Douglas AC-47 Spooky

E765015

The Douglas AC-47 Spooky is a gunship variant of the C-47 transport aircraft, heavily armed for close air support and famously used by the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War.

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Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf aircraft model
ground-attack aircraft
gunship
aircraftType twin-engine propeller-driven aircraft
airframeOrigin Douglas C-47 transport aircraft NERFINISHED
armamentConfiguration side-firing guns
basedOn Douglas C-47 Skytrain NERFINISHED
conversionFrom transport aircraft
countryOfOrigin United States of America
surface form: United States
crew 7
8
developedFor United States Air Force gunship program NERFINISHED
engineType piston engine
era Cold War
feature ability to orbit target area
multiple side-mounted machine guns or miniguns
sustained suppressive fire capability
introducedInService 1964
manufacturer Douglas Aircraft Company NERFINISHED
nickname Puff the Magic Dragon NERFINISHED
Spooky NERFINISHED
notableFor pioneering modern fixed-wing gunship concept
notableTheater Southeast Asia NERFINISHED
numberOfEngines 2
operator United States Air Force
originatedAs Douglas C-47 Skytrain conversion program
powerplant Pratt & Whitney R-1830 radial engine NERFINISHED
primaryArmament 7.62 mm General Electric minigun
primaryMission defense of hamlets and outposts
night close air support
role air interdiction
armed reconnaissance
close air support
force protection
serviceBranch United States Air Force
successor Fairchild AC-119 gunship NERFINISHED
Lockheed AC-130 Spectre NERFINISHED
usedBy Republic of Vietnam Air Force NERFINISHED
Royal Cambodian Air Force NERFINISHED
Royal Lao Air Force NERFINISHED
usedFor base defense
convoy escort
support of ground troops in contact
usedInConflict Vietnam War
usedInRole counterinsurgency operations
night harassment of enemy forces
wingConfiguration low-wing monoplane

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.