“SPOOKY”: THE GRANDFATHER OF THE AC-130

By October 1964 the U.S. Air Force had already spent years trying to develop an effective platform for close air support of ground troops. Under “Project Gunship” the decision was made to fit three 7.62 mm miniguns into a C-47 and test it on the battlefield in Vietnam.

The first significant success came in December 1964. An FC-47 (later called “Spooky”) reached Tranh Yend just 37 minutes after Special Forces called for it, fired 4,500 rounds and broke the Viet Cong attack. The FC-47 was then called to support a second outpost about 20 miles away, where it again forced the enemy to break contact. On February 8, 1965, an FC-47 flew over the Bồng Sơn area and put 20,500 rounds into a hill position over more than four hours, killing an estimated 300 Viet Cong.

Each of the three mounted miniguns could fire up to 100 rounds per second. The pilot aimed through a World War II gunsight fitted to the side of the cockpit. Combat reports state that no village under Spooky’s protection was ever lost, and many soldiers and civilians said the aircraft saved their lives.

Airman First Class John L. Levitow, a loadmaster on the FC-47, received the Medal of Honor for saving “Spooky 71.” On February 24, 1969, the aircraft was hit by an 82 mm mortar round that set off a flare in the cargo bay. With more than 40 wounds in his back and legs, he crawled to the burning magnesium, shielded it with his body and carried it to the open door before it could ignite the aircraft’s ordnance.

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