I constructed mine out of plastic sheet and bits and pieces for detail parts. The lockheed ac gunship is a heavily armed, longendurance, ground attack variant of the c hercules transport, fixedwing aircraft. Man was it cold at 6000 ft over indiana in november and december. The primary missions of ac type gunships are close air support, air interdiction and armed reconnaissance. Although the acj is still yet to take to the skies operationally, take a few minutes and fly along on a some training missions aboard afsocs legacy ac specter and spooky flying gunships. The acu spooky gunships, located at hurlburt field, fla. During the vietnam war, the c hercules was selected to replace the douglas ac47 spooky gunship project gunship i in order to improve mission. Lockheed martin announce cjsof super hercules gunship.
This replica model is made and available factory direct from scalecraft models. The ac gunship has a combat history dating to vietnam. Please have your chinese auction items turned in to the registration table by 10. The lockheed ac is a c cargo plane converted into a gunship. Two acu spooky gunships of the 4th special operations. Video of al qaeda combatants gunned down by an ac gunship. The gunships navigational devices include the inertial navigation systems and global positioning system. Air interdiction missions are conducted against preplanned targets or targets of opportunity and include strike coordination and reconnaissance. The acu spooky and acw stinger ii variants are used to support ground troops, escort convoys, and in towns and cities. How the ac destroyed at least 20 vehicles per night. Lockheed ac spectrespooky gunship section with description, specifications, pictures and videos.
I departed for sea on jan 3, 1970, arriving at clark for jungle school. They came under fire during an ambush from a huge number of al. In addition, afsoc will retain their remaining acu spectres, while retiring older gunships based on earlier hercules models. The flares are a countermeasure for heatseeking missiles that may be fired at the aircraft during real world missions. They also did the ach spooky, i built this version with 40mm bofors cannon instead of 105mm cannon on u model. Currently, acu spooky model gunships are stationed at hurlburt field in northwest. The ac is operated by a crew of 11 men, depending on the variant. Effective range of the gun is about 3,000 meters 9,800 feet. Known as the uboat its exact details both as an aircraft and mission profiles are still classified given that it is a new and covert operative. Air force selected the c hercules airframe as its new gunship because it could fly faster, longer and at higher altitudes, all while carrying more munition. Acu spooky us air force special forces aerial gunship based on the mch, equipped with a new 25mm gatling gun and upgraded electronics. Gun drawing ticket sales everyday up until drawing time saturday.
The acu spooky gunships primary missions are close air support, air interdiction and armed reconnaissance. Two acu spooky gunships with the 4th special operations squadron return from their final scheduled combat deployment at hurlburt. Close air support missions include troops in contact, convoy escort and point air defense. An ac u gunship from the 4th special operations squadron. The acu employs synthetic apertures strike radar for longrange target detection and identification. The acj ghostrider will get a big ass gun afterall. It builds up nicely, only things missing are the gunners control box in the cargo bay. It is a variation of the c hercules transport plane. On march 8,1966, a douglas ac47d gunship, call sign spooky 70, departed da nang airbase dad on a close air support mission for the a shau special forces camp, thua thien province, south vietnam.
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