Lockheed AC-130A Spectre

Lockheed AC-130A Spectre
Pays	États-Unis
Type	Avions d’attaque au sol
Premier vol	1966
Construit	47

Galerie de photos d’un Lockheed AC-130A Spectre, The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a heavily armed, long-endurance ground-attack variant of the C-130 Hercules transport fixed-wing aircraft. It carries a wide array of anti-ground oriented weapons that are integrated with sophisticated sensors, navigation, and fire-control systems. Unlike other military fixed-wing aircraft, the AC-130 relies on visual targeting. Because its large profile and low operating altitudes (around 7,000 ft) make it an easy target, it usually flies close air support missions at night.

Source: Lockheed AC-130A Spectre sur Wikipedia

Lockheed AC-130A Spectre
Photographe	Vladimir Yakubov
Localisation	Le Musée National de l’USAF
Photos	23

Lockheed AC-130A Spectre 01

Lockheed AC-130A Spectre 02

Lockheed AC-130A Spectre 03

Lockheed AC-130A Spectre 04

Lockheed AC-130A Spectre 05

Lockheed AC-130A Spectre 06

Lockheed AC-130A Spectre 07

Lockheed AC-130A Spectre 08

Lockheed AC-130A Spectre 09

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Infos (infos)
Rôle	Navire de combat d’attaque au sol à voilure fixe et de soutien aérien rapproché
Fabricant	Lockheed et Boeing
Premier vol	1966
Introduction	AC-130A: 1968
Retraite	1995-2015
Utilisateur principal	United States Army Air Forces
Nombre construit	47
Développé à partir de	P-51 Mustang

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Lockheed AC-130A (54-1626) Spectre Walk Around
Photographe	Weichao Chen
Localisation	Inconnu
Photos	60

AC-130A Spectre

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Lockheed AC-130A Gunship USAF Walk Around
Photographes	Meindert de Vreeze, Cees Hendriks
Localisation	Inconnu
Photos	66

Lockheed AC-130A Gunship USAF 01

Lockheed AC-130A Gunship USAF 02

Lockheed AC-130A Gunship USAF 03

Lockheed AC-130A Gunship USAF 04

Lockheed AC-130A Gunship USAF 05

Lockheed AC-130A Gunship USAF 06

Lockheed AC-130A Gunship USAF 07

Lockheed AC-130A Gunship USAF 08

Lockheed AC-130A Gunship USAF 09

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The Birth of the Modern Gunship

Lla AC-130A Spectre was the direct evolution of « Project Gunship II, » designed to replace the aging AC-47 « Spooky » during the Vietnam War. By converting the rugged C-130 Hercules transport into a side-firing weapon system, the U.S. Air Force created a platform with massive loiter time, heavy payload capacity, and the ability to fly above the reach of standard small-arms fire. It pioneered the « pylon turn »—a maneuver where the pilot banks the aircraft into a continuous circle around a ground point, allowing the side-mounted sensors and guns to keep a target under constant, devastating fire.

Attribute	Technical Specification (AC-130A)
Rôle	Close Air Support (CAS) / Armed Reconnaissance
Crew	14–16 (depending on mission and sensor load)
Groupe motopropulseur	4 × Allison T56-A-9D turboprops
Vitesse maximale	380 mph (610 km/h)
Combat Altitude	Approx. 7,000 to 12,000 ft (operating altitude)
Early Armament	4 × 7.62mm GAU-2/A Miniguns; 4 × 20mm M61 Vulcan cannons
Standard Armament	2 × 7.62mm Miniguns; 2 × 20mm Vulcans; 2 × 40mm Bofors L/60
Night Sensors	LLLTV (Low Light Level TV), FLIR, and « Black Crow »

Design Engineering: Darkness is the Shield

Lla « Black Crow » Sensor: One of the most secret technologies of the era, this sensor could detect the unshielded ignition coils of North Vietnamese truck engines hidden deep under the jungle canopy, allowing the Spectre to hit targets it couldn’t even see visually.
Side-Firing Geometry: Unlike bombers that drop from below, the AC-130A mounted its entire arsenal on the port (left) side. This allowed the pilot to maintain a constant visual on the target through a window-mounted sight while the gunners in the back fed the hungry cannons.
Bofors 40mm Integration: The addition of the twin 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns (repurposed for ground attack) gave the AC-130A the « punch » needed to destroy armored trucks and light fortifications that the 20mm Vulcans couldn’t crack.
Lla « Surprise » Factor: The AC-130A was one of the first aircraft to use Infrared (IR) illuminators and LLLTV, enabling the crew to see the enemy in total darkness while remaining invisible to the naked eye from the ground.

Combat History: The Ho Chi Minh Trail

The Truck Killer: During Operation Commando Hunt, AC-130As were credited with destroying over 10,000 North Vietnamese supply trucks. They became so feared that the NVA began deploying heavy 37mm and 57mm anti-aircraft guns specifically to hunt the « Spectres. »
Lla « Azrael » Legend: One of the original AC-130As (Serial 54-1630) was named « Azrael » (The Angel of Death). It famously supported the defense of An Loc in 1972, holding off entire North Vietnamese divisions with its withering fire.
Desert Storm and Panama: Though the A-model was old by the 1990s, it served with distinction in Operation Just Cause and Operation Desert Storm. Its ability to loiter over urban areas and provide « surgical » fire made it indispensable for Special Operations.
Retirement: The AC-130A was finally retired in 1995. Many of the original airframes had been flying since the mid-1950s as cargo planes before their conversion, representing some of the hardest-working aircraft in aviation history.