Actually "Puff" was a nickname given to AC47 Gunships in Nam. The AC130's were better known as "Spooky". Later both were referred to a "Puff".
This is an AC-47, otherwise known as "Puff The Magic Dragon" after the Peter, Paul, and Mary song of those days. This dragon, however, was not the benign one of song. Clearly visible on the left side of the aircraft are the barrels of three 7.62 mm gatling guns protruding from the open windows. Each was capable of 6,000 rounds per minute (that's correct - 100 rounds a second) for a full output of 18,000 rounds per minute, although the guns were normally only fired one at a time. The guns were aimed by rolling the aircraft into a left turn and visually lining up the target with index marks on the left wingtip and the pilot's side window. The door was left off so that illumination flares could be tossed out. Spent cases from the guns were collected into ammo cans placed beside each gun. It was not good to be the object of Puff's attention. This photo was taken at Phu Cat where the AC-47 squadron was based.
wil.
This is an AC-47, otherwise known as "Puff The Magic Dragon" after the Peter, Paul, and Mary song of those days. This dragon, however, was not the benign one of song. Clearly visible on the left side of the aircraft are the barrels of three 7.62 mm gatling guns protruding from the open windows. Each was capable of 6,000 rounds per minute (that's correct - 100 rounds a second) for a full output of 18,000 rounds per minute, although the guns were normally only fired one at a time. The guns were aimed by rolling the aircraft into a left turn and visually lining up the target with index marks on the left wingtip and the pilot's side window. The door was left off so that illumination flares could be tossed out. Spent cases from the guns were collected into ammo cans placed beside each gun. It was not good to be the object of Puff's attention. This photo was taken at Phu Cat where the AC-47 squadron was based.
wil.
Geez - I remember a dragonship doing a bunch of insurgents that were mortaring us from a deserted village on the banks of the Phu Cat river - it looked like someone made a string of light and was holding the bottom down with a finger while the top of the string gyrated through the air - the sound was like a popcycle stick in the spokes of a bike - the next day we checked the village out - it had disappeared to become a bunch of pebble sized chunks of adobe.
That was a bad bird.
That was a bad bird.
Wil,
Nobody ever accused Marines of being intelligent. We called everything Puff. It took me awhile to realize that in between every tracer were 4 or 5 rounds. When Puff is working out around your perimeter because the enemy is that close, it is a religious experience. Puff is the main reason that I never attend fireworks displays, kicks up my PTSD level. It was especially colorful when the NVA tried to shoot at Puff w/ blue & green tracers. Brings back memories.
Semper Fi,
Lt. Dan
Nobody ever accused Marines of being intelligent. We called everything Puff. It took me awhile to realize that in between every tracer were 4 or 5 rounds. When Puff is working out around your perimeter because the enemy is that close, it is a religious experience. Puff is the main reason that I never attend fireworks displays, kicks up my PTSD level. It was especially colorful when the NVA tried to shoot at Puff w/ blue & green tracers. Brings back memories.
Semper Fi,
Lt. Dan
