Morning all
We’ve recently been made aware of a photo showing a Stirling on RATO trials (see below).
the comments that went with it are:
Alan Fraser, the historian of the 149 Squadron Association commented: ‘In “The Secret Years – Flight Testing at Boscombe Down 1939-45” it confirms that the aircraft was N3635, the first listed production aircraft. 4 aircraft were sent to BD, the 2nd prototype L7605 and 3 production aircraft. N3635 spent nearly 3 months u/s during the trials and the last planned RATO takeoff on 16/8/42 ended in a crash as the rocket packs fired simultaneously instead of sequentially; breaking loose and damaging the aircraft. The report goes on to state that the aircraft in question was later reduced to produce
John
By: 12jaguar - 23rd February 2017 at 07:10
missed that 🙂
By: jamesinnewcastl - 22nd February 2017 at 22:59
Morning all
We’ve recently been made aware of a photo showing a Stirling on RATO trials (see below).
John
Hey John
The same photo is in a really good book on the Stirling by some bloke called Pino Lombardi p.112 🙂
James
By: Arabella-Cox - 1st February 2017 at 12:26
The RAE also experimented with the same pods on Whitley, Horsa, Hamilcar and Lord alone knows why, a Hotspur glider.
By: jamesinnewcastl - 1st February 2017 at 07:51
The file did have a Short Bros drawing of how the rockets were attached to a Stirling.
also a handy drawing of the wing and flap cross-section at that point. Hopefully to scale!
James
By: CeBro - 1st February 2017 at 07:05
When I saw the header I thought this was in the same class as the secret steam powered Halifaxes.
By: Pondskater - 31st January 2017 at 20:47
I haven’t seen that report but a different one I read considered rockets for lots of different aircraft, including single seat fighters (cough *Spitfire* cough) – and concluded the problem was the ‘excessive peak rocket thrust’ which I suppose is the academic way of saying that instead of pushing the aircraft along smoothly, it just went bang with all the force at the start. They reported as much as 4,900lbs of thrust – they only wanted 2,000lbs thrust.
The file did have a Short Bros drawing of how the rockets were attached to a Stirling.
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By: jamesinnewcastl - 31st January 2017 at 17:41
Hi John
A 1941 report on the rocket assisted take-offs is available at the National Archives.
Cheers
James
By: TempestV - 31st January 2017 at 17:39
Ouch, an expensive mistake. Thanks Richard for the further info.
I’d not seen this photo before but it’s obviously been around for a while
regards
John
John, you forgot this is a SPITFIRE forum! 😀
Not even a rocket powered Stirling is special enough to generate much interest.
….. I’ll get my coat,
By: 12jaguar - 31st January 2017 at 17:01
Ouch, an expensive mistake. Thanks Richard for the further info.
I’d not seen this photo before but it’s obviously been around for a while
regards
John
By: pogno - 31st January 2017 at 15:15
John
The same picture appears in the book Farnborough and the Fleet Air Arm by Geoffrey Cooper, there it also states the aircraft was N3635. In that book it explains that a pair of rocket carriers were to be fitted between each inboard and outboard engine, each carrier was to contain twelve 3in UP’s(unrotaing projectiles) and were wired to fire serially in pairs at a time. Early tests were carried out without problem and the result was impressive.
The master selector switch could be set to ‘pairs’ or ‘all’ the latter to be used just for circuit testing, pre-flight.
On 18/8/41 a special demonstration was arrange in front of VIP’s but the mechanic failed to return the switch to pairs. The aircraft was taxied to the runway where the throttles were opened to 3/4 by the pilot Sqn/Ldr B.O. Huxtable who then selected ignition. The result was the two carriers with all rockets blazing shot forwards taking the propellers with them. Once the smoke had cleared the aircraft could be seen with one undercarriage collapsed.
The force applied to the rocket cradles was something like 12 tons, 600% the design load. The aircraft was written off.
Richard
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January 31, 2017 at 9:03 am