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[[collage of aviation clippings spread over two pages. [[main image - color photograph of a B-29 in flight. [[caption: B-29 Superfortress is shown here high in the atmosphere, [[red underline]] paintless and turretless, in its first released color portait. [[/red underline]] Though Boeing was planning this plane back in 1937, most of its good points are the direct result of experience gained from the combat performance of the B-17. Except for the extended nose, Superfortress resembles the Flying Fortress. B-29 is half again as the B-17, will carry double the bomb load twice as far. Aerodynamically it is a cleaner plane, having flush [[obscured]] and every movable [[obscured]] 2,200-hp air-cooled [[obscured]][[/caption]] [[clipping upper right]] [[image: aircraft in flight over a city. Caption: Boeing [[line]] Boeing Model 377 Stratocruiser.]] [[/clipping upper right]] [[clipping lower left]] [[image: what appears to be a view of two B-17's dropping numerous bombs, taken from a following plane. One B-17 has the number "36" on its side, and both have large "P"'s on their vertical stabilizers (tails)]] [[/clipping lower left]] ^[[25]] [[end page]] [[start page]] [[clipping upper left on right page]] [[image: aircraft in flight, tail number [[22686?]] . Caption: The 500th Boeing C-97, delivered to the USAAF/USAF as a KC-97G tanker. [[/clipping upper left on right page]] [[clipping lower left of right hand page obscured by overlying B-29 data card]] Boeing Model 377 Stratocruiser (USA) The United States had a significant lead in the design and construction of long-range transport aircraft at the close of World War II, the consequence of an understanding with Britain that the US industry would concentrate on the development of such aircraft because of the distances involved in the [[obscured]] [[/clipping lower left of right hand page obscured by overlying B-29 cdata card]] [[data card]] [[top box]] Secrets of B-29's Gun Controls [[main image: perspective drawing of a B-29 showing labelled gun placements and support functions such as turrets, sighting stations, computers, etc.]] [[top boxed illustration]] [[image: cross section of a B-29 showing pressurized compartments for gunners]] PRESSURIZATION INCREASES ACCURACY Gunners are cozy in heated, pressurized cabins instead of suffering the intense cold of ordinary power turrets. This and easily movable sights, remotely controlling the guns result in greater accuracy of fire. Drawings by Stewart Rouse [[/top boxed illustration]] [[bottom boxed illustration]] NEW TURRETS ADD SPEED [[image: drawing of a gun turret showing streamlined design and airflow over it]] CONTAINING NO GUNNER, THEY ARE SMALLER THAN USUAL TURRET (DOTTED, RESULTING IN REDUCED DRAG AND HIGHER SPEEDS SUPERFORTRESS GUNS ARE FIRED LIKE BATTLESHIP'S [[/bottom boxed illustration]] [[/top box]] [[center left box]] GUNS COMMAND COMPLETE SPHERE OF FIRE [[image: drawing of a sphere illustrating the scope of coverage from gun turrets]] 4 TOP-TURRET GUNS COVER UPPER HEMISPHERE 4 BOTTOM-TURRET GUNS COVER LOWER HEMISPHERE 7 GUNS COVER CONE OF FIRE AT TAIL ENEMY PLANES MEET THE FIRE OF FROM 4 TO 7 GUNS, NO MATTER HOW THEY APPROACH A B-29 [[/center left box]] [[top center box]] ELECTRIC BRAIN COMPUTES, SIGHTS GUNS [[image: large aircraft showing bullet paths towards attacking fighter]] [[/top center box]] [[middle center box]] [[image: diagram illustrating how the computer aimed guns, computer and gunsights work, correcting for speed, windage, gravity, parallax and lead]] [[/middle center box]] [[middle bottom box]] GUNNER'S VIEW OF SIGHT [[image: illustration of view through gunner's sight glass and trajectory of bullets]] [[/middle bottom box]] WHY B-29 AN'T SHOOT ITSELF [[image: illustration showing guns inactive when point at part of the carrying aircraft.
