Riksbar Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 Following this build as March 11th next year will be the 80th anniversary of my great uncle being shot down in a 214Sqn Stirling. Getting the bits together for an anniversary build. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markh-75 Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 The Stirling was massive, long fuselage and high up due to the wing placement in the fuselage, the landing gear had to be quite tall, to give the aircraft a decent angle of attack for take off. If memory (what's that?) serves me correctly it had to have a wingspan no wider than the standard hangar doorway, of 100ft(?). There were individual bomb bays in the inner wing sections under the wings, 3 to a wing and the main bomb bay was split into three long narrow bays meaning that it couldn't take BIG bombs over 1000lbs (am I right, or was it a bigger bomb?). This is looking great! Loadsa nice work in this! I had one years back that had a little tractor with it, did you get one? Eventually I added invasion stripes to mine and made it a glider tug, had a length of brown cotton as a towrope, trailing out the back and I opened up the little door in the waist and hung tan coloured cotton strands in a bunch as cable release straps for parachutes! Its a shame there are none of these left, it would have been fascinating to see its sheer size! Great job!👍 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col Walter E Kurtz Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 4 hours ago, Riksbar said: Following this build as March 11th next year will be the 80th anniversary of my great uncle being shot down in a 214Sqn Stirling. Getting the bits together for an anniversary build. Did he survive being shot down? I hope he did Regards, Andy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin-42 Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 5 hours ago, Markh-75 said: Its a shame there are none of these left, it would have been fascinating to see its sheer size! Great job!👍 They are working on a reproduction! Fuselage anyway. https://stirlingproject.co.uk/category/news/ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markh-75 Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 Thanks for the link, Robin!👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riksbar Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 Quote Did he survive being shot down? I hope he did Regards, Andy Unfortunately not, the only survivor was the rear gunner. I was named after him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike romeo Posted March 12, 2022 Author Share Posted March 12, 2022 11 hours ago, Markh-75 said: The Stirling was massive, long fuselage and high up due to the wing placement in the fuselage, the landing gear had to be quite tall, to give the aircraft a decent angle of attack for take off. If memory (what's that?) serves me correctly it had to have a wingspan no wider than the standard hangar doorway, of 100ft(?). There were individual bomb bays in the inner wing sections under the wings, 3 to a wing and the main bomb bay was split into three long narrow bays meaning that it couldn't take BIG bombs over 1000lbs (am I right, or was it a bigger bomb?). This is looking great! Loadsa nice work in this! I had one years back that had a little tractor with it, did you get one? Eventually I added invasion stripes to mine and made it a glider tug, had a length of brown cotton as a towrope, trailing out the back and I opened up the little door in the waist and hung tan coloured cotton strands in a bunch as cable release straps for parachutes! Its a shame there are none of these left, it would have been fascinating to see its sheer size! Great job!👍 Thanks! I did get a tractor and bomb trolleys in my kit. I may make them up, although that's really not my thing. My understanding - which may be wrong - is the main reason behind the wingspan limit was due to a concern by the Air Staff that aircraft would get too big, hence becoming too expensive. The Stirling's main problem was being overweight. Initial testing showed the take off run was very long, and the RAF suggested increasing the wing angle of attack relative to the fuselage to improve this. As that would also have had an impact on range and top speed, Shorts instead chose to lengthen the undercarriage. Of course, at the time the Stirling was designed, airfields generally were grass and of relatively small size. The later airfield building programme, with longer concrete runways may have obviated the need for this mod. The book, "The RAF and Aircraft Design 1923-1939" by Colin Sinnot, although not an easy read, slaughters some sacred cows re the Stirling, among others. Rgds Martin 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markh-75 Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 Ah, I stand corrected! Thanks for that, I cannot remember where I read that but it’s academic anyway, thanks for clarifying the wing span length, I learn something every day.