Fresnel Lens Optical Landing System, commonly referred to as the lens, for landing guidance. The lens consists of a series of lights and Fresnel lenses mounted to a gyroscopically stabilized platform. The lenses focus the light into narrow beams that are directed into the sky at various angles.
The McDonnell XF-85 Goblin was an American prototype fighter aircraft conceived during World War II by McDonnell Aircraft. It was intended to be deployed from the bomb bay of the giant Convair B-36 bomber as a parasite fighter. The XF-85's intended role was to defend bombers from hostile interceptors, a need demonstrated during World War II. Two prototypes were constructed before the program was terminated. (wiki)
The NKC-135A on display is one of 14 KC-135As permanently converted for special testing. It was extensively modified by the Air Force weapons Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., and used in an 11-year experiment to prove a high-energy laser could be operated in an aircraft and employed against airborne targets.
The bombardier's main tool was the Norden bombsight, a top secret piece of equipment the Allies guarded throughout the war. On a mission, the bombardier's real job began at the IP. This was the point at which the bombing run on the target began; from this point on, the bombardier would fly the airplane through the bombsight linked to the autopilot.
