I may be wrong, but I believe that's a 105 "recoil-less" rifle. As long as the crew stay out of the back-blast area they're golden, and it doesn't have a very great effect on the plane.
I've read stories out of Viet-Nam, one in particular was where a Marine Unit with a FO attached was pinned by a sniper based on the third floor of a building, during the Battle of Hue. They got a Specter on station, and the pilot asked what window the sniper was in. The FO described it for them, and in a few seconds a 105 round went in the designated window. Incredible accuracy indeed!
Oh, needless to say, that was the end of the sniper. Totally destroyed the room he was in, left the rest of the building fairly well untouched. Saved a lot of troops, not to mention the civvies hiding in the building.
The Gatling guns, supposedly, can put a 20MM round into every square foot of a football field. Pretty handy against enemy concentrations! They look, at night, like there is a red rope connecting the plane to the ground. Sounds like a dragon exhaling it breath weapon at the enemy. Makes the ground troops VERY happy to have one around.
Amazingly long loiter time too. Gives the FOs a great weapon to utilize throughout a long night fight.
That's a beautiful plane. Thanks for the post
Most nowadays are painted matte black, I thought
Gives them a nice visual cammoflage during night time ops. Incredible to see the Gatlings open up out of a black hole in the sky
Have fun, all!
Pat☺
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