Early AC-47D "Spooky" gunship armed with three 7.62mm Miniguns in action over Vietnam

The AC-47 was a United States Air Force (USAF) C-47, (the military version of the DC-3) that had been modified by mounting three 7.62 mm General Electric miniguns to fire through two rear window openings and the side cargo door, all on the left (pilot's) side of the aircraft, to provide close air support for ground troops. Other armament configurations could also be found on similar C-47-based aircraft around the world. The guns were actuated by a control on the pilot's yoke whereby he could control the guns either individually or together, although gunners were also among the crew to assist with gun failures and similar issues. It could orbit the target for hours, providing suppressing fire over an elliptical area about 47.5 meters in diameter, placing a round every 2.2 meters during a three-second burst. The aircraft also carried flares it could drop to illuminate the battleground.