US Air Force
B-36 Peacemaker Gunnery Manual 1954 No 50-30
This is an original Cold-War-era Gunnery Manual for the USAF's strategic bomber Boeing B-36 and RB-36 Peacemaker, SAC Manual 50-30, published by the USAF Strategic Air Command in 1954. The B-36 was is the largest mass produced piston-engine aircraft ever built (although it had 4 jet engines in addition to its 6 rear-facing piston engines).
This 298-page, 8.5 x 11 inch manual covers all of the essential information for a gunnery crew of the B-36, including the turret system, gun-laying radar, guns, ammunition, and bombing equipment. Although the B-36 gun crew never fired their weapons in combat during its years in operation, they needed to know the contents of this manual.
Other than a 2 inch tear in its front cover, the manual is in very good condition given its age. A real find indeed.