Can anyone tell me what the bombload would be if a Stirling has at least 2x 2000lbs on board, 4x 500lbs?
Sorry Philip, Dont understand the question? 4000lbs is a typical a light load for a Stirling. If I remember right the aircraft had the bomb bay diveded and was limited on the size (not so much the weight ) of the bombs it could carry. from Wikipedia, sounds accurate. "The Stirling's maximum bomb load was only able to be carried for relatively short distances of around 590 miles. On typical missions deep into Germany or Italy a smaller 3,500 lb (1,590 kg) load was carried, consisting of seven 500 lb (227 kg) bombs. This was the sort of load being carried by the RAF's medium bombers such as the Vickers Wellington and, by 1944, by the de Havilland Mosquito. Perhaps the biggest problem with the design was that the bomb bay had two structural dividers running down the middle, limiting it to carrying nothing larger than the 2,000 lb (907 kg) bomb. As the RAF started using the 4000 lb (1,815 kg) "cookies" and even larger "specials," the Stirling became less useful. The Handley-Page Halifax and especially the Avro Lancaster offered better performance (the Lancaster could carry twice the Stirling's bombload over long distances, and was at least 40 mph faster while having an operating altitude of about 4,000 ft higher[14]), so when they became available in greater numbers from 1943, it was decided to withdraw Stirlings to secondary tasks." Kev
a crash stirling in 1942 had 2x 2000lbs on board and also a 500lbs was found a couple of years ago, now try to find how many more 500lbs would be on board
You know this depends on range, altitude, etc. The Stirling was especially sensitive to altitude, as you are aware. A quick look at "Stirling In Action" gives a max speed of 263mph and 2,000lb of bombs, to a t.o. weight of 50,500lbs. This was rather below the initial estimate of a 8,000lbs load at a speed of 282mph, but reality had to step in... Of course if you decrease the range you can balance with a bigger bomb load. In the book quoted the performance figures are quite ghastly in terms of altitude and rate of climb!
Philip here you go. Kev is correct with the divided bomb bay which precluded larger bombs being carried. The Stirling Pages Regards Tom
a crash stirling in 1942 had 2x 2000lbs on board and also a 500lbs was found a couple of years ago, now try to find how many more 500lbs would be on board probably only one. DO you know whay mission the aircraft was on? and so estimate range req? Kev
Philip here you go. Kev is correct with the divided bomb bay which precluded larger bombs being carried. The Stirling Pages Regards Tom Nice site Funky bomb bay
Philip, If you have any identification of the plane you will be able to get full details from the RAF Historical section in the UK. Regards Tom
As Za states an aircraft's performance has to be expressed within its range,speed and bomb load. For instance,the Stirling 111 had an inadequate performance in terms that its full bomb load of 14,000lbs could only be carried across a range of 590 miles,hardly useful for continental targets.At the other end of the specification a range of 2.010 miles could be achieved with the bomb load reduced to 3,500 pounds.Utilisation of the Stirling involved selecting the bomb load compatible with the the target range. Near targets such as the Low Countries would easily be attainable with higher bomb loads and the Stirling was utilised for the longer range targets such as Berlin,Czechoslovakia and Northern Italy,abeit with lower bomb loads. As the first 4 engine bomber to be envisaged by the Air Ministry in 1936,its specification at the time was not improved,in the light of experience, when it became the first 4 engined aircraft to enter Bomber Command service in August 1940.It was the best the RAF could do until the Halifaxes and Lancasters entered service.Its service ceiling was restricted to 17,000 feet and considering its inferior performance, it gradually became relegated to operations against the less well defended targets. Regarding the crashed Stirling,RAF records (Squadron ORBs are a accurate source of information) should be able to indicate the bomb load carried.Post war this has been the basis for assisting the investigation of aircraft crashes for the procedure to disable any located bombs.Of course the aircraft remains would require investigation to identify it.Obscure information such as manufacturer's engine serial numbers has in the past, been sufficient to identify a squadron and the aircraft.
