Patron: The Lord Mackie of Benshie, C.B.E., D.S.O., D.F.C., LL, D.
Chairman: Brian Harris D.F.C., Dibdene, The Green, Shamley Green, Guildford, Surrey GU5 0UA
Secretary: Dr. Geoff Edwards, Redcroft, St. Nicolas Ave., Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 7AQ
Treasurer: Derek Hahn FCCA, 16 Cromwell Place, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU5 7LF
e-mail:info@stirlingproject.co.uk
Registered Charity No.1077113

Please contact:
Brian Harris D.F.C.,Dibdene, The Green, Shamley Green, Guildford, Surrey GU5 0UA
Tel: 01483 892626

The article below, featured in FlyPast Sept. 2001 is reproduced with the kind permission of the Editor.

Acting as Guest gate guardian to the FlyPast Subscriber Club enclosure at Flying Legends, was the Stirling Project's superbly restored Frazer-Nash FN5 gun turret. Our gratitude goes out to Project Manager Giuseppe Lombardi and Design Officer Peter Howell for all their efforts.

      The project began in 1997 with the aim of producing the forward fuselage of a Short Stirling to the most authentic spec. possible and to pave the way for a complete reproduction should funds and capacity be available. FlyPast readers will not need reminding that the Stirling is otherwise 'extinct'.       In between happily answering the questions of onlookers, Giuseppe explained that at an early stage, it was decided not to offer a project 'membership' as such, as it would drain resources from the considerable work in hand. Instead, people are encouraged to donate cash or services, or to locate parts, original drawings or technical data and to hand them n or loan them so that patterns can be made.

      "About a dozen" project supporters are active with the project and "everybody does something," he noted saying that activities fell roughly into engineering, drawings, scrounging and administration.

Work is spread across the country, reflecting the spread of the volunteers, but a well-equipped workshop is maintained in Cambridgeshire where the mechanical engineer Giuseppe and others work on the "lead" item, the FN5 turret. Anyone examining the functioning turret at Duxford is sure to have been impressed by the quality of work. Having acquired a somewhat "bashed about" FN5 from a scrapyard, a careful stripdown and examination followed in 1999- then the hunt was on for numerous replacement components. In some cases, original parts have been refurbished and fitted; in others, damaged items have been used as patterns. It has also been necessary to build some items from scratch. Much work has gone into collating and drafting up the drawings, as very little 'paperwork' exists for the Stirling. Giuseppe refers to this as "joining the dots".- 'reverse engineering' is another terms that adequately describes much of the restoration work.

The two 0.303in Browning machineguns mounted on the turret are both from Stirling crash sites- the likes of which have provided a major source of parts for the project. The first gun came from Mk.1 W7467, which collided with a Hawker Hurricane and came down near Earith Bridge, Cambs. On January 17, 1942. This was an early acquisition by Giuseppe, who has "always been taken" by the Stirling. In early 1999, the offer of another Browning came from the Danish group Danmarks Flyvehistorike Selskab. This one had been removed from the wreck of Mk. 1 N6071 that crashed at Lyne on May 18, 1942 when it was hit by flak during a Baltic minelaying sortie. Locals hid the gun from the Germans throughout the war. In fact, it was still in operational condition when it was offered to the Project, so it was necessary to get it deactivated before it could be accepted.

Much work still needs to be done on the turret, including the cupola. The inner workings of the FN5 were common to Avro Manchesters and Lancasters, Stirlings and Vickers Wellingtons; it was the cupola that adapted the turret to the particular airframe. The cupola will involve acquiring new skills in moulding Perspex - the Project hopes that a suitably proficient or organisation will be able to donate their time to the task. Offers?

Among the many items that the Project needs help with is the throttle box. Giuseppe is looking for leads to parts _ "even the smallest of items". Again, can you help?

Donations (payable to 'The Stirling Project') or general enquiries can be made to Dr. Eric Bailey, 18 Cromwell Place, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 7LF or e-mail info@stirlingproject.co.uk or hit http://www.flypast.com/ and our ever-expanding links section for the Stirling Project's web site.

Proposed move of workshop to RAF Wyton.

Project Manager, Giuseppe Lombardi reports that we have outgrown the present workshop. We are currently having encouraging negotiations with RAF Wyton who seem impressed with our Charity status, and have even reminded us that Stirlings operated from this base. It now houses the Pathfinder museum and as most of us know, the Stirling was amongst the first Pathfinder aircraft. Giuseppe is currently renting a store where he is storing parts and equipment for The Stirling Project. This has freed space in the existing workshop.

