RRcoleJR_Photography

Puff

A Douglas AC-47 Spooky (also nicknamed "Puff, the Magic Dragon") at the 2010 Wings Over Houston Airshow, Houston, Texas, USA. The AC-47 was a United States Air...
Read more

A Douglas AC-47 Spooky (also nicknamed "Puff, the Magic Dragon") at the 2010 Wings Over Houston Airshow, Houston, Texas, USA. The AC-47 was a United States Air Force C-47, (the military version of the DC-3) that had been modified by mounting three 7.62 mm General Electric miniguns to fire through two rear window openings and the side cargo door, all on the left (pilot's) side of the aircraft, and the modified craft's primary function was close air support for ground troops. Other armament configurations could also be found on similar C-47-based aircraft around the world. The guns were actuated by a control on the pilot's yoke whereby he could control the guns either individually or together, although gunners were also among the crew to assist with gun failures and similar issues. It could orbit the target for hours, providing suppressing fire over an elliptical area approximately 52 yd (47.5 m) in diameter, placing a round every 2.4 yd (2.2 m) during a three-second burst. The aircraft also carried flares it could drop to illuminate the battleground.
Read less