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Britain's Short Stirling Bomber1,2,3
Short Stirling:
Short Stirling:
Short Stirling:
Short Stirling:
Short Stirling:
Short Stirling:
Design
The Short Stirling was the United Kingdoms first four engine monoplane.1,3 It was designed to meet a specification put out in 1936.2 S.29 was its Short designation.3
Bomb bay
The bomb bay of the Stirling was 13 m long and divided into six cells.1 These cells were divided by longitudinal girders and armed members.1 Each had a hinged door.1 The maximum size of bomb the Stirling could carry was 2,000 lb / 907 kg.3
Tail
The tail was a single fin with the rudder and tail plane of similar shape and size.1
Fuselage
The center of the fuselage was braced at the top to allow for crew to pass from the front to the rear of the Stirling.1 Behind the center section was the main flare chutes.1
The crew of the Stirling entered through a door in the port side.1
Propellers
The Short Stirling's constant speed propellers were 3 bladed de Havillands.1
Gun turrets
The nose turret was a Frazer-Nash FN.5A, the dorsal turret a FN.7A, and the rear turret a FN.20A.1
Fuel tanks
The fuel tanks were located in the wings and were self sealing.1
Wings
To fit in existing hangers, the wing span for the Stirling was limited.1 This caused the Stirling to be restricted in its altitude performance primarily because of the small wings.3
Prototype
The first prototype (S.313) was 1/2 scale.2 It first flew in September 1938.3
The first full size prototype flew on May 14, 1939, but crashed on landing.1,2,3 The second prototype flew on December 3, 1939.3
Production
Short Stirlings were produced in three factories.1 The main factory was Short & Harland, located in Belfast.1
The Stirling Mk I first flew on May 7, 1940.3 Deliveries began in August 1940.3
- Prototypes: 23
- Sterling Mk I: 7073, 7562
- Sterling Mk III: 8752, 1,0593
- Sterling Mk IV: 4433, 5772
- Sterling Mk V: 1602,3, 1621
- Total: 2,3713, 2,3741,2
- Produced by: Austin3, Short3
Variants
- S.31: 1/2 scale prototype.3 Had four Pobjoy Niagara radial engines (90 HP).3
- Prototype: Had four Hercules II engines (1,375 HP).3
- Sterling Mk I: Bomber.1 Had Hercules XI radial engines.2
- Sterling Mk II: Had Wright Cyclone engines.2 Prototype only.2
- Sterling Mk III: Bomber.1 Had Hercules XVI engines.2 Some Sterling Mk Is were converted to Sterling Mk IIIs.2 First to have two gun dorsal turret.2 Entered service in late 1942.3
- Sterling Mk IV: Bomber.1 Was used transport and glider tug.2,3 The nose and dorsal turrets weren't included.2 First used in the return to France on June 6, 1944.3
- Sterling Mk V: Transport.1 First flown in August 1944 and entered service in January 1945.1,3
Usage
The Stirling's early reputation was that it would be a fire trap for the crews.1 However, this was an exaggeration and many crews had great confidence in the Stirling.1
A total of eleven / 152 Bomber Command squadrons were outfitted with the Stirling.1
The Stirling was used in 18,440 sorties.1 It dropped 27,821 tons / 28,268 tonnes of bombs.1 The Stirling was also used in laying 20,000 mines.1
769 Stirlings were destroyed during World War II with 641 of those lost in action.1
No. 7 Squadron
In August 1940 the first unit to receive the Short Stirlings was the No. 7 Squadron.1,2
First Raid
The No. 7 Squadron conducted its first raid on the night of February 10-11, 1941.1,2 This raid was against oil storage tanks in Rotterdam.3
Berlin Raided
The first raid on Berlin by Stirlings was in April 1941.2
Secondary Roles
By 1943 the Stirling was relegated to secondary roles such as glider towing and transporting as the Halifaxes and Lancasters were becoming operational.3
