AC-130

From OnAirpower.org

AC-130

Designation: AC-130 Manufacturer: Lockheed/Boeing Nationality: American Remarks: A long-serving, heavily armed US Air Force close air support gunship based on the C-130 transport airframe.

[edit] Timeline

• Feb. 26, 1967 The first C-130 aircraft (JC-130A S/N 54-1626) is selected for conversion into the prototype AC-130A "Gunship II" gunship^[1].

• June 6, 1967 Flight testing of the AC-130A prototype begins at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida^[1].

• September 21, 1967 The AC-130A prototype arrives at Nha Trang Air Base, South Vietnam to begin a 90-day test program^[2].

• December 1, 1967 The AC-130A prototype completes its test program in South Vietnam, having destroyed 38 out of 94 vehicles sighted, and expended 85,000 rounds of 20mm and more than 220,000 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition^[2].

[edit] Sources

• Wikipedia entry for AC-130

• AC-103H Spectre  at fas.org

• Lockheed AC-130A Gunship II Factsheet  at National Museum of the USAF

• Lockheed AC-130E "Pave Spectre"  at National Museum of the USAF

• AC-130H/U Gunship Factsheet  at US Air Force official website

• The Praetorian STARShip: The Untold Story of the Combat Talon

[edit] References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3216
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3217