AC-119 Shadow/Stinger Gunship

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 inadequate AC-47 Spooky and supplemented the newer AC-130. The AC-119 program (Project Gunship III) came after the AC-130, not before.

By late 1967, the idea of the fixed-wing gunship had been proven so successful that the United States Air Force was having a difficult time keeping up with demand. The newer AC-130s that had been created under Project Gunship II were effective, but were being mostly used for interdiction of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Furthermore, the C-130 airframe was in active service as a transport, vital to the war effort in Southeast Asia. The Air Force desperately needed a new gunship to replace the vulnerable and underpowered AC-47 in supporting "Troops In Contact" (known as TIC), as well as, supplementing the AC-130 in attacking targets on the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

The C-119 Flying Boxcar presented an obvious choice, having been phased out of frontline service in favor of the C-123 and C-130, and with the stock of available airframes in U.S. Air Force Reserve being sufficient. In February 1968, under the USAF program Project Gunship III, 26 C-119Gs were converted to AC-119G standard, initially taking on the name "Creep," but later assigned the callsign "Shadow."[1] These aircraft were primarily intended to replace the AC-47 in the TIC role. In addition, Fairchild-Hiller, which was contracted for all the conversions, converted 26 C-119Ks into AC-119Ks primarily for the "truck hunter" role over the By late 1967, the idea of the fixed-wing gunship had been proven so successful that the United States Air Force was having a difficult time keeping up with demand. The newer AC-130s that had been created under Project Gunship II were effective, but were being mostly used for interdiction of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Furthermore, the C-130 airframe was in active service as a transport, vital to the war effort in Southeast Asia. The Air Force desperately needed a new gunship to replace the vulnerable and underpowered AC-47 in supporting "Troops In Contact" (known as TIC), as well as, supplementing the AC-130 in attacking targets on the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

The C-119 Flying Boxcar presented an obvious choice, having been phased out of frontline service in favor of the C-123 and C-130, and with the stock of available airframes in U.S. Air Force Reserve being sufficient. In February 1968, under the USAF program Project Gunship III, 26 C-119Gs were converted to AC-119G standard, initially taking on the name "Creep," but later assigned the callsign "Shadow."[1] These aircraft were primarily intended to replace the AC-47 in the TIC role. In addition, Fairchild-Hiller, which was contracted for all the conversions, converted 26 C-119Ks into AC-119Ks primarily for the "truck hunter" role over the Ho Chi Minh Trail. These aircraft were called "Stingers" primarily in reference to the two M61 Vulcan 20 mm cannons they carried in addition to the AC-119G's four GAU-2/A miniguns.. These aircraft were called "Stingers" primarily in reference to the two M61 Vulcan 20 mm cannons they carried in addition to the AC-119G's four GAU-2/A miniguns.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• AC-119
• AC-119G
• Shadow
• AC-119K
• Stinger
• Vietnam
• War
• gunship
• miniguns
• Fairchild
• Ho
• Chi
• Minh
• Trail

[5spdstang]

@stinger7566

Im not religious, but god bless your father :-)

[stinger7566]

my father flew on the stingers flew with the polish bandits name was richard reilly

[49bmilne]

I flew aboard the G models as a gunner in 69/70 from Nha Trang, Tuy Hoa and Phu Cat. Calling all crew members....drop me an email

[skraphics]

I volunteered for 'Nam in '69 and was assigned to the 18 SOS. I went to Lockbourne AFB, Ohio to the 4413th. I was a 42152 Pneudraulic Repairman. TDY'd to Phang Rang, Vietnam in Dec '69 with a 28 maintenance crew on a C-130 to provide support for 6 AC119K gunship. Route; Lockbourne AFB>Minot AFB>Elmendorf AFB>ADAK>Midway>Wake> Guam>Phillipines.Phang Rang>Yokota AFB>Elmendorf AFB>Lockbourne AFB IN 11 DAYS. Youngest crew member. ChangeD a segemented rotor brake on the AC1119 when it was -15 deg F

[lisichkaf]

Thanks for posting! This is my grandfathers unit during Viet Nam.

[thegreeneyeseesyou]

Anyone fly in the AC-123K Black Spot? That would be the 4th and I think last of the series of the gunships.

[healeymanjim]

flew the stinger out of phan rang, ton son nhut, and nakkom phonom in 70,71 and came back to nkp in early 72. ferried over a couple to saigon and phan rang during the last days of the war while an instructor pilot at hurlburt field. known as the "windmill shithouse" it did the job.

[whathappyvalley]

What a gunship, Spooky, Shadow, & Stingers were. Ask any troop that was on the ground needing one to give them real life ground support to save their bacon. I flew on Stinger Gunships with the 18th SOS. While AC-130s were tuling around in the Stratosphere, AC-47 Spookys,

AC- 119G Shadows & AC-119K Stinger Gunships were flying low and slow, getting the job done. Stinger Gunships hit the same targets as AC-130's only flying lower. None of the AC-119 gunships ever made it back to the U.S.A.

[B777jockey]

Takeoff from Runway 12/30 at Nha Trang AB. Phan Rang was inland away from the coast and had Runway 04/22. I flew the AC119G Shadow Gunship out of Tan Son Nhut AB (Saigon) '70-'71 in the 17th Special Ops Squadron. Awesome weapons system!

[newbe83]

I think I heard a stat somewhere that no camp that was supported by a gunship was ever lost.

That's some serious firepower in those planes...