Pedestal Gun Sighting Station, B-29 Superfortress

This is an original WWII-era Pedestal Gun Sighting Station from a US Army Air Force Boeing B-29 Superfortress Bomber used in its Central Fire Control System, aka Remote Control Turret System. This Sighting Station, model 2CSR3B8, was specific for the Nose Station and operated by the bombardier acting as the nose gunner. It was mounted on a swinging pantograph affixed to the side fuselage, which allowed it to be moved to the side during a bombing run. The bombardier could control the top front and bottom front remote gun turrets using this pedestal sighting station.

A yoke holding the gun sight mechanism and the gyroscopes rises from the sighting station base and swivels left (140 deg) and right (185 deg) for azimuth sighting.  The gunner places his hands on the left and right knobs which when rotated, point the sight up (90 deg) or down (-5 deg). The paddle on the left knob is the Action Switch, which takes control of the turrets when depressed.  Immediately in-board from each knob is a trigger, which fires the guns in the top and bottom front turrets.  The "retiflector" sight is mounted in the center below the elevation gyroscope and above the azimuth gyroscope. This sight displays an illuminated reticle on the glass to train the gunner's aim to the enemy target aircraft.

Interestingly, General Railway Signal was contracted to build this sighting station. 

This pedestal sighting station is ~ 20 inches tall and ~14 inches wide. All mechanical movements operate. The rubber boots over the triggers have deteriorated with age, but all other components are intact including the sun shades, glass, and lamps in the retiflector sight. This is a rare prize in our private collection.