Unlike most combat aircraft, the AC-130's weapons systems are side-mounted, requiring the aircraft to face its targets from one side of the plane.

The AC-130 has humble origins. Essentially it is a 1950s cargo plane, the C-130 Hercules decked out with guns, advanced avionics, guns, and more guns.

The AC-130 gunship isn't just an aircraft—it's a flying arsenal designed to dominate the battlefield from above. Armed with a side-firing 105mm howitzer, 30mm autocannon, and precision-guided ...

The AC-130 Spectre gunship showcases its capabilities in close air support, dominating the night skies. Business Insider Subscribe Newsletters ...

The AC-130 is the world's biggest flying artillery gunship - nicknamed 'Hell in the Sky.' With three side-firing weapons, a 25mm Gatling gun, a 40mm Bofors cannon, and a 105mm howitzer, it's easy ...

The AC-130 flying gunship fleet is one of the most fabled and feared assets in the entire USAF inventory. Known for its ability to unleash a broadside of cannon fire in the dead of night, the ...

During the first missions the Spectre was also able to achieve an aerial victory when on May 8, 1969 an AC-130 shot down an enemy helicopter, as told by Wayne Mutza in his book Gunships The Story ...

An AC-130 Hercules aircraft banks to the left near Hurlburt Field, with smoke visible from the rotary cannon, during twilight operations in 1988. (Air Force photo / Tech. Sgt. Lee Schading) ...

It is a version of the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft and flies at less than 300mph (482 kph). But it can loiter over a combat area for some time without needing to refuel. The latest model, known ...

By July 2019, the AC-130 had become the Ghostrider, the call sign for the J variant. It could be equipped with a remarkable suite of weaponry, depending on what its mission called for.

Despite these precautions, in March 1969 the first AC-130 was hit and in May the first AC-130 was lost. By mid-1969 improved North Vietnamese defenses kept AC-130s out of some areas.