2024 Archive : AC-130 Gun Ship Dunnage Bag

Project Details

Fabric 1

1000 Denier Nylon - MIL SPEC
Producer/Manufacturer: MMI Textiles
Primary Use: Main Fabric

Fabric 2

SuperFabric
Producer/Manufacturer: Berry Compliant Supplier
Primary Use: Main Fabric

Fabric 3

1050 Denier Ballistic Nylon Cloth
Producer/Manufacturer: MMI Textiles
Primary Use: Secondary Fabric

Fabric 4

4" Mil-Spec Hook & Loop Tapes AA55126A
Producer/Manufacturer: MMI Textiles
Primary Use: Webbing/Narrow Fabric

Engineer Name 1
Ryan Kiefer

Engineer Company 1
Hart Technologies LLC

Design Name
Chris Jachimowski

Design Company
Ehmke Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Fabrication Name
Bob Rosania

Fabrication Company
Ehmke Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Project Manager Name
Greg Nichols

Project Manager Company
Ehmke Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Please describe the project specifications

2024 ATA International Achievement Awards
Project Entry
2024

Project: NSWC AC-130 Gunship Dunnage Bag

Project Description:

The NSWC Dahlgren (NSWCDD) Special Operations Command operates & maintains a heavily armed AC-130 gunship utilized for close air support, air interdiction and armed reconnaissance. Close air support missions include troops in contact, convoy escort and point air defense.

The AC-130 gunship, in service since 1967, is one of the most heavily armed fixed wing aircraft in the NSWC arsenal. Although different variants of the aircraft maintain a variety of weapon systems, our company was called upon to find a solution to manage the overwhelming amount of spent shell casings expelled on the AC-130U “Spooky” aircraft. The AC-130U primarily utilizes a 105mm Howitzer cannon (the largest airborne gun in the world), twin 20mm Vulcan rotary cannons (7,200 rounds/MINUTE), a 25mm Gatling gun (1,800 rounds/min), and a 40mm Bofors cannon (100 rounds/min).

The need for onboard management of spent shells is paramount during missions. The NSWC Special Operations Command called on our company through a engineering firm to design a portable solution to safely collect, store and dispose of the spent shells to protect the flight crew from injury. Since our company successfully outfitted the quilted interiors of the fleet of AC-130U aircraft, we were chosen as a sole-source to help design and fabricate a multiple wheeled bag solution. The requirement set forth by the NSWC required an engineered solution that was design with tight tolerances within a restricted space. Most importantly, the materials needed to perform under extreme temperatures, to be highly abrasion proof, and be constructed to capture and move heavy weights.

Project Complexity:

Our Company was called upon to partner with an engineering firm to design and fabricate multiple-sized Gunship, High-capacity Dunnage Bags that are quickly deployable, extreme temperature resistant, portable, and robust. The criteria required was for the fabric, hardware, and wheels & housings to be resilient to the heat (up to 215 degrees F) and shrapnel generated by the spent brass shell casings. The Dunnage Bags need to be portable by up to four (4) personnel to be reusable and within budget.

Previous iterations of the Dunnage Bag experienced discrepancies such as fabric “burn-through”, wheel or wheel housing failure, and tears or seam failures. Our company’s proprietary, custom-designed aluminum wheel housing shields, aluminum runners and edging protectors provided a robust solution that met our customer’s challenges of the mission profile and environmental conditions. Our sewing methodology assured that the multiple handles would not fail when the Dunnage Bags were filled to capacity with spent shell casings.

Project Results:

Our Company worked through a Research & Development process with the Engineering groups of our direct customer and the NSWCDD customer resulting in the optimal product design and finished product. Successful deployment of the prototype Dunnage Bags has resulted in a low-rate initial production (LRIP) order followed by a full-rate production order for the remaining fleet of AC-130 aircraft.

Environmental Impact: The US Military is taking initiatives to minimize their carbon footprint and environmental impact of the equipement, vehicles, aircraft and gear used in their mission. The Dunnage Bag will retrieve and secure the spent brass shell casings that can be repurposed for future use.

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