in - eng ined ▁gun ship ▁types ▁were ▁produced ▁or ▁converted ▁in ▁large ▁numbers . ▁ ▁Post - World ▁War ▁II ▁av iation ▁ ▁F ixed - wing ▁aircraft ▁In ▁the ▁more ▁modern , ▁post - World ▁War ▁II ▁fixed - wing ▁aircraft ▁category , ▁a ▁gun ship ▁is ▁an ▁aircraft ▁having ▁later ally - mount ed ▁heavy ▁arm aments ▁( i . e . ▁firing ▁to ▁the ▁side ) ▁to ▁attack ▁ground ▁or ▁sea ▁targets . ▁These ▁gun ships ▁were ▁configured ▁to ▁circle ▁the ▁target ▁instead ▁of ▁performing ▁st raf ing ▁runs . ▁Such ▁aircraft ▁have ▁their ▁arm ament ▁on ▁one ▁side ▁harm on ized ▁to ▁fire ▁at ▁the ▁a pe x ▁of ▁an ▁imag inary ▁cone ▁formed ▁by ▁the ▁aircraft ▁and ▁the ▁ground ▁when ▁performing ▁a ▁p yl on ▁turn ▁( bank ing ▁turn ). ▁ ▁The ▁Douglas ▁AC - 4 7 ▁Spo ok y ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁notable ▁modern ▁gun ship . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁during ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War , ▁the ▁popular ▁Douglas ▁C - 4 7 ▁Sky train ▁transport ▁was ▁successfully ▁modified ▁into ▁a ▁gun ship ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Air ▁Force ▁with ▁three ▁side - f iring ▁Min ig uns ▁for ▁cir cling ▁attacks . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁aircraft ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁a ▁" Drag ons hip ", ▁" P uff , ▁the ▁Magic ▁Dragon " ▁or ▁" S po ok y " ▁( o fficial ly ▁designated ▁FC - 4 7 , ▁later ▁corrected ▁to ▁AC - 4 7 ). ▁Its ▁three