[Camerican]

For those who care,"Puff the Magic Dragon" was the nickname given in Viet Nam to the C-47 gun ship (the AC-130's predecessor). The C47, used since before WW II, was a militarized DC-3; the two main differences being advanced radar in the nose cone and more powerful engines than the civilian version. The Puff came in a variety of gun configurations, including having an artillery piece in the belly of the cabin. I'm sure more technically adept contributors here can add to this general explanation.

[LetsRok]

If you want to see "Puff" in action, just watch the movie "The Green Berets" with the Duke. The pilot of Puff says "Where do you want it?".

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"Puff the Magic Dragon" was the nickname given in Viet Nam to the C-47 gun ship

ah, I remember seeing Puff in action many a time