Ulster Aviation Society donates a Hercules Engine to the Project

The above picture and the article below appeared on the front of the Surrey Advertiser:

Wartime RAF Pathfinder navigator, Brian Harris, DFC, of Shamley Green is now the proud possessor of an engine for a Short Stirling bomber. The engine was collected from the Ulster Aviation Society in Belfast and brought to Cranleigh last week by Cranleigh Freight Services. It will undergo restoration work by members of The Stirling Project charity, of which Mr Harris is Chairman.The main aim of the charity is the education of the public in all aspects of the Stirling bomber, the first four-engined heavy bomber to serve with the RAF during the Second World War, with a further aim being the restoration of a complete aircraft.Despite the abundance of other aircraft types from the period, not a single Stirling remains, and members of the charity, which is based in Cambridgeshire, hope to remedy this over time.Even the drawings have been scrapped and members of the charity are engaged in the huge task of reproducing them, in some cases travelling abroad to measure the wrecked remains of aircraft shot down on wartime operations.Charity secretary Geoff Edwards expressed the gratitude of the charity to CFS managing director Colin Young, and to all the company, for their "professionalism and true generosity". He went on: "They carried out a task requiring considerable skills and organisational ability in transporting such an unusual and rare item of freight for a peppercorn cost. The latter surely reflects the gratitude they feel for the sacrifices made by the young men of Bomber Command, more than two-thirds of whom were lost in action, and will be a significant contribution towards a lasting memorial to the Stirling crews in particular".

Design Officer's Report

Steady and satisfactory progress has been made in the design department with the invaluable assistance of Lou Brown. Their efforts have been concentrated in three areas with the immediate objective of providing options for the Stirling Project. With the results obtained from measuring LK142 in France last year, and a subsequent visit to the remains of LK488 at RAF Wyton, Peter Howell has produced a fuselage cross-section for Frames 9 - 36. Whilst some doubt remains as to the precise shape of the fuselage roof, there is sufficient information now to produce detailed drawings of the bomb bay with a view to fabricating the components and assembling them into a complete unit.
Work is also in hand on the flight-deck structure. Whilst Peter has laid out the seat bearers and located the rudder pedals, control column and pilot's seat relative to the airframe, Lou Brown has produced drawings of the rudder pedal assembly, the control column mounting bracket and other parts that reinforce the structure. When the committee takes the decision to proceed, it will be possible to make patterns and cast these items in aluminium alloy. Finally, Lou Brown has made a drawing of the diagonal cross-bracing between the undercarriage shock-struts using an original example as a pattern. With available information and surviving components, it would be possible to assemble the forward section of the undercarriage including the wheel.
Currently, Lou is working on the cross-bracing for the upper section of the undercarriage whilst Peter has turned his attention to the design of the throttle box.

Steady progress has been maintained throughout the past year on the FN5 gun turret. During this time, one of the two Browning guns has been straightened with the kind help of a local gunsmith, Mr. Adrian Lemmon, of The Cambridge Gunshop. Recent work undertaken by John Lathwell has included the gunner's seat, using crash remains loaned to us by a museum. Ron Lunney has now completed the four ammo boxes. He has even made the metal labels and welded the steel handles. Some of this work needed special press tools to be fabricated for the steel strengthening ribs. A licensed aircraft engineer, Andy McCluskie, had volunteered to take on this as a sub-project but has been ill and unable to start. Martin Smith has turned up the left-hand chute, which is in extremely good condition. We are still awaiting the formers from Restoration Unlimited in Surrey, which they manufactured for their turret. Rounds of 0.303" ammunition, including the links, have been obtained to make up the ammo belts to fit inside the 'chutes, between the ammo boxes and the guns. A hydraulic accumulator cylinder and a turret rotation lock have been successfully remanufactured. Although, as with much of the work on the turret, these parts took a considerable amount of machining time, but many pieces are hidden inside.

The original air-driven gyro was replaced by an electric gyro made in the USA by Sperry Gyroscopic Company who re-engineered the sight for mass production. It was then licensed to AC Sparking Plugs company who produced 23000 of them. As designed, this unit matches perfectly with the T1 Bombsight Computer we already possess (see Newsletter No 2).

Distant-Reading Gyro Magnetic Compass.

This component is known as the "master compass" and is situated usually in the tail of the aircraft, well away from armour plating or other magnetic interference. The readings from the master compass are indicated on a number of Repeater Dials, suitably placed, mainly with pilot and navigator; up to six repeaters can be operated by the master compass.

Mk IX Bubble Sextant

This sextant was at one time the standard RAF Instrument. Its novelty lies in the mechanical process of averaging the reading of six shots by using a totalisor. (Kindly donated by Dave Hughes).

Rudder Pedals

Shown left are the rudder pedals from Stirling V-Victor of 149 Squadron which crashed on 21st August 1942 at Cornwood, Devon on return from minelaying off West Coast of France, where it was heavily engaged by defences Found and donated by Bob Savage, of Plymouth.

Frazer-Nash Director Admires Stirling Painting.

Mr Tim Hoy, Director of  Frazer-Nash, (Midhurst) Ltd. admires the painting of a Stirling, by the artist Clive Kemp, who kindly donated it to The Stirling Project. Mr Hoy purchased the painting from The Stirling Project on behalf of Frazer Nash and it now hangs proudly in their Midhurst offices. During World War II, Frazer-Nash produced thousands of gun turrets for the RAF.

