Beechcraft C-45/AT-11 Kansan gunnery trainer question

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The_Red_Shirt_Baron_1701D

Recruit
3
2
Aug 18, 2025
Hey all! I am doing research for a book and I need some information about the Beechcraft C-45/AT-11 Kansan when they were used as gunnery trainers. I live in Dayton, Ohio, and the Air Force museum here does have an AT-11, but the one in their possession was used a bomber. What I am interested in is where the guns were mounted, and if there was seating or not. From what little I've found online (textual descriptions only) when the gun was mounted in the floor, the gunner had to lie down to use it. Was there seating for the gunner when it was mounted dorsally? And if anyone has any interior pics of a C-45/AT-11 with the guns installed that would be much appreciated. I can't find ANY online. Thank you very much in advance, and if anyone is curious about my book or needs more context or clarification, please don't hesitate to ask.

Thanks and have a great day!
 
It appears to be a T. O., a Technical Order. The dash number indicates a pilot's handbook, but the number in the middle seems odd. As I remember, it would normally be the aircraft type number. I don't know
much about WWII T. O.s, as I entered service in 1951. We had C-45s and AT-11s in Base Flight at Carswell AFB, but I didn't know they had a gunnery model.
 
90KC is for the AT-11/T-11/SNB-1 aircraft.
90KA would be for the AT-7/SNB-2
90CB would be for the C-45B and F, the JRB-3 and -4 as well as the Expediter 1 and 2

There are a couple of other designations for the remaining versions of the C-45 type aircraft.

Quick rundown on the numbering system....AN 01-90KC-2 would be an Erection and Maintenance Manual for an aircraft, with 90KC being the type and version of that aircraft and the -2 signifies it's the E and M manual.

For more indepth reading on the subject, pop over to WIX, and this thread and there are some good information the manual structure system from a link to a couple of Ester's blog over at Air Corp Library and from Aircraft Engineering for Pilots, AFM 51-42, chapter 17.

Warbird Information Exchange • View topic - T.O. manual identification structure

warbirdinformationexchange.org
 
Thank you all so much for your replies. I apologize for not responding before now. I was only notified in my email of the first response to my initial post. Your assistance is much appreciated, and to anybody who replied to me who was or is in the armed forces, thank you very much for your service.
 
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