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Video: First AC-130J Delivered to USAF
Hurlburt Field receives the first AC-130J Ghostrider. Airmen and their families show up to see the new aircraft land. (youtu.be) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
E' uno degli aerei più affascinanti che sia mai stato costruito. AC130J Ghostrider
I wonder what the new cannon is and why just that and no other weapons that I can see. There have been a few extra flights around the Marietta/Smyrna area recently. I wonder if this is one of them.
Don't let this Bad Boy's mild mannered appearance fool you. What you're seeing is a 105mm auto-cannon which is a replacement for one of two 30mm Bushmaster cannons (still carries one), plus it carries AGM (air-to-ground) missiles and has smart bomb capability. In Vietnam, the AC130H "Spectre" rained down devastating "hell" on the enemy. Think of an ice cream cone with the Spectre flying in a circle around the top lip in a fairly steep left bank and concentrating massive Gatling type firepower on the point of the cone as it flew around...and they flew at night. Awesome aircraft! BTW, those 105mm shells HUGE.
http://media.dma.mil/2014/Feb/07/2000778744/888/591/0/140131-F-PT591-003.JPG
That is not a 105MM cannon and is all that can be seen sticking out the side of the bird as seen here:
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/vlfah1rswey9ky0k8agp.jpg
According the the AF.com article http://www.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/223/Article/473295/new-ac-130j-completes-first-test-flight.aspx it still is a 30MM cannonm but as seen in the second pic, that is it.
That is not a 105MM cannon and is all that can be seen sticking out the side of the bird as seen here:
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/vlfah1rswey9ky0k8agp.jpg
According the the AF.com article http://www.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/223/Article/473295/new-ac-130j-completes-first-test-flight.aspx it still is a 30MM cannonm but as seen in the second pic, that is it.
I might have a wrong pic unless they first flew with 4 bladed props before moving to the 6 bladed ones.
You're right about it not being a 105, but is a 30mm. I read somewhere that initially the "J" model was going to have the configuration of the "W" model (Stinger II) and have a 30mm plus the GBU and AGM capability. Later it was decided to add the 105, but a couple of early "J"s were delivered with just the 30 and will be retrofitted to include a 105. I made a faulty assumption it was showing the 105.
I would have crashed driving on the highway, watching it land! Heck, I nearly crash watching a Cherokee land. Airplanes are awesome!