The Stirling was designed during the late 1930s by During early 1941, the Stirling entered squadron service. The Short Stirling Bomber BK716 was lost when returning from a bombing raid in Germany in 1943. The new design featured longer span wings and a revised fuselage able to carry dorsal and ventral power-operated turrets each fitted with four 20 mm Hispano cannons; despite the obvious gains in performance and capability, the Air Ministry was not interested. The aircraft, which flew from bases across East Anglia including RAF Downham Market, were used to carry supplies to Norwegian resistance fighters as they attempted to expel Hitler’s forces between 1940 and 1945.The Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) at the Ministry of Defence has been notified so it can investigate any links to missing British servicemen. After a series of serious accidents and total aircraft losses involving uncontrolled ground loops on takeoff, the Royal Air Force implemented a special training and certification programme for all prospective Stirling pilots. Click the link in the orange box above for details. It was flown by a pair of pilots, who were supported by a The cockpit containing the flying officers was provided with numerous controls and features; to the left of the first pilot were the controls for the The navigator/bomb-aimer would perform the latter of these roles in a The construction of the Stirling shares considerable similarity to the earlier The fuselage of the Stirling was distinct from Short's flying boat lineage, being constructed in four sections and employing continuous The first production model of the Stirling was powered by the Pilot accounts generally report that, once airborne, the Short Stirling was a delight to fly, surprisingly manoeuvrable for such a large aircraft and without any vices. However, Belfast and the aircraft factory were subjected to Even before the Stirling went into production, Short had improved on the initial design with the S.34 in an effort to meet specification B.1/39. If you value what this story gives you, please consider supporting the Eastern Daily Press. The memorial stone erected in his honor, list him as being a husband and son but does not mention him being a father. Proper takeoff technique involved feeding in right engine throttle during the initial 20 seconds of the takeoff run until the rudder became effective for control. Expert Bengt Stangvik, who was consulted about the find, said the four-engine RAF aircraft struggled to exceed an altitude of 15,000ft making it a target for Luftwaffe fighters.He said: “Several Stirlings disappeared without a trace on missions to Norway in winter 1944-45. Based on the location of this wreck, it is probable that it was on a mission to drop supplies to the resistance forces in western Norway.”Nineteen of the 30 British aircraft which vanished during the Norwegian resistance were Short Stirlings, he added, of which six are unaccounted for. On typical missions deep into Germany or Italy, a smaller 3,500-pound (1,600 kg) load was carried, consisting of seven 500-pound (230 kg) GP bombs; this payload was in the range of that which was already being carried by the RAF's During the type's service with Bomber Command, Stirlings flew a total of 14,500 sorties, during which 27,000 tons of bombs were dropped; 582 aircraft were lost in action while a further 119 were written off. However, Although smaller than both of the pre-war American "XBLR"-designation designs; the 149-foot wingspan, 35-ton loaded weight Under typical operations, most variants of the Stirling were flown with a crew of seven, performing several different roles. In 1986, the RAF Sub-Aqua Association investigated the possibility of raising Stirling EF311, which on 26 August 1943 was ditched seven miles off the coast of British four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World WarNot to be confused with a prototype light aircraft that was built in 1912, which was also known as the Short S.36.The Vulture engine which had been preferred for the large twin-engine bombers such as the Avro Manchester and the early concept for the Handley Page Halifax became clear upon its entry into service, such as a nasty habit of catching fire and spitting out connecting rods, sometimes within 10 minutes of being started.According to Geoffrey Norris, Shorts had sought to adopt a larger wingspan for the Stirling to improve its performance but were overruled and this was to the type's detriment during its service.the Lancaster could carry twice the Stirling's bomb load over long distances and was at least 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) faster while having an operating altitude of about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) higher. The Stirling had a relatively brief operational career as a bomber, being relegated to second line duties from 1943, such as glider towing, supply drops, and special duties flights. During its use as a bomber, pilots praised the type for its ability to out-turn enemy During its later service, the Stirling was used for The aircraft should also be able to be used as a troop transport for 24 soldiers and be able to use catapult assistance for take off when heavily laden.Following a Tender Design Conference in October 1936, the S.29 was low down on the short list of designs considered. A Second World War Stirling bomber, similar to the aircraft discovered in the North Sea, and its crew. With such a heavy aircraft, a "dropped" landing could cause serious structural damage.In July 1940, the first production Stirling departed Rochester; in August 1940, it was delivered to From late 1941, the Stirling played a pioneering role in the formation of the RAF's Despite the "disappointing performance" at maximum altitude, Stirling pilots were delighted to discover that, due to the thick wing, they could out-turn the The Stirling's maximum bomb load could be carried for only around 590 miles (950 km). It was found this week submerged in Lake Markermeer, near Amsterdam and … The Short Stirling was the first four-engined British heavy bomber of W.W.II, entering service in 1941.
The latest find was unearthed by sonar equipment being used by National Grid to scan the ocean floor. Under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986, the site of the wreckage is protected and could become classed as a war grave, JCCC spokeswoman Sue Raftree said. Nigel Williams, North Sea Link project director for National Grid, said: “When images of what appeared to be an aircraft wheel came through, you can imagine our surprise.“It was only when experts investigated the images in more detail that we learnt there was a strong possibility it could be a British aircraft that served during World War Two. By December During 1943, it had been recognised that there would be a requirement for a force of powerful aircraft capable of towing From late 1944, 160 of the special transport variant In recognition of their deeds of valour, two Stirling pilots were posthumously awarded the The Stirling is listed in the appendix to the novel In September 2019, exactly 75 years after the liberation of the southern Netherlands, the excavation has started of the Short Stirling W7630 at the site of Several proposals have been made to raise under-water Stirling wrecks, but as of 2020 none have materialized.