Wow! Inside The Magic Dragon!

[TopRamen]

I never gave much thought about the effort these folks put into it:

[video=youtube;OOe-TEJlV4E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOe-TEJlV4E[/video]

:clap:

That sure doesn't look as easy as it looks like it is from the ground! And this is a public video, meaning it is probably not entirely realistic anyhow, but an interpretation of which aspect your friendly neighborhood dictator has allowed you to view to keep you a Serf or Peasant.
I really hated to be close to the Artillery when SHTF, as it was like being in the Motorpool in Camp Junction City in the days of the "Mad Mortar-man". That nonsense ended real quick when 1ID showed up on the scene. Okay, well maybe it took a few months, but...
The funnypart was there was this guy in our Unit with the last name that was not exactly "Mortarman". but it was close enough.
Man, the last names of the folks you meet in the service. Some are just so coincidental, and yet sometimes eternally appropriate.
Anyhow, Kudos to those folk who have to deal with sci-ency crap like wind shear and all that stuff that makes death from above a real treat!

 

[tab28682]

The USAF is strongly supporting the next generation of the AC-130, the AC-130J.

The first aircraft are in operational flight test at Hurlburt Field in FL. No Vulcan mini guns on the new aircraft, but the are firmly committed to having the 105mm gun on board, in addition to to the 30mm cannon. There is also a high energy laser planned for the future. Plus, the aircraft has the capability to carry lots of underwing weapons, such as Hellfires and SDB (Small Diameter Bomb) precision guided munitions.

The precision of the aircraft when using the 105mm shell makes it just about as good as using PGMs, while being very cost effective as the shells for the cannon cost about $335. The picture above was taken before the installation of the 105, which is coming in the future.

They did manage to overstress the first AC-130J at Hurlburt in flight, to the point of it becoming a class A write off due to structural damage. Lots of new lumps and bumps on the aircraft means there can be surprises in the odd corners of the envelope when flight testing.

 

[rstaff3]

Cool share, thanks.

 

[Rex R]

Quibble, Puff is the AC47 variant, Spectre is the AC130. every time I hear someone talking about the puff gunship I think ac47, it gets confusing.
Rex

 

[Rex R]

the A10 looks and sounds much like a fire breathing dragon when it fires its' cannon at night .
Rex

 

[rharshberger]

There were actually the AC-47 Spooky, AC-119G Shadow, AC-119K Stinger and AC-130 Spectre gunships. Puff the Magic Dragon was a nickname for the original Spooky's, iirc there actually was a AC-47 named Puff.

 

[KidRockET]

Call it whatever you want...

Just be glad we won the...

Coin toss and elected...

Not to receive...

 

[fyrwrxz]

Call it whatever you want...

Just be glad we won the...

Coin toss and elected...

Not to receive...

ROTFLMAO-KR! Yes, there actually was A "Puff"...my Dad was a Squadron Commander for a Munitions Maintenence Squadron. Claimed he was in charge of sorting the mail before it was "delivered"! He was still certified to fly the C-47 right up to when he retired after 26 years. I still have a patch of his i treasure.

 

[TopRamen]

the A10 looks and sounds much like a fire breathing dragon when it fires its' cannon at night .
Rex

And there are some Scout Helis with 23mm nose mounted auto-cannon that can really demolish a mud hut or a Hi-Lux too.
Especially at night.

I thought the teamwork aspect was pretty impressive in the video, whether or not it really reflects what really happens, since it was after all a video.
I just always thought of the aircraft as mindless robots guaranteed to kill something.

Bombs at night, not so impressive, what with the penetration and lack of fireball.
Once on "Observation Point" at O.P. Alpha at Camp Junction City, a 107mm rocket went right over my head and nailed a conex at the PX, which means it was post December in Ramadi. The conex took a direct hit, and it was the first time I got I was close enough to a 107 that the sound barrier did not affect my perception of the event. I tracked it with my ears AND eyes, even though it was like 1:30 ass O'clock or some such.
The guy that was on O.P. with me was a Radar Guy. We were discussing the merits and dangers of the Radar set up, and since I had yet to be in the trailer box, he was drawing me diagrams of what the screen showed and telling me how to interpret it. Apparently at this point individual rounds of 7.62mm ammunition was common, and since we were forward deployed, we had so sweet tech. Being 1/5 Field Artillery of 1st ID you really have a "Hell" of a standard to live up to.:wink:
I had a great time when I worked with the guys from METRO too!
If we all had to see what a beautiful world it really is out there, Openrocket and Rocksim would be out of business.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56u6g0POvo0