Short Stirling

Discussion in 'The War In The Air' started by Gerard, Apr 1, 2009.

  1. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

    Here's a page dedicated to one of the RAF's "Heavies", the Short Stirling. Not as well known as the Lancaster it still performed "sterling" work for RAF Bomber Command:

    Untitled Document


    Feel free to post up facts or pics about this bomber.
     
  2. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

    Here's some links to sites relating to Short Stirlings:


    Stirling-Project - A site devoted to the reconstruction of a part of the Stirling bomber

    STIRLING AIRCRAFT SOCIETY - Stirling Aircraft society page.
     
  3. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    Gerard likes this.
  4. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

    Thats the stuff Peter, Thanks for that!
     
  5. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    A Short history of the Short Stirling.


    The first of the RAF’s four-engine bombers to see service, the Short Stirling was also the first to be withdrawn. Designed around Specification B.12/36 the Stirling was selected after the Supermarine entry was destroyed in an air raid. An initial order for 100 was given to Shorts at Rochester and later another 100 were ordered from Short and Harlands new factory in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

    The prototype took to the air in May 1939 but was soon written off when a brake seized on landing causing the undercarriage to collapse. A second prototype flew seven months later. Production deliveries to the RAF began in August 1940, when 7 Squadron received Stirlings to replace its Wellingtons. The Stirlings first operational sortie occurred on the night of 10/11 February 1941. This was a three aircraft attack on the oil storage tanks at Rotterdam.
    The Stirling proved to be a rugged and capable bomber. It proved to be very manoeuvrable, and on one occasion a Stirling from 218 Squadron survived four night fighter attacks, the crew shot down three of their attackers, and returned safely to base. The Stirling went through a number of changes, mainly with different engines and defensive armament.

    By late 1944 the Stirlings were withdrawn from front line service. This was due to the aircraft’s inability to operate from 20,000ft, which was the normal operating height of the Lancaster and Halifax. It also had a smaller bomb bay, which could not be adapted to accommodate the larger bombs that were being used by the other two bombers. The role of the Stirling changed from that of a bomber to that of a glider tug/transport. As a glider tug the Stirling could tow either one Hamilcar or two Horsas. The transport version could accommodate 40 troops or 20 fully equipped paratroopers. The nose hinged open and there was a large cargo door on the right-hand side of the rear fuselage. The transport version was designated Stirling MkV.
    In late November 1948 a Belgian Company Trans-Air asked an ex-RAF pilot, Geoffrey Allington, if he would instruct some pilots to fly the Halifax. The company had three such aircraft, one of them being OO-XAB that it wanted to use for passenger and freight work. After consultation with Monsieur Jaune, Trans-Airs owner, it was agreed that the Halifax was the wrong type of aircraft and that Stirling MkV transports would be a better choice.
    Geoffrey approached the Air Ministry about the possibility of purchasing a number of Stirlings. He was told that all the remaining aircraft had been sold for scrap. After a search a number of Stirling MkVs were found at RAF Polebrook in Northamptonshire. A deal was struck and ten Stirlings plus a quantity of spares was purchased for £2,000. It has also been quoted that 12 aircraft were purchased. This is not the case as according to an official invoice only 10 Stirlings were purchased. The aircraft were refurbished by Airtech Ltd at Thame, England. Six of the transports were converted to carry passengers and had two toilets and a wash basin fitted in the rear of the fuselage. The bomb bays were fitted with sliding doors for the luggage. The freighter had a longer nose that hinged upwards and a large loading door to the rear of the starboard fuselage. One ton of cargo could be carried in the nose and six tons in the fuselage. In this configuration the aircraft had a cruising speed of 210mph, which was faster than the DC-4.

    The first Stirling was ferried over to Belgium in May 1947 and was registered OO-XAC on 2 June 1947. In June the aircraft carried out the companies first charter flight, which was a load of pigs going from Manston to Bergamo, Italy. As the aircraft left the runway at Manston the port outer engine failed and pilot kept the aircraft low as he carried out a circuit and landed. A replacement engine was soon fitted and the flight continued to Italy. The charter flights not only covered Europe but also included flight to China.
    In October 1947 the remaining Stirlings were sold to another Belgian company Air Transport S.A., of Brussels. On the 22 December 1947, OO-XAC was at K’un-ming, China. With a full load of passengers the Stirling failed to get of the ground and careered into a cemetery at the end of the runway. The co-pilot was killed and the pilot suffered a broken arm and hip. The passengers all survived unhurt, while the Stirling was a complete write off.

