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Top: Society: Military: Aviation: Aircraft: Gunships: AC-130
| Submit sites that have extensive content on the AC-130 family of gunships. Sites that focus on individual models, should be submitted to their respective subcategories: AC-130A, AC-130E and AC-130H sites should go to Spectre; AC-130U sites should go to Spooky. |
AC-130 gunships are a family of aircraft based on the C-130 Hercules airframe. These are generically referred to as "Spectre Gunships" even though the latest variant does not use that nickname.The AC-130 family of gunships carry laser designators that can assist attack aircraft with the delivery of laser-guided bombs. They also carry single-fire weapons in addition to the high-speed gatling-guns found on all other fixed wing gunships.
| Submit sites that primarily focus on the AC-130A, AC-130E or AC-130H. Sites that primarily focus on the AC-130U should be submitted to Society/Military/Aviation/Aircraft/Gunships/AC-130/Spooky |
Spectre was the nickname for three different designations of AC-130 gunships: AC-130A, AC-130E and AC-130H.The AC-130A was the first member of the AC-130 gunship family. Earliest models had four 7.62mm miniguns and four 20mm gatling guns. Later, all the AC-130A gunships were standardized around two 7.62mm miniguns, two 20mm gatling guns and two 40mm Bofors-type (naval) cannon that could be fired one shot at a time.
The AC-130E was the second generation in the family. The aircraft were initially configured with the same weapons suite that the AC-130A settled on, but in 1972 the aircraft were reconfigured to two 20mm gatling guns, one 40mm cannon and one 105mm gun. Later, the "E" models were given more powerful engines and air-to-air refueling capability, and were designated the AC-130H.
| Submit sites that primarily focus on the AC-130U. Sites that primarily focus on the AC-130A, AC-130E or AC-130H should be submitted to Society/Military/Aviation/Aircraft/Gunships/AC-130/Spectre. |
Spooky is the nickname for the U.S. Air Force's newest gunship, the AC-130U. It was chosen to commemorate the first gunships, the AC-47.The "U-boat" as it is also known builds on the experience of the earlier AC-130 gunships, but differs somewhat in weaponry. It carries a single 25mm gatling gun, the same 40mm Bofors-type cannon found in earlier versions and the 105mm gun. Unlike the earlier aircraft, these weapons are not in a fixed position, they can be trained on targets which allows the "U" to engage multiple targets at the same time, and more importantly, to fly a less predictable orbit.
The AC-130E was the second generation in the family. The aircraft were initially configured with the same weapons suite that the AC-130A settled on, but in 1972 the aircraft were reconfigured to two 20mm gatling guns, one 40mm cannon and one 105mm gun. Later, the "E" models were given more powerful engines and air-to-air refueling capability, and were designated the AC-130H.
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