The Douglas AC-47 ("Puff, the Magic Dragon") was the first in a series of fixed-wing gunships developed by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. It was designed to provide more firepower than light and medium ground-attack aircraft in certain situations when ground forces called for close air support .

“Gooney Bird” was quickly evolving into “Puff the Magic Dragon.” The armored plane’s fame quickly spread throughout Vietnam. American GIs were comforted by its presence, and the enemy lived in mortal terror of it.

2021年8月20日 · The AC-47 was a repurposed cargo aircraft that became the first fixed-wing gunship operated in Southeast Asia, and it got its nickname, “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” from the glowing red emissions that lit up the sky while the aircraft was in the air.

2024年2月10日 · The supported grunts referred to the plane as Puff the Magic Dragon after the 1963 Peter, Paul, and Mary song. Ground troops fell madly in love with the machines. An AC-47 crewmember prepares to drop a flare out of the open fuselage door of the plane.

2024年10月25日 · Unleashing horrifying firepower and raining death and destruction on to the communist forces in Vietnam from the dark skies above, the AC-47 fixed-wing gunship was the first of its kind.

2023年10月20日 · The AC-47 goes by many names, originally the FC-47, more famously “Puff the Magic Dragon” or “Spooky” but, was the first in a line of aircraft to be called a Gunship. It was a modification of the C-47 “Skytrain” which gained a stellar reputation for its reliability and multifunctionality during World War II.

2024年11月3日 · US troops call it Spooky, like a ghost frightening enemies at night. The monoplane has multiple nicknames, including "Puff the Magic Dragon," Gunship-one, or Dragon Ship, due to the gun's suppressing fire that seemed to breathe fire over the target sites.

2024年12月3日 · Known as “Puff the Magic Dragon,” this gunship rained down an awe-inspiring barrage of firepower, defending over 4,000 outposts without losing a single position. Here’s how this legendary aircraft revolutionized aerial warfare, setting …

2025年1月15日 · Originally a WWII-era cargo plane, it was transformed into a fearsome gunship known as “Puff the Magic Dragon.” With its side-mounted guns blazing, it became a lifeline for troops on the ground, holding the line at more than 4,000 outposts without losing a single one.

2018年5月12日 · Although the AC-47D “Spooky”, commonly referred to as “Puff” (as in “Puff the Magic Dragon”), was an effective attack system, it was also vulnerable to enemy fire. Fifteen aircraft were lost between December 1965 and September 1969.