Lockheed Martin® AC-130W, 73d SOS, 1/74 (21) Mahogany Scale Model

A carefully crafted Lockheed Martin AC-130W Hercules Model of the 73d SOS- a perfect display to capture your time with the legendary aircraft!

• Length – 16 inches
• Wingspan – 21 inches
• Made from Mahogany
• US Veteran-Owned Business
• Official Licensed by Lockheed Martin
• The product is not intended to be used by children 12 years and younger

LOCKHEED MARTIN® . C-130 Hercules® . associated emblems and logos . and body designs of vehicles are either registered trademarks or
trademarks of Lockheed Martin Corporation in the USA and/or other jurisdictions . used under license by Squadron Nostalgia LLC

The 73d Special Operations Squadron was a unit of the United States Air Force . assigned to the 27th Special Operations Group at Cannon Air Force Base . New Mexico. The squadron operated AC-130W Stinger II ground-attack aircraft in support of Air Force Special Operations Command.

The 73d was one of the oldest in the Air Force . its origins dating to the formation of the 73d Aero Squadron in February 1918. It served on the Western Front in France during World War I . and took part in the Aleutian Campaign during World War II. It was part of Strategic Air Command during the Cold War. The 73d was inactivated and ite personnel and equipment transferred to the 16th Special Operations Squadron in 2015.

World War I[
The 73d dates to the formation of the 73d Aero Squadron at Rich Field . Waco . Texas on 22 February 1918. The first personnel were 150 privates under the command of 1st Lieutenant Loren W. De Motte . which arrived at the Aviation Camp. Once organized into a unit . the 73d was transferred to Call Field . Wichita Falls . Texas . where it underwent basic indoctrination training. The men were also trained in aviation mechanic work.[4]

73d Aero Squadron group photograph . taken at Ourches Aerodrome . France . November . 1918.
On 8 July . orders were received for the unit to proceed to the Aviation Concentration Center . Garden City . Long Island . for preparation to serve overseas. An observation balloon detachment of 30 men was assigned to the squadron at Garden City . and the unit moved to the Port of Embarkation at Hoboken . New Jersey on 29 July where it boarded a ship bound for France. After an uneventful crossing of the Atlantic . it arrived at the port of Brest . France on 26 August. At Brest . the balloon detachment was detached from the squadron . and the squadron was ordered to proceed to the St. Maixent Replacement Barracks for assignment. Initially assigned as a support unit to the 1st Day Bombardment Group at Delouze Aerodrome on c. 20 September . the squadron maintained Dayton-Wright DH-4s of the group. On 4 October . it was ordered to Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome . where it was reassigned to the Second Army. At Colombey . the squadron operated the 6th Air Park; a maintenance and supply organization as part of the 1st Air Depot. It moved to Ourches Aerodrome about 15 November [4]

It remained in France after the Armistice in November . returning to the United States in June 1919 where it was demobilized at Hazelhurst Field . New York on 4 July.[2]

Inter-war period
A new unit . the 73d Headquarters Squadron was constituted in the Regular Army Reserve on 18 October 1927 at San Antonio . Texas. Army reserve officers assigned to the unit participated in summer training at Kelly Field . Texas . 1928–30 with the 3d Attack Group. On 8 May 1929 . it was redesignated as the 73d Pursuit Squadron . and became an associate unit of the 18th Pursuit Group at Dodd Field . Texas.[5]

The unit was activated on 15 July 1931 by the Army Air Corps as an active-duty squadron. It was assigned without reserve personnel to the 17th Pursuit Group at March Field . California and equipped with Boeing P-12 fighters.[2] In 1934 it received new Boeing P-26 Peashooters but retained the P-12s.[2] It was reorganized and redesignated as the 73d Attack Squadron