    With the creation of the independent state of Israel in 1948 the neighbouring Arab countries took up arms against this new nation. The Royal Egyptian Air Force was on the look out for some heavy bombers and the Stirling was selected. In October 1948 six Stirlings, OO-XAD, -XAE, -XAH, -XAK, -XAL and –XAM, were sold to the Tangiers Charter Company Limited, another Belgian company. This may have been a cover as the real destination for the Stirlings was Egypt. OO-XAL was reportedly sold in Czechoslovakia, although it did eventually end up in Egypt, and another Stirling OO-XAS set out for Spain in 1948 and was never heard from again. Geoffrey Allington flew out the first Stirling, possibly OO-XAD on 7-8 August 1948. The aircraft took off from Blackbushe, England with a load of generators plus a number of 12v batteries. The aircraft went on a southerly route over the South of France across the Med and eventually landed at Castle Benito, Tripoli. After refuelling the Stirling was flown to El Adem and then a short hop across to Almaza, where the cargo was unloaded.

    The ferry dates of the Stirlings were; - OO-XAD: 7-8 August 1948 ferried via Brussels-Tripoli-Cairo. - OO-XAE: Date unknown. - OO-XAH: 23-24 October 1948 ferried via Brussels-Cairo. - OO-XAK: 8-9 September 1948 ferried via Brussels-Cairo. - OO-XAL: 1-2 October 1948 ferried via Brussels-Cairo. - OO-XAM: 12-13 August 1948 ferried via Brussels-Tripoli-Cairo.

    The aircraft were taken on strength by 8 Bomber Squadron and crew training began almost immediately. In an effort to provide some form of self-defence some of the Stirlings were fitted with guns. One is reported to have been fitted with the turret from an Anson. Bomb racks were created from ex-RAF scrap from different aircraft.
    In November a Stirling took off on a training flight. It had not been up for long when it suddenly blew up killing the pilot, Wing Commander Muhammad Adli Kafafi, and co-pilot, Squadron Leader Mustafa Sabri Abd al Hamid. Although the reason behind the explosion was never discovered sabotage was not ruled out.

    During the later part of the Israeli War of Independence in 1948 the Stirlings took part in a number of raids. The first sortie was carried out in the early morning of the 23rd December, when one Stirling carried out a high altitude raid on Tel Nof. Very little damage was inflicted. Christmas Day saw another single Stirling drop a number of bombs in the Mishmar Ha’ Emek area, which was next to the Israeli airfield at Megiddo. This time a number of casualties were inflicted on some civilians. Later on in the day another Stirling attacked barracks at Tel Litvinski which were situated to the East of Tel Aviv. Another attack was carried out when a bridge at Allenby on the Jordan River was bombed. This area was held by the Jordanians and may have been the result of a navigational error. Also it may have been carried out by a C-47.
    The 29th December saw a Stirling, from Cairo West, carry out a daylight attack on an Israeli column in the Abu Ageila area. A number of runs were made over the column, but little damage was inflicted. Abu Ageila was again targeted the next day along with Israeli positions in the Al Auja area. Because the attack was carried out at high altitude the results were negligible. During the 1st of January a single Stirling bombed the outskirts of the Israeli held West Jerusalem. Further sorties were carried out but records fail to identify aircraft type. These may have included Stirlings.

    The ultimate fate of the Egyptian Stirlings in unclear. It has been reported that most were lost during the 1948 conflict with Israel but no hard evidence has come to light. In the 1950 annual report to the Air Ministry by the British Air Attaché in Cairo, he stated that there were six (probably only five) Stirlings on strength, although they were in an unserviceable condition. These were still present in 1951, although number and condition is unclear, but by 1952 they were no longer mentioned. It seems likely that sometime in 1951 the remaining Stirlings were either sold or scrapped, with the later being more likely.

    Stirling MkV’s operated by Trans-Air and Air Transport S.A. and later sold on to Egypt:
     
  6. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    Sorry, a duplicate post.
     
  7. cally

    cally Picture Prince.

    An interesting post Peter.

    The Stirling was always in my opinion a good and undervalued bomber that suffered from one major fault regarding its inability to perform adequately at anything above the altitude of 20-22K ft.

