Caracal Models 1/48 AC-47 'Spooky' Decal First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | May 2016 | Manufacturer | Caracal Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | AC-47 'Spooky' | Scale | 1/48 |
| Set Number | 48083 | Pros | Eight nice subjects |
| Cons | Nothing noted | Skill Level | Novice |
| MSRP (USD) | $13.99 |
First Look
Here is the latest from Caracal Models, this set is for the Monogram (then Revell-Monogram, now Revell) 1/48 AC-47 Gunship kit. In a search for an effective counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft during the early days of the Vietnam War, the Air Force experimented with the concept of a slow and stable platform that could fire machine guns down to suppress enemy forces. The first aircraft was actually a C-131B armed with a GAU-2 minigun used to test this concept. With an abundance of C-47 platforms available, the first operational gunships (Gunship I) were the AC-47 armed with three miniguns aimed out the portside of the aircraft. For a brief time these gunships were designated as FC-47 until protests from the fighter pilots' union forced the aircraft to adopt the 'A'.
The aircraft presented in this set include:
- FC-47D, 43-48579, 1st ACS, 1964, 'Puff'
- FC-47D, 43-48491, 1st ACS, 1965, 'Get-Em Bullitt'
- AC-47D, 43-49274, 4th ACS, Bien Hoa AB, 1966
- AC-47D, 43-49010, 4th SOS, Udorn AB, 1967
- AC-47D, 44-76722, 4th ACS, Pleiku AB, 1967
- AC-47D, 44-76722, 3rd SOS, 1968
- AC-47D, 43-48263, Royal Laotian Air Force, 1969
- AC-47D, 43-48916, 4412 CCTS, 1971
This set provides sufficient markings for two models.
For more information about this set and the other releases from Caracal Models, visit their website at http://caracalmodels.com.
My sincere thanks to Caracal Models for this review sample!