What aircraft was called Puff the Magic Dragon in Vietnam?

AC-47s
On December 2, 1964, the first AC-47s arrived in Vietnam and were assigned to the 1st Air Commando Squadron. The ground troops affectionately called the AC-47 “Puff – the Magic Dragon”. It was noted that the Viet Cong never seeing such an attack from the sky, thought it to be a fire breathing dragon.

What caliber is Puff the Magic Dragon?

Using side-firing weapons on aircraft can be traced back to 1927, when a concept was demonstrated by fixing a . 30 caliber machine gun to the side of a biplane and flying a simple manoeuvre known as a pylon turn.

How many rounds per minute did Puff the Magic Dragon shoot?

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. The planes could circle a base when it was under attack, illuminating the target area with 2-million candlepower flares.

Was the AC-130 gunship used in Vietnam?

They were used in Vietnam from 1962-1970. Beginning in 1965, the C-130 Hercules with its four turbo-prop engines, superior 15-ton payload, and its ability to rapidly offload palletized cargo dominated airlift operations in Vietnam. As ground combat increased, so did airlift requirements.

What was the gunship called in Vietnam?

The Douglas AC-47 Spooky (also nicknamed “Puff, the Magic Dragon”) was the first in a series of fixed-wing gunships developed by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War.

Was the C-47 used in Vietnam?

The C-47 was used during WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam war, and other areas. The C-47 flew the hump in China/Burma, food to Berlin, and paratroops on D-Day. The gun ship in Vietnam could fire 18,000 rounds of bullets in one minute to suppress enemy ground fire.

Is a DC 3 the same as a C-47?

The C-47 differed from the civilian DC-3 in numerous modifications, including being fitted with a cargo door, hoist attachment, and strengthened floor, along with a shortened tail cone for glider-towing shackles, and an astrodome in the cabin roof.

Why is it called Spooky gunship?

The flight at Nha Trang became part of the 14th Special Operations Wing, fondly known as The Antique Wing because all of its aircraft were propeller driven. Shortly after the 4th ACS began deploying its aircraft, it christened the gunships with the lasting name ‘Spooky.

When was the first gunship built?

On 25 October 1971, the first “Cadillac” gunship, the AC-130E, arrived in Vietnam. On 17 February 1972, the first 105 mm cannon arrived for service with Spectre and was installed on Gunship 570. It was used from mid-February until the aircraft received battle damage to its right flap.

What is the best gunship plane?

The AC-130J Ghostrider is set to be the most heavily-armed gunship in history, bristling with 30mm and 105mm cannons, AGM-176A Griffin missiles, and the ability to carry Hellfire missiles and GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs.

How many dc3’s were built?

(Although most DC-3s flying today use Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engines, many DC-3s built for civil service originally had the Wright R-1820 Cyclone.)…Douglas DC-3.