A high-resolution electrostatically deflected cathode ray tube is required for the flying spot store of an experimental electronic switching system. This tube is used to obtain random access, by optical means, to 2.5 × 10 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">6</sup> bits of information stored on a photographic plate. High degrees of both resolution uniformity and faceplate optical quality are required to achieve large storage capacity and error-free performance. In this paper the design criteria for optimum gun performance and minimum deflection focusing are analytically and empirically evolved. A novel result of this work is a dual shield placed between the two pairs of deflection plates, which substantially reduces beam aberrations due to the deflection fringing fields. A precision tube is described that fulfills the flying spot store design objectives and has performed reliably in a field trial at Morris, Illinois.