And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
The short wing reduced altitude and made them drone along where flak was most effective but made them great to fly because they were less ponderous on the controls than the other heavies. Had Shorts been left to design it without stupid constraints it would have been a very good bomber.
Another part of the specification was that it should be able to carry 24 troops. As a result the Stirling has a huge fuselage and also much higher parasitic drag and empty weight than a Halifax or Lancaster. Al_in_Ottawa
Stirling Bomber - 149 Squadron RAF, Mildenhall
ReplyDeleteHe's not wearing all that heavy insulation just because it is cold outside.
ReplyDelete99 foot wingspan because the RAF hanger openings are 100 feet wide. Strange design constraints for $200.
ReplyDeleteThe short wing reduced altitude and made them drone along where flak was most effective but made them great to fly because they were less ponderous on the controls than the other heavies. Had Shorts been left to design it without stupid constraints it would have been a very good bomber.
DeleteAnother part of the specification was that it should be able to carry 24 troops. As a result the Stirling has a huge fuselage and also much higher parasitic drag and empty weight than a Halifax or Lancaster.
ReplyDeleteAl_in_Ottawa