    It did however have many strong points which you have covered, as well as a capacity to absorb much punishment and still manage to get its crew home.
     

    Attached Files:

  8. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    Dimensions:Length: 86.94ft (26.50m)
    Width: 99.08ft (30.20m</SPAN>)
    Height: 22.74ft (6.93m)</SPAN>
    Performance:Max Speed: 270mph (435kmh; 235kts)
    Max Range: 590miles (949km)
    Rate-of-Climb: 0ft/min (0m/min)
    Ceiling: 16,995ft (5,180m; 3.2miles)

    If I remember rightly the cockpit was over twenty feet above the ground when landed.

    Short Stirling - History, Specifications and Pictures - World Military Aircraft
     
  9. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

    Great Post Peter. Fascinating story of the Egyptian Stirlings too. Wonder if there's any pictures of Stirlings in Egyptian colors?
     
  10. GPRegt

    GPRegt Senior Member

    IMHO, one of the best glider tugs.

    Steve W.
     
  11. Stig O'Tracy

    Stig O'Tracy Senior Member

    I recall reading that the designers of the Sterling wanted to extend the wingspan beyond 99 feet however the Air Ministry refused to allow this in order to allow the aircraft to fit into existing hangers which had doors 100 feet wide. " the appalling prospect of having to enlarge a few hangers or to build some new ones, was one the Air Ministry could not face, particularly when the easier solution was available of simply ruining the altitude performance of the RAF's first four engined bomber."
     
  12. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

    I recall reading that the designers of the Sterling wanted to extend the wingspan beyond 99 feet however the Air Ministry refused to allow this in order to allow the aircraft to fit into existing hangers which had doors 100 feet wide. " the appalling prospect of having to enlarge a few hangers or to build some new ones, was one the Air Ministry could not face, particularly when the easier solution was available of simply ruining the altitude performance of the RAF's first four engined bomber."
    I remember hearing this story before. The poor aircraft was hampered by design limitations before it even got into the air. Awful shame.
     
  13. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

  14. Mike L

    Mike L Very Senior Member

    Are there any photos of a Stirling towing two Horsas?
    How were the two gliders attached to the Stirling - fore and aft or side by side?
     
  15. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

  16. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    And you guys clipped the wings of your Corsairs too!

    FAA must have had terrific pilots to get that already vicious beast down with shortened wings. Down in one piece that is. :)

    The Vought F4U Corsair

    Dave
     
  17. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

    And you guys clipped the wings of your Corsairs too!

    FAA must have had terrific pilots to get that already vicious beast down with shortened wings. Down in one piece that is. :)

    The Vought F4U Corsair

    Dave
    Ah, one of my favourite WW2 fighters, Dave! A beautiful aircraft. Surprised to hear that it went into Carrier service with the RN ahead of the USN!

    there's a serious pattern of wing clipping going on - who designed the dang hangers and covers of these aircraft???
     
  18. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

    \ Surprised to hear that it went into Carrier service with the RN ahead of the USN!



    Yep, the US Navy stuck with the Hellcat and gave the Corsairs to the Marines at first. But they brought the Marines on board the carriers in 45 to increase the CAP ability due to kamikazes.

    Dave
     
  19. Wills

    Wills Very Senior Member

    aerodynamics, the aspect ratio of a wing is essentially the ratio of its length to its breadth (chord). A high aspect ratio indicates long, narrow wings, whereas a low aspect ratio indicates short, stubby wings.
    For most wings the length of the chord is not a constant but varies along the wing, so the aspect ratio is defined as the square of the wingspan divided by the area of the wing planform this is equal to the length-to-breadth ratio for constant breadth. --- Enough of that!


    Clipped Wing Spitfires (LF) increased the rate of roll. Reduces the wing lift and therefore altitude capability.



    SpitfireEp120Banking30DegreesLeft10oClock.jpg
     
  20. Mike L

    Mike L Very Senior Member

    Gerard, I had a good look round for pics of Stirlings towing. Found a few of single tows but none of twin tows, hence the question.
    No doubt the Stirling had the power to tow a Hamilcar or probably 2 Horsas but I too wonder if it was ever done?
    Whether fore and aft or side by side 2 towed Horsas it must have been a nightmare to get the combo off the ground safely. Even after take-off the proximity of 2 gliders and tug would be very problematic during flight.
     

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