FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1942
1942 - 0254.PDF
iOO FLIGHT JANUARY 29TH, 1942 THE SHORT STIRLING are mounted, as in the Empire and Sunderland boats, in complete nacelle monocoque units bolted to the front wing spar, the tail portions of the nacelles fairing into the wing surface. Fuel is carried in cylindrical tanks in the wing, outboard of the wing bomb cells. The absence of fuel in the fuselage, and the use of self-sealing tanks, reduces fire risk to a minimum. The engines drive three-bladed fully feathering airscrews of 13ft. bin. in diameter. They are fitted with de-icers. A Crew of Seven Before describing the internal lay out of the Stirling it may be mentioned that it carries normally a crew of seven: First and second pilot; the navigator, who is also the bomb- aimer ; the front gunner, who is also W/T operator ; two air gunners ; and the flight engineer, who mans a gun when required. In the extreme nose of the fuselage is the bomb-aimer's compartment, situated under the floor of the pilot's cabin and nose-gun turret. In this compartment is also a trap-door by which the crew may enter and leave the machine. The nose turret is, of course, power-operated and contains two .303 Browning machine guns. The pilots are seated side by side, with quite a wide space between them. The coupe top of the compart inent afford an excellent view in all important directions, and under it is also provided a station for the fight ing controller, who superintends the air gunners when an action is going on. From his position he has a fairly Aacbtttue to LCTW K(Ar 5nxr BoHH Rudder VUM Elevator Mas* Balance. Fuselage Break Details of the construction of the tail Stirling. The very long fuselage good view when standing up, and pro tection is provided for him in the form of hinged armour plates which swing out of the way when not in use. The first pilot has armour plates behind his back and head, and further pro tection is provided by a complete armour-plate bulkhead with sliding door at the after end of the cabin. The navigator is housed within the flight compartment, with chart table and other aids to efficient navigation. The retractable astral dome is incor porated with an escape hatch in the roof, just aft of the rear end of the Main Prar Member*'' * Tardus Shaft Drive. CnidtVlod Flap* Our Thp S»itcb Can* The special Gouge flaps of the Stirling are operated by a worm drive actuated by an electric motor. Trip switches stop the motor when the flap is in the " fully out " and " fully in " positions. \ 1 surfaces and rear fuselage portion of the is built in sections, bolted together. coupe. The wireless operator and flight engineer are located aft of the flight compartment. Under the centre-section of the wing, and extending fore and aft, is the bomb cell. No mention may be made of the actual composition of the bomb load, except that it may total as much as 8 tons. An idea of the load is obtained when it is pointed out that the length of the bomb cell is 42ft. 7in., and that it extends right across the floor of the fuselage, being divided by two longitudinal girders into three compartments, each of which houses a series of bombs. The three doors open simultaneously. The Dorsal Turret Aft of the centre section of the wing, in the roof of the fuselage, is the dorsal turret, which is a Boulton Paul power-operated one of streant*-^ line shape, containing two Browning I .303s. From about this position in the fuselage rails run to the four- gun turret in the tail; by these am munition is sent to the rear gunner. The tail turret is reached by a walk way. All three gun turrets have armour protection. At the end of the bomb bay are installed the chutes ior the parachute flares. Equipment of the Stirling is, of course, extremely complete, as it must be in an aircraft of this type which has to operate over long distances and in all sorts of weather, sometimes in formation and sometimes alone. Inter communication telephones connect the members of the crew, but should the system be put out of action by gun fire, there is ample room for a mem her of the crew to walk from one end-r of the fuselage" to the other with mes sages. Among the equipment are two
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
