Editing Lockheed AC-130 (section)

==Aircraft on display==
[[File:AC-130 Spectre nose art.jpg|thumb|[[Nose art]] on AC-130A AF Serial No. 53–3129 at the USAF Armament Museum, Eglin AFB, Florida]]

One of the first seven AC-130A aircraft deployed to [[Vietnam]] was AF serial no. 53–3129, named ''First Lady'' in November 1970. This aircraft was a conversion of the first production C-130. On 25 March 1971, it took an [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft artillery]] hit in the belly just aft of the nose gear wheel well over the [[Ho Chi Minh trail]] in Laos. The 37&nbsp;mm shell destroyed everything below the crew deck and barely missed striking two crew members. The pilot was able to crash land the aircraft safely.<ref>Noecker, Jeff. ''Callsign: Spectre'' {{specify|date=April 2015}}</ref> In 1975, after the conclusion of US involvement in the Vietnam war, it was transferred to the [[Air Force Reserve Command|Air Force Reserve]], where it served with the [[711th Special Operations Squadron]] of the [[919th Special Operations Wing]]. In 1980, the aircraft was upgraded from the original three-bladed propellers to the quieter four-bladed propellers and was eventually retired in late 1995. The retirement also marked an end to the [[Air Force Reserve Command]] flying the AC-130A. The aircraft now sits on display in the final Air Force Reserve Command configuration with grey paint, black markings, and the four-bladed Hamilton Sunstrand 54H60-91 props at the [[Air Force Armament Museum]] at [[Eglin Air Force Base]], Florida, USA.<ref>[http://www.gunships.org/birds.html "List of AC-130 Gunships."] ''Gunships''. Retrieved 6 June 2011. {{dead link|date=July 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>[http://www.gunships.org/1stlady.html "First Lady retires, era ends."] ''Gunships''. Retrieved 6 June 2011. {{dead link|date=July 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

A second aircraft, AF serial no. 56–0509, named the ''Ultimate End'', was originally accepted as a C-130A by the Air Force on 28 February 1957,{{citation needed|date=December 2017}} and modified to the AC-130A configuration on 27 July 1970. The aircraft participated in the Vietnam War and the [[Mayaguez incident|rescue]] of the [[SS Mayaguez]]. ''Ultimate End'' demonstrated the durability of the C-130 after surviving hits in five places by 37&nbsp;mm anti-aircraft artillery on 12 December 1970, extensive left wing leading edge damage on 12 April 1971 and a 57&nbsp;mm round damaging the belly and injuring one crewman on 4 March 1972. "Ultimate End" was reassigned to the [[Air Force Reserve]]'s [[919th Special Operations Wing]] at [[Eglin AFB]] Auxiliary Field No.3 / [[Duke Field]] on 17 June 1975, where it continued in service until retired in the fall 1994 and transferred to [[Air Force Special Operations Command]]'s ''Heritage Air Park'' at [[Hurlburt Field]], Florida. While assigned to the [[711th Special Operations Squadron]], ''Ultimate End'' served in Operations JUST CAUSE in Panama, [[DESERT STORM]] in Kuwait and Iraq, and UPHOLD DEMOCRACY in Haiti. After 36 years and seven months of service, 24 years as a gunship, ''Ultimate End'' retired from service on 1 October 1994. It made its last flight from [[Duke Field]] to [[Hurlburt Field]] on 20 October 1994. The Spectre Association dedicated "Ultimate End" (which served with the 16 SOS in Vietnam) on 4 May 1995. Lt Col Michael Byers, then 16 SOS commander, represented the active-duty gunship force and Clyde Gowdy of the Spectre Association represented all Spectre personnel past and present for the unveiling of a monument at the aircraft and the dedication as a whole.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AC-130A Spectre |url=http://www.hurlburt.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3423 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100623064014/http://www2.hurlburt.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3423 |archive-date=23 June 2010 |website=[[Hurlburt Field|USAF Hurlburt Field]]}}</ref>

