How A Howitzer Ended Up On A Warplane

Since the dawn of military aviation, air forces have constantly pushed the limits of airborne firepower. In World War I, pilots manually dropped bombs from their planes. By World War II, aircraft could release bombs in massive numbers. By the time of the Vietnam War, specialized planes carried everything from napalm to miniguns. But today, some have taken things even further—by mounting a Howitzer on a warplane.

The First Flying Gunship – “Puff”

Early helicopters were armed with door gunners, but their limited fuel meant they couldn’t stay in the fight for long. The solution was a fixed-wing gunship that could loiter over the battlefield for extended periods. By 1965, the U.S. introduced its first-ever flying gunship, the AC-47 “Puff, the Magic Dragon.”

The design was simple yet devastating. Engineers took a standard C-47 transport plane and mounted three 7.62mm miniguns on its left side. While these weapons were deadly, what made Puff truly fearsome was its ability to circle the battlefield for over three hours, providing relentless fire support. However, the C-47’s small airframe limited how much weaponry it could carry, leading to the development of something even more powerful.

From the C-47 to the AC-130

To expand on the concept, the U.S. converted its most advanced cargo plane, the C-130 Hercules, into a gunship. The new AC-130 offered superior speed, range, and endurance over the AC-47, but more importantly, it could carry five times the weapons payload.

The first AC-130A “Spectre” models were equipped with four miniguns and four rotary cannons, but Lockheed quickly upgraded them to 20mm and 40mm cannons, giving the aircraft even greater firepower.

The Howitzer Takes Flight

By 1972, engineers took things to the next level by mounting a 105mm M102 Howitzer onto the AC-130.

The aircraft’s powerful airframe absorbed the immense force of each shot, though the recoil pushed the plane six feet in the opposite direction every time the cannon fired. The addition of the Howitzer allowed the AC-130 to strike with even greater precision, using a variety of shell types depending on the mission.

Challenges & Limitations

Despite its devastating firepower, the AC-130 isn’t without weaknesses. Its large size and slow maneuverability make it vulnerable to anti-aircraft (AA) fire, meaning it can only be deployed when air superiority is already established. Ground suppression is also crucial, as enemy forces with the right weapons could pose a serious threat.

Even with these challenges, the AC-130 remains a vital part of U.S. aerial warfare, proving that sometimes, bigger really is better.