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Friday, November 20, 2009

Get That Fighter!


It's funny how you can remember even the slightest detail of a discovery.  I never know what I am going to find, because I don't look for anything. I want to look at everything and then pick out the one item that has a story to tell, or something to teach me, or something to just occupy me.  20 years ago this 4" x 5" booklet was just sitting on a metal table in a garage on one of the numbered streets near the Danbury Hospital (2nd street, 4th,Street). I don't remember the street, but I can still  vividly recall that textured metal folding table. I took one look at "Restricted"  on the cover, and I was hooked. That word on any document is like someone showing you a control panel and saying, "Don't press that button." (What ever you do, DON'T click on the image for a closer view! - see! it's tempting.)

 

 

Despite the overall message "Kill or be killed", I love the visual nature and layout of this  1943 training tool for gunners in the Army Air Corps. Although I never would I am sure I could show this to my six-year old and she would have more than a sporting chance of shooting down a few "incoming!"

There are more pages to this manual but I wanted to scan the ones that gave the general idea.  The first half of the instruction is based on the physics and trajectory of the bullet as it leaves the gun.  The last 6 pages all fold out nicely to show different views and specs on 3 each of the German and Japanese best fighting machines.  It has held up pretty well and may be quite rare. I can't find another reference to it anywhere on the web.

1 comment:

  1. Hi, I just found the same booklet at an NYC flea market today. Any idea of value?

    ReplyDelete

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