A third AC-130A, AF serial no. 54–1630, is on display in the Cold War Gallery at the [[National Museum of the United States Air Force]] at [[Wright-Patterson AFB]], Ohio. Named ''Azrael'' for the [[Azrael|angel of death]] in [[Islamic|Islam]] who severs the soul from the body, this aircraft figured prominently in the closing hours of Operation Desert Storm. On 26 February 1991, Coalition ground forces were driving the Iraqi Army out of Kuwait. With an Air Force Reserve crew called to active duty, Azrael was sent to the [[Highway of Death|Al Jahra highway]] (Highway 80) between [[Kuwait City]] and [[Basra]], Iraq, to intercept the convoys of tanks, trucks, buses, and cars fleeing the battle. Facing [[SA-6]] and [[SA-8]] surface-to-air missiles and 37&nbsp;mm and 57&nbsp;mm radar-guided anti-aircraft artillery the crew attacked and destroyed or disabled most of the convoys. ''Azrael'' was also assigned to the [[919th Special Operations Wing]] and retired to the museum in October 1995.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=412 |title=Lockheed AC-130A Spectre |access-date=7 April 2009 |publisher=National Museum of the United States Air Force |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025075036/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=412 |archive-date=25 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/071106-F-1234S-006.jpg |title=AC-130A Spectre image |publisher=National Museum of the United States Air Force |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231001323/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/071106-F-1234S-006.jpg |archive-date=31 December 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Another AC-130A, AF serial no. 54–1626, the original prototype AC-130 named "Gunship II" is on display at the outdoor Air Park at the [[National Museum of the United States Air Force]] at [[Wright-Patterson AFB]], Ohio.<ref name="USAF Nat Museum" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/051128-F-1234P-066.jpg |title=AC-130A image |publisher=National Museum of the United States Air Force |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022064020/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/051128-F-1234P-066.jpg |archive-date=22 October 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> This aircraft served in Southeast Asia from 1967 to 1972, then served in JC-130A test configuration. It was transferred to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in 1976, and converted back to AC-130A configuration in the late 1990s.

AC-130A serial no. 54–1623, c/n 3010, named "Ghost Rider" served in Southeast Asia and later conflicts until being retired in 1997 to [[Dobbins AFB]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]. Ghost Rider eventually was transferred and displayed at the Aviation Wing Museum at [[Marietta, Georgia|Marietta]], Georgia.

AC-130A serial no. 55–0014, named "Jaws of Death," initially served as a C-130A cargo aircraft before being converted to AC-130A configuration in 1970 and being deployed in Southeast Asia from 1971 to 1975. The aircraft also participated in Operation Desert Storm as part of Joint Task Force Proven Force in 1991 before being retired in 1995, when it was flown to [[Robins Air Force Base]], Georgia and placed on display at the adjacent [[Museum of Aviation (Warner Robins)|Museum of Aviation]] in [[Warner Robins, Georgia|Warner Robins]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=C-130.net - The ultimate C-130 Hercules reference |url=https://www.c-130.net/aircraft-database/C-130/airframe-profile/6315/ |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=www.c-130.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=AC-130A Spectre {{!}} Museum of Aviation |url=https://museumofaviation.org/portfolio/ac-130a-spectre/ |access-date=2025-01-30 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-06-12 |title=Reservists renew bond with Desert Storm AC-130A gunship |url=https://www.afrc.af.mil/News/Article/560975/reservists-renew-bond-with-desert-storm-ac-130a-gunship/ |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=Air Force Reserve Command |language=en-US}}</ref>

AC-130H serial no. 69-6575, named "Wicked Wanda" is on display at the Hurlburt Field, FL airpark.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Placie |first1=Tyler |title=Hurlburt Field adds AC-130H, MC-130 to air park |url=https://www.afsoc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/652344/hurlburt-field-adds-ac-130h-mc-130-to-air-park/ |website=Air Force Special Operations Command |access-date=14 November 2023 |date=2 February 2016}}</ref>

AC-130U serial no. 87-0128, named "Big Daddy" is on display at the Hurlburt Field, FL airpark.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mahoney |first1=Miranda |title=Hurlburt Field Airpark Adventure: The AC-130U Spooky Gunship |url=https://www.hurlburt.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3127728/hurlburt-field-airpark-adventure-the-ac-130u-spooky-gunship/ |website=Hurlburt Field |access-date=14 November 2023 |date=15 August 2022}}</ref>