Window Honours Stirling Aircrews.
A stained-glass window in All Saints Church, Longstanton, Cambridgeshire, is dedicated to the memory of airmen who died in action during the First and Second World wars. It is an example of the skill of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Monaghan, of Peterborough, and depicts at least six views of the Short Stirling.
At the lower left hand, it bears the inscription:  "Remember before God, those of 7 Squadron died in action in the RFC 1914-1918 and the RAF, 1939-1945.

Squadron Leader Thomas (Tim) Leach Howell

1918 - 2001.

Father of The Stirling Project’s Committee Member and Design Officer Peter Howell.

S/L Tim Howell was probably unique in flying Wapitis in the 30s, Stirlings in the 40s and Concorde in the 70s.He came to England from South Africa in 1936 and learnt to fly at RAF Digby. He was then posted to Peshawar in the North West Frontier of India where he piloted Hawker Audaxes.  In May 1939, he flew other pilots to Karachi to collect Hawker Hinds and later flew Lysanders,  DC2s and DC3s.  In the Western Desert, he was shot down by ME 109s. In Burma he was again shot down, this time when evacuating refugees to India.
He had come to England from South Africa in 1936 and learnt to fly at RAF Digby. He was then posted to Peshawar in the North West Frontier of India where he piloted Hawker Audaxes. In May 1939, he flew other pilots to Karachi to collect Hawker Hinds and later flew Lysanders, DC2s and DC3s. In the Western Desert, he was shot down by ME 109s. In Burma he was again shot down, this time when evacuating refugees to India. Following a well-trodden path into Bomber Command, he was on Wellingtons at 12 OTU Chipping Warden. His first Stirling flight as a co-pilot ended in a crash landing due to lack of fuel whilst returning from Nuremberg. His wartime flying ended on 20th April 1943 when flying on a raid with 149 Stirling Squadron his aircraft hit some trees near Esbjerg in Denmark on his way to attack the Heinkel factory at Rostock. The nose gunner did not survive the crash but the rest of the crew were captured. Tim Howell spent the rest of the war in Stalag Luft III. In the epic ‘Great Escape’ he was involved in sand dispersal and was due to escape as number 99 through the tunnel. However, he was finally liberated in 1945 and returned to South Africa where he farmed oranges. In 1952 he came back to England and took up airline flying on various aircraft types concluding his career on the sensational Concorde.

Tim’s Crew of 149 Stirling Squadron met for the first time in 50 years at Bury St. Edmunds. Left to right: Frank Parker – Navigator, George Carter – Rear Gunner, George Herring – Flight engineer. All were POWs with Tim Howell after crash-landing in Denmark in 1943.
Below: Their Stirling BK714 attracts some German attention the next morning!

Shoreham Aeromart

The Stirling Project at the September 2000 Shoreham Aeromart. Left to right: Martin Smith, Ron Lunney, Peter Howell and Giuseppe Lombardi

Denmark honoured the Stirling now followed by The Gambia.

In our previous Newsletter, we claimed ".. no other RAF bomber has ever appeared on a foreign stamp. However, the secretary of 49 Squadron, Tom Gatfield, has kindly sent us the above picture of another Stirling on a foreign stamp.

Recently completed: Turret Rotation Lock.

The picture below shows two turret rotation locks. The original, on the right, has the bottom part broken away. We have copied the original and produced a new one for our FN5 turret. We now need only to produce the instruction plate for the top.

Remember the Stirling Video

The video produced by our Chairman, which plots the history of the Stirling from 1941 to Arnhem can be purchased from Brian Harris D.F.C. Dibdene, Shamley Green, Guildford GU5 0UA at a cost of £16.00. Also available from Brian is the book Stirling Wings by Jonathan Falconer at a cost of £14.25. Prices include postage and packing. Please make cheques payable to "The Stirling Project". Web Site The web site is still being visited frequently and we have now had well over 5000 visits. Questions of all types have been answered. In association with FlyPast magazine, we had a very successful two days at the Duxford Air Show. We were able to spread the word and explain The Stirling Project to the many visitors to the stand. Sometimes the inquisitive onlookers stood three deep. Some offers of help were received and these are being followed up. Thanks must go to Ken Ellis at FlyPast for giving us the space for the stand. The Stirling Project is affiliated to the Bomber Command Association and the Stirling Aircraft Association and is a member of the British Aircraft Preservation Council.

Remember the Aims of the Stirling Project

The Short Stirling was the Royal Air Force's first operational four-engined bomber, and in its day, was an advanced and formidable aeroplane. As far as is known, not a single example survives out of 2383 constructed and it appears that all manufacturers' drawings have been destroyed. The Stirling Project was constituted under the chairmanship of former XV Squadron navigator with the aim of recreating one of these historic aircraft.