This is in reply to the general discussion.
Just to clarify a few things about the AC series of gunships in Vietnam and beyond. First, let me give you a bit of background on myself so you dont think I'm BS'ing. I recently retired with 33 years service in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve. I spent two tours in Vietnam, one as a weapons loader on F-100 and A-37 aircraft. The second tour was with the 20th SOS Green Hornets as a gunner. After that I joined the 919th SOG at Duke Field Fl as a gunner on AC-130A's. I retired the last of the AC-130A's as the chief gunner. I have over 3000 hours in the gunship and helicopters as a gunner.
Now to clarify a few things. The AC-47, although not officially air to air capable, could in theory, take out any lower flying aircraft that happened into it's bullet stream of 300 rounds per second. It originally used 10 50 cals but went to the 7.62 minigun when they became available. The pilot aimed the aircraft by using the airspeed, ailerons and rudder with the copilots help. The gunners reloaded and fixed the guns as necessary. The gunner did not fire nor aim the guns, they were on fixed mounts. All of them.
The AC-130A originally had 4 7.62 miniguns and 4 20mm Vulcan cannons (gatling guns) firing at the rate of 2500RPM (for the 20mm) and either 3000 rpm or 6000 rpm for the miniguns. When the modification called "surprise package" became available the two rearmost 20mm and miniguns were removed and two 40mm Bofors cannons were installed. They had a firing rate of 100 shots per minute or almost two per second. This is slower than they originally had as naval defense guns which fired at 120 spm. You could not fire both cannons at once for fear of structural damage. As in the AC-47 they were aimed by the pilot with optics fed electronically to the gunsight from the senors. The pilot adjusted bank angle and rudder input and the copilot ran the throttles to align the movable pipper and the fixed pipper in the gunsight until they were both superimposed and simply pulled the trigger. The pilot never sees the actual target.
During the invasion of Panama in 1989 they were tasked with stopping possible escape by Norriega by shooting down any helicpoter flown by non US military forces. Newre models of the AC-130 have trainalble guns that slave to whereever the sensor is looking and computers that handle the mundane tass of windage, etc. The newest version, the AC-130U ahs a chainfun inpace of the 20mm twin guns and in place of the 40mm Bofors. It can strike two targets at once and has a 105mm cannon in the left side door inplace ot one of the 40mm cannons used on the original configuration used in the AC-130A.
Sure hope this helps clear up things. Any questions just ask.
