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Airframe Details for C-130 #3117

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C-130 Aircraft Profile

Aircraft: 3117 (56-0509)
LM Aero T/V 3117
Plant Lockheed Marietta Plant
Local C/N
Delivered USAF 56-509
C-130A
Current USAF 56-509
AC-130A
Status [pre]

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Aircraft History

Date Status Local S/N Airforce/Unit Version Name Info
28 Feb 1957 [act] 56-509 C-130A
Accepted by the Air Force on 28 February 1957
27 Jul 1970 [con] 56-509 AC-130A
Converted to AC-130A configuration on 27 July 1970. The aircraft participated in the Vietnam War and the rescue of the SS Mayaguez.
23 Dec 1972 [msh] 56-509 AC-130A
Damaged at An Loc, South Vietnam and was quickly repaired. This demonstrated the durability of the C-130 after surviving hits in five places by 37 mm anti-aircraft artillery on 12 December 1970, extensive left wing leading edge damage on 12 April 1971 and a 57 mm round damaging the belly and injuring one crewman on 4 March 1972.
Unknown [act] 56-509 AC-130A
17 Jun 1975 [act] 56-509 USAF 711 SOS AC-130A " The Ultimate End"
"Ultimate End" was reassigned to the Air Force Reserve's 919th Special Operations Wing at Eglin AFB Auxiliary Field No.3 / Duke Field on 17 June 1975, where it continued in service until retired in the fall 1994 and transferred to Air Force Special Operations Command's Heritage Air Park at Hurlburt Field, Florida. While assigned to the 711th Special Operations Squadron, Ultimate End served in Operations JUST CAUSE in Panama, DESERT STORM in Kuwait and Iraq, and UPHOLD DEMOCRACY in Haiti.
Apr 1995 [pre] 56-509 'FT' AC-130A

Preserved at Hurlburt Field, Florida. After 36 years and seven months of service, 24 years as a gunship, Ultimate End retired from active service on 1 October 1994. It made its last flight from Duke Field to Hurlburt Field on 20 October 1994. The Spectre Association dedicated "Ultimate End" (which served with the 16 SOS in Vietnam) on 4 May 1995. Lt Col Michael Byers, then 16 SOS commander, represented the active-duty gunship force and Clyde Gowdy of the Spectre Association represented all Spectre personnel past and present for the unveiling of a monument at the aircraft and the dedication as a whole.


Abbreviations and symbols:
[act] Active [i/a] Instructional Airframe [sto] Stored (e.g. at AMARG)
[cld] Cancelled Order [msh] Involved in Mishap [w/o] Write-off
[con] Converted [o/o] On Order
[des] Destroyed (drone) [pre] Preserved (museum, gateguard) T/V LM Aero Type/Version (Construction) number
[emb] Embargoed [scr] Scrapped Photo Available
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