A few days before Christmas, the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Gulf Coast Wing unveiled the newly applied paint scheme on its AC-47 “Spooky” gunship. The aircraft was rolled out of Delta TechOps, which generously provided the facilities and labor required to complete the repaint. Delta TechOps has supported numerous warbird projects over the years, and a forthcoming story will further explore its ongoing commitment to the warbird preservation community.
Following its acquisition in May 2024, the CAF Gulf Coast Wing ferried the aircraft from Atlanta to Dallas, Texas, where it underwent an extensive refurbishment at CAF Headquarters. The work culminated in a successful first flight on October 16, ahead of the aircraft’s public debut at the Wings Over Houston Airshow several weeks later. The aircraft initially was transferred to the Navy as an R4D-6 with the BuNo. 50788 and left military service in 1958, registered with the Federal Aviation Administration as N49, later holding registrations N2006J and N235GB with different owners. Eventually it was acquired by the Lone star Flight Museum in Texas as part of Rick Sharp’s Vietnam War Flight Museum collection. In July 2014 the Collings Foundation of Stow, MA acquired Spooky and, following an extensive overhaul, it completed its first post-overhaul flight on March 29, 2020.
The markings applied to the aircraft carry deep symbolic meaning. The tail number “086” does not correspond to an actual AC-47 serial number from the Vietnam War. Instead, it commemorates the 86 AC-47 crewmen who lost their lives during the conflict. The CAF Gulf Coast Wing has published the names of those airmen, underscoring the aircraft’s role as a flying memorial to their sacrifice. A nose art will be applied at a later date.
The AC-47 program achieved its first major operational success during the night of 23–24 December 1964, when an FC-47—the early designation for what became the AC-47 gunship—responded to a call for air support over a U.S. Special Forces outpost at Tranh Yend in the Mekong Delta. Arriving approximately 37 minutes after the request, the aircraft expended roughly 4,500 rounds of ammunition, successfully breaking up a Viet Cong attack. That same night, the gunship was diverted to a second engagement at Trung Hung, about 20 miles away, where its fire again halted an enemy assault and forced a retreat. During the initial combat evaluation period from 15 to 26 December 1964, all 16 FC-47 sorties were reported as successful. These results convinced the U.S. Air Force to formalize fixed-wing gunship units, leading to the establishment of the 4th Air Commando Squadron in 1965 as the first operational AC-47 unit, followed by additional conversions and deployments throughout the Vietnam War.
One of the most critical decisions in any restoration is the selection of historically appropriate markings. Early research suggested marking the aircraft as a tribute to the 4th Special Operations Squadron, which operated AC-47s from bases including Nha Trang, Bien Thuy, and Da Nang. Aircraft assigned to the unit typically carried a two-character alphabetic tail code above a three-digit number. An initial proposal called for the tail code “OS 010,” reflecting the squadron’s designation near the end of the Vietnam War and representing a combination not previously used on a tribute AC-47.
However, feedback from AC-47 veterans prompted further evaluation. The veterans noted that the “OS” tail code was introduced late in the conflict, used only at Udorn in Thailand, and appeared on relatively few aircraft. More importantly, none of the 86 airmen lost while flying AC-47s served under the OS tail code. While deeply appreciative of the restoration effort, the veterans felt that the marking did not reflect their operational experience or service.
As a result, the CAF Gulf Coast Wing elected to return the aircraft to the “EN” tail code it has worn since it was first painted as an AC-47 in 2007, with a meaningful modification. The three-digit number “086” was selected to honor the 86 AC-47 crewmen who were killed in action while serving with the 4th Special Operations Squadron. The Gulf Coast Wing continues to strengthen its relationship with the Spooky Brotherhood, a veterans’ association of AC-47 aircrew and maintainers who served in Vietnam. Eight members of the Wing attended the Spooky Brotherhood reunion in Dayton, Ohio, in September. Additional information about the AC-47 “Spooky,” the CAF Gulf Coast Wing, and opportunities to support the restoration effort can be found on the Wing’s official website.
