Boeing Vertol ACH-47 Chinook Gunship "Guns A Go-Go"

The ACH-47A was originally known as the Armed/Armored CH-47A (or A/ACH-47A). It was officially designated ACH-47A by US Army—Attack Cargo Helicopter—and unofficially "Guns A Go-Go"). Four CH-47A helicopters were converted to gunships by Boeing Vertol in late 1965. Three were assigned to the 53rd Aviation Detachment in South Vietnam for testing, with the remaining one retained in the U.S. for weapons testing. By 1966, the 53rd was redesignated the 1st Aviation Detachment (Provisional) and attached to the 228th Assault Support Helicopter Battalion of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). By 1968, only one gunship remained, and logistical concerns prevented more conversions. It was returned to the United States, and the program stopped. The ACH-47A carried five M60D 7.62x51 mm machine guns or M2HB .50 caliber machine guns, provided by the XM32 and XM33 armament subsystems, two M24A1 20 mm cannons, two XM159B/XM159C 19-Tube 2.75" rocket launchers or sometimes two M18/M18A1 7.62x51 mm gun pods, and a single M75 40 mm grenade launcher in the XM5/M5 armament subsystem (more commonly seen on the UH-1 series of helicopters). The surviving aircraft, Easy Money, has been restored and is on display at Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• ACH-47A
• Chinook
• Boeing
• Vertol
• helicopter
• gunship
• Guns Go-Go
• Go-Go Bird
• Vietnam
• aircraft
• Assault
• Support
• Helicopter
• Battalion
• CH-47

[choprjock]

I saw these in action when I flew for the 1st Cav. They were awesome! Sadly, I was also an eyewitness to the "Co$t of Living" accident on 5/5/67. One of the best nicknames I ever saw on an aircraft was a Guns a Go-Go ship named "Birth Control". I have a picture of it on my desk. It still cracks me up. :-)

[peepeevagi]

It's like when you fight zombies, you get a bus, and arm it up.

It's the same thing, but across the skies.

[discofishing]

132mph? That's it?!? Mod a Ch-47F like this and you'd probably get WAY better performance.

[wrtwa1]

In 1967, about 0900, I, an Army DOD civilian, and a Boeing rep, were airlifted into an area in Bong Son to determine the cause of a Go Go that went down during a fire fight around 0600 hours. A LRP (long range patrol) reported seeing something floating off of the aircraft during a straffing run. Along the flight path I found a piece of a rotor blade pocket. The up stop on the 20 mm broke and he shot himself down. I personally retrieved the IDs of all 8 on board. Its still a bad memory.

[offamychain]

Picture #2 is 90 minutes later. 8 men are walking away from the airport, now smoking, but secured. Exhausted, filthy, bleeding, & out of ammo, yet you see none of the fright in the earlier picture, nor the youngness. We matured years in that 90 minutes. An AC-130 (Puff the Magic Dragon) had appeared overhead the very minute we needed it most, giving the guys who wanted to kill us something else to worry about while we did what we came there to do. I know how they felt .... extremely grateful.

[offamychain]

@dbatesphoto I can tell you precisely how they felt. I've 2 pictures of action in Panama during Just Cause on my desk. The first shows 8 frightened young guys crouched behind a 24" concrete dividing wall. House behind them has dozens of bullet marks & countless shell casings at their feet. The target, Punta Patilla Airport's tower, is in the background, unreachable because of 2 snipers & a well protected Mini-Gun, which had found 3 of the soldiers, including the Platoon Sergeant, being myself.

[dbatesphoto]

Just visited Easy Money today on Redstone she is still gorgeous. Can only imagine how it felt for the troops to see her coming to help and how she scared the .... out of the enemy when she started making a run.

[bluballzzz]

outdated, that thing wouldn't last 5 mins in a modern fight

[hlcom30]

Fascinating!!

[peeeveli]

Interesting concept, sad thing they never took it further.

[wjoconnor]

Was kinda neat seeing this. Back in the day, we took it as an article of faith, the 47 would fall apart from the vibrations of multiple 50s firing. 67-18537, 1970.

[Yayo015]

Lol, the interior is like the B-17 all over again.