😃👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike romeo Posted March 26, 2022 Author Share Posted March 26, 2022 Slow progress on the Stirling. Added the exhausts: I also added built up and added the front turret. I used the kit turret in the end, with some internals from the new Airfix Lanc. I still need to fill the gun troughs with white glue and paint 'em black Most of the last kit pieces to be added have been painted: And painting of the canopy framing is nearly finished: Just been doing a few frames at a time. Process is: Mask, Klear, 2 coats of interior green, 2 coats of camo, matt varnish, Unmask, Tidy up with micro gloss on a cotton bud. It's taken a while! Once I've fnished and fitted the canopy, I plan to do a bit of paint modulation using the oil dot method. After that, matt varnishing, weathering, adding all the sticky-out bits, and Bob's your uncle. Should be finished about September at this rate . . . Rgds Martin 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike romeo Posted April 11, 2022 Author Share Posted April 11, 2022 Progress on the Stirling continues at the usual glacial pace . . . Finally finished the canopy framing and got it added, done an 'oil dot' treatment on the top side camo (not that you can tell), and added the main gear. Rgds Martin 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted April 12, 2022 Share Posted April 12, 2022 It is looking splendid! Thanks to this thread, I have just placed an order for a second-hand copy of “The RAF and Aircraft Design…”. I’ve ummed and ahhed about it before, so I was primed to buy! I flat out refuse to spend more than 20 quid on a kit*, but 33 quid posted for a good condition second hand book is OK by me. Regards, Adrian * well, almost always 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike romeo Posted April 12, 2022 Author Share Posted April 12, 2022 Hi Adrian, Hope you enjoy it! My day job is relevant to military aircraft and I've worked with RAF Requirements Mgrs before, so that, coupled with my interest in WWII RAF kit meant that I was really interested in the book. It's not the easiest read, though! Rgds Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanC Posted April 12, 2022 Share Posted April 12, 2022 Impressive build. I have happy memories of the Airfix Stirling and it's always been my favourite RAF heavy. This one is looking really good! 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike romeo Posted April 12, 2022 Author Share Posted April 12, 2022 47 minutes ago, IanC said: Impressive build. I have happy memories of the Airfix Stirling and it's always been my favourite RAF heavy. This one is looking really good! 👍 Thanks, Ian! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike romeo Posted April 26, 2022 Author Share Posted April 26, 2022 Hi folks, Nearly there on the ol' Stirling. Got a matt coat on and some exhaust streaking (not that happy with, tbh) then props; just got a few more sticky-out bits to go. Rgds Martin 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunny Posted April 26, 2022 Share Posted April 26, 2022 Looking good Martin - you've done a lovely job of that old kit. The exhaust staining looks good to me, Cheers, Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Kay Posted April 26, 2022 Share Posted April 26, 2022 The old girl has scrubbed up nicely. I’ve got an original black plastic one in the stash, and I hope mine turns out as well as yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike romeo Posted April 26, 2022 Author Share Posted April 26, 2022 2 hours ago, Heather Kay said: The old girl has scrubbed up nicely. I’ve got an original black plastic one in the stash, and I hope mine turns out as well as yours. Thanks, Heather! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike romeo Posted April 28, 2022 Author Share Posted April 28, 2022 On 4/26/2022 at 10:46 AM, Dunny said: Looking good Martin - you've done a lovely job of that old kit. The exhaust staining looks good to me, Cheers, Roger I still like the look of your Stirling. I must bite the bullet and try airbrushing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunny Posted April 28, 2022 Share Posted April 28, 2022 1 hour ago, mike romeo said: I still like the look of your Stirling. I must bite the bullet and try airbrushing. Thanks for the kind words Martin - you should give it a go! It does add an extra flexibility in finishes and texture and really isn't that difficult to achieve at least a reasonable standard, Cheers, Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marco1965 Posted April 28, 2022 Share Posted April 28, 2022 Fantastic Stirling, it brings so many memories, I think I assembled this kit when I was 15! Marco 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markh-75 Posted April 28, 2022 Share Posted April 28, 2022 The Stirling is looking wonderful Mike! Lovely job.👍😎 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted April 29, 2022 Share Posted April 29, 2022 Looks fabulous. Maybe extending the streaking all the way to the trailing edge would help with the look a bit? Regards, Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike romeo Posted April 29, 2022 Author Share Posted April 29, 2022 30 minutes ago, AdrianMF said: Looks fabulous. Maybe extending the streaking all the way to the trailing edge would help with the look a bit? Regards, Adrian Toying with that idea, Adrian. Just don't want to balls-up what I've already done. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike romeo Posted May 2, 2022 Author Share Posted May 2, 2022 Italeri box art for upcoming Stirling Mk III ExoR of 100 Gp. It never bl**dy fails, does it? You're welcome, btw. Rgds Martin 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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