Fairchild AC-119
AC-119G Shadow AC-119K Stinger | |
---|---|
An AC-119G gunship over Tan Son Nhut Air Base | |
Role | Ground-attack aircraft and close air support gunship
|
Manufacturer | Fairchild Aircraft |
Introduction | November 1968 |
Retired | USAF: 1971 Republic of Vietnam Air Force: 1975 |
Primary users | Republic of Vietnam Air Force
|
Number built | 52 |
Developed from | Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar |
The Fairchild AC-119G Shadow and AC-119K Stinger were twin-engine piston-powered gunships developed by the United States during the Vietnam War. They replaced the Douglas AC-47 Spooky and operated alongside the early versions of the AC-130 Spectre gunship.
Design and development
By late 1967, the idea of the fixed-wing gunship had been proven so successful, the United States Air Force was having a difficult time keeping up with demand. The newer
The
In addition,
Project Gunship III, being a follow-on to the success of the AC-130 series, meant that the AC-119 was a more advanced aircraft in both its iterations than the
The AC-119K, designed to hit trucks on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, was more advanced. Included in the conversion was the AN/APN-147 Doppler navigation radar, AN/AAD-4 forward looking infrared, AN/APQ-133 side-looking beacon tracking radar and AN/APQ-136 search radar.
The armament scheme for both aircraft was simpler than that of the AC-130. The AC-119G had a total of four GAU-2A/A miniguns in
Operational history
By November 1968, the aircraft had deployed to Vietnam and joined the
The AC-119Ks were placed in the
Operators
- 14th Special Operations Wing – Nha Trang Air Base, South Vietnam
- 17th Special Operations Squadron 1969–1971
- 18th Special Operations Squadron1969–1971
- 71st Special Operations Squadron 1968–1969
- (Detachments at Tan San Nhut, Phan Rang and Phu Cat AB)
- 56th Special Operations Wing – Nakhon Phanom Air Base, Thailand
- 18th Special Operations Squadron 1971–1972
Surviving example
- AC-119G Shadow, AF Ser. No. 53-3144, is on display at the Air Commando Heritage Park at Hurlburt Field, Florida.[3]
Specifications (AC-119G)
Data from [citation needed]
General characteristics
- Crew: 6 (day), 8 (night)
- Length: 86 ft 5.75 in (26.3589 m)
- Wingspan: 109 ft 3.25 in (33.3058 m)
- Height: 26 ft 7.75 in (8.1217 m)
- Wing area: 1,400 sq ft (130 m2)
- Airfoil: root: NACA 2418; tip: NACA 4409[4]
- Empty weight: 40,125 lb (18,200 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 62,000 lb (28,123 kg)
- Powerplant: 2 × Wright R-3350-85 Duplex-Cyclone18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 2,500 hp (1,900 kW) each for take-off
- Propellers: 4-bladed constant-speed fully-feathering reversible-pitch propellers
Performance
- Maximum speed: 180 kn (210 mph, 330 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 130 kn (150 mph, 240 km/h)
- Range: 1,680 nmi (1,930 mi, 3,110 km)
- Service ceiling: 23,300 ft (7,100 m)
Armament
- 4× GAU-2/A 7.62 mm (0.30 in) miniguns, 1,500 rounds/gun
- 2× M61 Vulcan 20 mm (0.787 in) 6-barreled Gatling cannon (AC-119K variant only)
- 60× Mk 24 flares in a LAU-74/A flare launcher
Gallery
-
Armament layout of AC-119G Shadow.
-
MXU-470 installed on a AC-47.
-
Armament layout of AC-119K Stinger.
-
SUU-11A/A components.
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- Alenia AC-27J
- Douglas AC-47 Spooky
- Lockheed AC-130
References
Notes
- ^ "Fairchild AC-119 Gunship 'Shadow'." strategic-air-command. Retrieved: 8 May 2012.
- ^ Hobson 2001
- ^ "Hurlburt Field: AC-119 Shadow". Archived 2011-09-29 at the Wayback Machine. United States Air Force, 7 July 2008. Retrieved: 8 May 2012.
- ^ Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
Bibliography
- Hobson, Chris. Vietnam Air Losses, USAF/USN/USMC, Fixed-Wing Aircraft Losses in Southeast Asia, 1961–1973. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 2001. ISBN 1-85780-115-6.
- Petrie, Bill. "AC-119G Shadow (USAF AC-119 Gunships)". AC-119 Gunship Association, updated: 12 January 2006.Retrieved: 11 April 2007.
- Petrie, Bill. "AC-119K Stinger' (USAF AC-119 Gunships)". AC-119 Gunship Association, updated: 27 February 2006. Retrieved: 11 April 2007.
- Project CHECO. Contemporary Historical Evaluation of Combat Operations: Fixed Wing Gunships in Southeast Asia, Retrieved: 22 November 2012.
External links
- AC-119 Gunship Association web site
- Fairchild AC-119K – National Museum of the United States Air Force
- C-119 on display at Former Atterbury AAF/Bakalar AFB/Columbus Municipal Airport, Columbus Indiana www.IndianaMilitary.org