Main Landing Gear Hydraulic System Flow Diagram; T55-1856

Format is approximately 10.5 inches by 8 inches. Three hole punched. 1 single sheet, printed on one side. Diagrams and text in four quadrants. Middle hole is in the middle of the word Hydraulic. At the bottom edge is the following printed notation: T-188 1 Mar 1955 RB-52B 52-8710 2G15. This material was produced before the Strategic Air Command (SAC) started taking delivery of the aircraft in June 1955. SAC was both a Department of Defense (DoD) Specified Command and a USAF Major Command, responsible for Cold War command and control of two of the three components of the U.S. military's strategic nuclear strike forces, the land-based strategic bomber aircraft and intercontinental ballistic missiles. This sheet is believed to have been produced by the Strategic Air Command, but could be a Boeing produced document. It is extremely rare for any of such technical material associated with a new aircraft to have survived--but the B-52 itself is still flying (albeit with many system changes having occurred). The top half of the sheet shows the Front Landing Gear Retraction with Hydraulic System No. 1 on the left side and Hydraulic System No. e on the right side. The bottom half shows the Rear Landing Gear Retractions with Hydraulic System No. 3 on the left side and Hydraulic System No. 4 on the right. there are depictions of main gear actuator, normal 4-way valve, Emergency 4-way valve, pressure relief valve, direction to aerial refueling, direction to bomb doors, brake lockout, direction to crosswind trim, and direction to steering. Valuable for content and as a display item. The RB-52B, though also usable as a normal bomber, was designed as a reconnaissance variant of the B-52B. In its reconnaissance role, a large Module/Reconnaissance Capsule was designed and procured which could be loaded into the bomb bay, completely filling the space. This pressurized Module included provisions for two additional crew members and would equip the RB-52B for photo reconnaissance, electronic intelligence gathering, weather data gathering or general observations. Without the reconnaissance pod in the bomb bay, the RB-52B was essentially the same as the standard B-52B and could perform the same bombing missions. A total of 50 B models were ordered with 27 being built as RB-52 dual role aircraft and the other 23 as single role bombers. There was disagreement within the USAF general staff over whether the B-52 should be primarily a bomber or a reconnaissance plane. The order for 13 B-52As was split into an order for only three A models and the other 10 for B-52Bs. The contract for the 10 B models was amended to include seven more aircraft and later changed to an RB-52B order. The Strategic Air Command and its commander, Gen. Curtis LeMay, wanted the B-52 as a bomber and fought against the reconnaissance variant. Although the reconnaissance version was built in slightly greater numbers than the bomber, the fact that the RB-52B could easily and quickly be converted for bombing missions satisfied SAC when they started taking delivery of the aircraft in June 1955. The B-52B and RB-52Bs were the first versions in the B-52 series to actually go into operational service. The 93rd Bomb Wing at Castle Air Force Base, Calif., was the first unit to get the B model and used them initially for transition crew training. Other wings receiving B models included the 95th, 99th and 22nd. The B model was retired from operational service in the mid-1960s, but one NB-52B (S/N 52-0008) was modified for use as a carrier aircraft (mothership) for the X-15 and Lifting Body flight research programs. This aircraft is still in use at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Single sheet, printed on one side Presumed First Edition, First printing thus.…