Short Stirling
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Cheshire, California, Geneva, and Paris
Age: 67
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Not the P38 Lightning but the De Havilland Mosquito.
The rationale was that the two engined and two crewed Mosquito carried a larger bombload than the American bombers which were being used in England at the time.
The rationale was that the two engined and two crewed Mosquito carried a larger bombload than the American bombers which were being used in England at the time.
. That will be bombweight pr. crew as the Mossie certainly not could lift 8 ton bombload
B17E about the same ( 4000lb Bomb load c. 2000 miles at 224 mph ).
That was the comparison.
" Same bomb load to Berlin" IIRC.
The B-17's load carrying capacity dropped off dramatically with range, effective radius of action being around 800 nm with 4000lb of bombs. Max bomb loads, quoted outside of range and flying speed data, can be very misleading.
Last edited by Haraka; 3rd Jan 2015 at 14:45.
Just as a follow up to bomb loads (and payloads) being expressed in "tons", since this caused some working confusion during Anglo-American operations in WW2.
Although both American and Imperial tons are each 20 hundredweights. The U.S. hundredweight is 100lb ( avoirdupois) whilst the Imperial hundredweight is 112lb.
Thus an Imperial ton is 2240lb, whilst a U.S. ton is 2000lb.
These are, in common parlance, referred to as "Long" and "Short" tons.
Thus a British 10 ton " Grand Slam" would have been 11.2 tons in American units.
P.S. The European 'tonne' is 1000kg., not too far short of the Imperial ton and now pretty much well adopted.
Although both American and Imperial tons are each 20 hundredweights. The U.S. hundredweight is 100lb ( avoirdupois) whilst the Imperial hundredweight is 112lb.
Thus an Imperial ton is 2240lb, whilst a U.S. ton is 2000lb.
These are, in common parlance, referred to as "Long" and "Short" tons.
Thus a British 10 ton " Grand Slam" would have been 11.2 tons in American units.
P.S. The European 'tonne' is 1000kg., not too far short of the Imperial ton and now pretty much well adopted.
Saw a Stirling fly when I was kid at a Battle of Britain Day in the '50's...
....(IIRC the Stirling retired from RAF service around 1947 )
If 1950's, possibly a Hastings?
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
Haraka, I'm pretty sure there was a Stirling at the Cosford BoB day in 1952. It wasn't flying though, so perhaps an instructional airframe? Mind you, I have to admit that I was only five at the time, but already aircraft orientated.
It should be remembered that following the Stirling's removal from front line bombing it became arguably the best airborne forces aircraft in the allied inventory. Being able to carry more paratroops than any other, drop more stores and capable of towing all the gliders.
I have a video entitled Speed Up on Stirlings which shows the design and the factory modifications and finaly the building of this a/c. If you can still get this film it is well worth seeing by anyone who i8 interested. 
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
Further my post, if it was a Stirling (and I'm pretty sure it was), visitors were going up a very long ladder to enter a hatch below the nose, walk down the fuselage and exit somewhere near the tail. My mother told me I couldn't go because I was too small to manage the ladder.
Great footage! Stirling production looked more like a cottage industry than the Empire at war. I liked the statement about the undercarriage being a nice bit of design. Probably was but it also seemed to be a complicated piece of machinery. It was nice to see the work done by the woman to be so highly praised.
Another thing that counted against the Stirling was its bomb bay. It was divided into compartments, which ment it could not carry a 4,000lb Cookie, unlike the Wellingon, Lanc, Halibag and Mossie ( modified).
The unsung role of the Stirling was ( as PPRuNe Towers has mentioned) minelaying, from which the Stirling suffered heavy losses. My own Great Uncle's crew was lost from 149 Squadron one night in December 42, along with three other crews (one was an early return). I believe there were no survivors from any of the four aircraft.
The unsung role of the Stirling was ( as PPRuNe Towers has mentioned) minelaying, from which the Stirling suffered heavy losses. My own Great Uncle's crew was lost from 149 Squadron one night in December 42, along with three other crews (one was an early return). I believe there were no survivors from any of the four aircraft.
"Another thing that counted against the Stirling was its bomb bay. It was divided into compartments, which ment it could not carry a 4,000lb Cookie, unlike the Wellingon, Lanc, Halibag and Mossie ( modified)."
Welington bomb bay was also divided (into 3), but could I believe take a Cookie.
Stirling also carried bombs in the underside of the wing between the fuselage and the inboard engines. The doors were opened by the exiting bombs and closed by bungees.
Welington bomb bay was also divided (into 3), but could I believe take a Cookie.
Stirling also carried bombs in the underside of the wing between the fuselage and the inboard engines. The doors were opened by the exiting bombs and closed by bungees.