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54-1623 Ghost Rider
On display at Dobbins AFB, GA
with 3-bladed props.
54-1623 - The tenth production C-130A (c/n
3010), converted in 1968 to a AC-130A gunship
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 54-1625 The Warlord
The Warlord
while truck
hunting along the southern portion of the Ho Chi Minh
trail, in Laos. While strafing the trucks, the AC-130
Gunship, from the 16th SOS, was hit by 37 mm AAA,
catching fire. Ten crewmen were listed as KIA. Staff
Sergeant E. Fields was the only survivor.[
Shot down over the Trail 21 April 1970
Lt. Col. C. Rowdey
Lt. Col. C. Davis
Maj. D. Fischer,
Maj. W. Brooks
Lt. J. Tower,
MSgt. R. Ireland
Sgt. T. Adachi,
Sgt. D. Harris
Sgt. R. Hensley,
A1C. D. Lint
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54-1626 Vulcan Express,
 also Super Spooky
Prototype AC-130A modification.
Initial configuration was 4x20mm
and 4x7.62mm.
Now on display at the Air Force Museum, Wright-Patterson AFB OH, carries the name Azrael
Was seen 8/96 at the AF Museum by Tom Robison. He reports there was no name or artwork of any kind on the plane, and all the gun ports have been covered. Still has the Black Crow and
the other "humps and bumps," otherwise it was difficult to tell it was an AC-130. |
54-1627
Gomer Grinder
Retired to AMARC at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ
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54-1628
The Exterminator
Retired to AMARC at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ
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54-1629 (No Name
or Nose Art)
Battle damaged over Laos, crashed and burned at Ubon RTAFB, 24 May 1969. The first
AC-130A loss of the warThe first AC-130A loss of the war.
while on armed reconnaissance (a.k.a. "truck hunting") over
Southern Laos. The aircraft, piloted by Lieutenant Colonel
W. H Schwehm, was hit by 57 mm
AAA
while orbiting at over 6,000 feet. LTC Schwehm had ordered
his crewmen to bail out as they approached the airfield,
while he attempted an emergency landing at his Ubon Air
Base. As the battle damaged Spectre touched down, the right
undercarriage collapsed and the Gunship veered off the
runway into an obstacle, catching fire. Eleven crewmen
survived, but Staff Sergeants Cecil Taylor and Jack W.
Troglen were killed in action.[
SSgt. C. F. Taylor
SSgt. J. W. Troglen |
54-1630 Mores de Callis' (USAF),
Azreal - Angel of Death (AFRES)
Flew at least three missions in Desert Storm
On display at the USAF Museum.
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55-0011 Surprise Package or Night Stalker
Prototype Pave Pronto aircraft
Retired to AMARC at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ
Surprise Package
Surprise
Package
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55-0014 Jaws of Death
 
Reportedly flew more than 20 missions in Desert Storm.
Retired to Robins AFB Museum
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55-0029 Midnight Express
Flew until 1994
Retired to AMARC at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ
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55-0040 Orion The Hunter
67th C-130 built
'040' was retired, in whole, to AMARC in '76.
Boneyard records verify it, as well as photos
from the era. Besides, how could it retire in
'67 when only one gunship, 626, existed in '67?
It was repainted gunship grey, from the SEA camo/black,
transferred to Duke, then deemed un-maintainable
do to corrosion issues. |
55-0043 Name unknown
Shot down by SA-7 SAM over the A Shau Valley 18 June 1972
Maj. C. R. Ayers
Maj. R. H. Harrison
Capt. M. G. Danielson
Capt. P. F. Gilbert
Capt. R. A. Wilson
MSgt. J. E. Mercer
SSgt. R. M. Cole
SSgt. D. H. Klinke
SSgt. L. J. Newman
SSgt. R. E. Nyhoff
Sgt. S. L. Lehrke
Sgt. L. A. Hunt
The Hercules, call sign
"Spectre 11," was conducting a night armed
reconnaissance mission to attack elite NVA
forces known to be infiltrating from Laos into
South Vietnam along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Spectre 11 was making its second attack pass
over the target area when it received a direct
hit in the number 3 engine by a Strela SA-7
missile. A small explosion occurred and the
right wing separated from the aircraft. The
airplane descended in flames and crashed in the
rugged jungle covered mountains west of the A
Shau Valley. |
55-0044 Prometheus
Piloted by Major Irving B. Ramsower, from the
16th SOS, 8th TFW, was destroyed by a
surface-to-air missile (SAM) while truck hunting
over the Ho Chi Minh Trail. There were no
survivors.
# 3 & 4 props shot off November 1971.
Shot down by SA-2 SAM over Tchepone, Laos, 29 March 1972
Maj. H. P. Brauner
Maj. L. B. Ramsower
Maj. H. D. Stephenson
Capt. R. Castillo
Capt. R. C. Halpin
Capt. C. D. Miller
Capt. C. T. Wanzell
Capt. R. B. Young
SSgt. J. K. Cantford
SSgt. M. L. Paulson
SSgt. R. J. Pearce
SSgt. R. D. Smith
Sgt. W. A. Todd
A1C. R. R. Simmons |
55-0046 Proud Warrior
Retired to AMARC at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ
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56-0469 Grim Reaper
Retired to Sheppard AFB, TX, cut up, fuselage sent to Hurlburt as a gun trainer
with cockpit intact.
Some of her weapons were removed for armament
systems apprentice training at Sheppard.
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56-0471 Blind Bat
Test aircraft for the Black Crow truck ignition locating system. Never flew as a Spectre gunship.
Finished its tour of duty with the 105th TAS/118 TAW at
Nashville as a slick.
Retired to AMARC at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ in 1987 when the unit converted to H-models.
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56-0490 Thor
Thor - Ubon - Dec 1969
Shot down near Pakse Laos 21 Dec. 1972.
Pilot
Captain Harry R. Lagerwall was attacking three
trucks at nearly 8,000 feet, when he was struck
by 37 mm AAA. The Spectre, 56-0490, named
Thor, exploded into flames and only two
crewmen managed to safely bail out; the
remaining 14 crewmen perished.
Maj. P. O. Meder
Maj. R. A. Walsh
Capt. J. R. Birch
Capt. D. R. Dickens
Capt. T. J. Hart
Capt. S. N. Kroboth
Capt. H. R. Lagerwall
Capt. R. L. Liles
Lt. G. D. Macdonald
SSgt. R. T. Elliott
TSgt. J. Q. Winningham
TSgt. J. P. Fuller
A1C. C. R. Fenter
A1C. R. E. Reaid |
56-0509 Raids Kill um Dead or Ultimate End
 
On display at Air Commando Airpark, Hurlburt AFB, Fla. in Ubon combat configuration (black paint, red markings, Aeroproduct 3-blade props).
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"A" Models ROCK!
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Information for this section courtesy of:
Frank Vaughn, Paul Hart, Bill Bosley, Tom Robison, D. Kind, Craig Landefeld, Bob Daley, Ron Girard
Photos for this section courtesy of: Steve Whitton, Ron Girard, Mark Gerschefske, Bob Wollman
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