Normandy invasion
The Stirlings were used as glider tugs and for air supply.1
Stirling's last raid
On September 8, 1944 was the Stirlings last bombing raid.1 It was against Le Harve, France.1
Arnhem and Rhine
The Stirlings were used as glider tugs in the operations at Arnhem and the crossing of the Rhine in March 1945.1
Victoria Crosses Awarded
Flight Sergeant R. H. Middleton of the 149th Squadron and Flight Sergeant A. L. Aaron of the 218th Squadron were awarded Victoria Crosses posthumously.2
Retired
The last of the Stirlings were retired in March 1946.1
After World War II
A Belgian airline used 24 Stirling Mk Vs as cargo and passenger planes.1
| Short Stirling3 | Short Stirling Mk I3 | Short Stirling Mk II3 | Short Stirling Mk III2,3 Short Stirling B Mk III1 |
Short Stirling Mk IV3 | Short Stirling Mk V3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Heavy bomber3 Glider tug3 Transport3 |
Heavy bomber1,2 | ||||
| Crew | 7 - 83 | 7 - 81,2 Pilots (2), navigator / bombardier, front gunner / radio operator, air gunners (2), flight engineer / air gunner1 |
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| Engine (Type) | 4: Bristol Hercules XI3 | 4: Bristol Hercules XVI piston1,2,3 | 4: Bristol Hercules XVI3 | 4: Bristol Hercules XVI3 | ||
| OR | 4: Bristol Hercules VI piston1 | |||||
| Cylinders | Radial 143 | Radial2 , 141 | ||||
| Cooling | Air1 | |||||
| HP | 1,595 each3 | 1,650 each1,2,3 | 1,650 each3 | 1,650 each3 | ||
| Propeller blades | 3 each3 | 3 each1,3 | 3 each3 | 3 each3 | ||
| Dimensions | ||||||
| Span | 99' 1"3 30.2 m3 |
99'1, 99' 1"2 30.2 m1,2 |
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| Length | 87' 3"3 26.59 m3 |
87' 3"1,2 26.5 m2, 26.59 m1 |
90' 6.75"3 27.6 m3 |
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| Height | 22' 9"3 6.93 m3 |
22' 9"1,2 6.93 m1,2 |
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| Wing area | 1,460 ft2 2, 1,482 ft2 1 135.6 m2 2, 135.63 m2 1 |
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| Weight | ||||||
| Empty | 44,000 lb3 19,958 kg3 |
43,109 lb1, 43,200 lb2, 46,900 lb3 19,595 kg1, 19,596 kg2, 21,274 kg3 |
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| Loaded | 59,400 lb3 26,944 kg3 |
69,938 lb1, 70,000 lb2,3 31,751 kg1, 31,752 kg3, 31,790 kg2 |
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| Performance | ||||||
| Speed @ 14,500' / 4,420 m |
270 mph1,2,3 434 kph3, 435 kph1,2 |
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| Climb | ||||||
| Service ceiling | 17,000'1,2,3 5,180 m1,2, 5,182 m3 |
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| Range | 590 miles1 950 km1 |
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| Range with 3,500 lb / 1,588 kg |
2,010 miles3 3,235 km3 |
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| Range with 14,000 lb / 6,350 kg |
590 miles2,3 949 km2, 950 km3 |
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| Armament | ||||||
| Nose turret | 2: 0.303" MG3 | 2: 0.303" MG3 | 2: 0.303" MG3 2: 7.7 mm MG2 2: 7.7 mm Browning MG1 |
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| Dorsal turret | 2: 0.303" MG3 | 2: 0.303" MG3 | 2: 0.303" MG3 2: 7.7 mm MG2 2: 7.7 mm Browning MG1 |
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| Tail turret | 4: 0.303" MG3 | 4: 0.303" MG3 | 4: 0.303" MG3 4: 7.7 mm MG2 4: 7.7 mm Browning MG1 |
4: 0.303" MG3 | ||
| Bombs | 14,000 lb3 6,350 kg3 |
14,000 lb3 6,350 kg3 |
14,000 lb1,2,3 6,350 kg1,2,3 |
Sources:
- Aircraft of WWII, General Editor: Jim Winchester, 2004
- Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Editor: Karen Leverington, 1995
- Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998
