Russian Stirling

In answer to old spitty, I think you’re right about the Maus being a bitsa, regards the aircraft in one of my previous replies they ranged from an Albermarle to a hampden.

We can only live in Hope.

p.s. I’ve just looked at the Russian Website & doesn’t it put the Aberdeen range colection to shame.

I hope there is substance to the rumour, but can’t help thinking a photo would’ve turned up on the web by now if there were

I think the Maus is a bitza with hull and turret off two different prototypes,still mystery surrounds if they were used in combat or not,defending the factory.I would think anything is possible as the amount of area still unsearched on the european continent,especially in the eastern block..Good hunting guys..

Ken, which bit of my request about not quoting the post immediately above in its entirety are you having problems following? Moggy

Kubinka tank museum – 2 hrs drive from Moscow…..

This is the German tank section :- http://www.tankmuseum.ru/p6.html

The Maus is halfway down on the right – it has recently been repainted in the ‘sand & spinach’ scheme.

When I photographed it in 1994, it was ‘panzer grey’.

Ken

Back to the subject, many years ago in SYAM’s early days (when the 1st Polish Mig 15 arrived in the UK) someone mentioned that they had read or heard about a Russian official stating that a british bomber of a type not extant in the UK was in a Russian museum.

To throw some hope in there, the German Maus heavy tank was supposed to have been destroyed at the wars end- but photo’ exhist of an example in a Russian military vehicle collection.

So there is hope yet.

Very funny :p

Guy – grea threa, bu pleas ca w ge ou o th habi o ‘quotin th entir pos immediatel abov you answe?

Mogg
Moderato

No probs Moggy!!! I will abbreviate all quotes in future, smiles

Mark Pilkington

Guys – great thread, but please can we get out of the habit of ‘quoting’ the entire post immediately above your answer?

Moggy
Moderator

Time will tell but even if there are
substantial remains of a Stirling over there this will be the find of
the decade.

Fingers crossed

Cheers

Cees

Fingers and Toes crossed!

There is no need to preserve an example of every obscure type ever built, but the Stirling is one of those few types that seems too critical to aviation history to have been lost totally to extinction, and while a composite reproduction as already underway would be nice, a composite original, or intact original would be much much better.

This is a very exciting development, hopefully it does exist and is substantial and intact remains.

Do we have any russian forumites with the ability to access photos?, even if diplomatic relations between the governments are precluding formal access? There must be some local knowledge of its existance/recovery? “Perestroika”!!!

regards

Mark Pilkington

Fascinating. It would be a wonderful find if it does come out.

There is a huge amount of mystery to the Stirling – from the deserts of Egypt to the political intrigue of Russia it gets more like a film script every day. Indiana Jones and the Short Stirling anybody?

Well, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, look at the Hampden tht
came out from Russia which nobody had expected and some later
even more bits from one. I had always a thought that the Russians
would sell the wrecks first before the really good airframes were
brought out. There’s still that rumour about a hangar full of German
aircraft which Soviet ace Kozedub enjoyed to show some selected
parties, if it’s only a rumour? Time will tell but even if there are
substantial remains of a Stirling over there this will be the find of
the decade.

Fingers crossed

Cheers

Cees

yes hopefully in my lifetime:D:D:D

One of the things I have learned from being on this forum for a few years, is that there is always more to warbird recovery/restoration/operation than meets the eye. 😉

This will make a great story one day.

DS

The info that the aircraft is in 2 halves came from us. Our representative (who shall remain nameless) arranged for the transport of the remains to one location, one location is ‘supposed’ to have the wings including engines and empennage, the remainder of the fuselage is still sat at the original location, the original deal having fallen through due to intrigue and political machinations (John LeCarre eat your heart out:D). The frustrating thing is that no-one appears to have had the foresight to take some pictures whilst the wings etc were en route. As I mentioned previously, we have been chasing shadow and rumour for some 10 years and more without any tangible evidence. The Russian Federation won’t even acknowledge its existence but if the Air Attache can gain access, then any rumours etc may finally be laid to rest.

John

Hi,

What really excited me about the emails, even though there was no sign of progress, was that the airframe was described as being in two halves. I was not aware it was bisected when we last discussed it on the forum.

Do you know how the CAS knew it was in two places? He seemed quite certain about this, so we only have to wait for the latest Cold War to melt…..

DS

been there tried that, rumour has it that the aircrafts remains are in a hangar

Don’t suppose that anyone has any google earth coordinates? (Coverage of Pushkin is quite good) 😎

Beat me to it Cees,

I was going to impart this in full soon.

The upshot is that the issue of the Russian Stirling was elevated to the level of the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS); through the Air attache in Moscow, overtures were made to his Russian equivalent which resulted in the response above. basically they are either unable or more likely unwilling in the current climate to assist us. The text highlighted in black can be confusingly interpreted, we believe that the Stirling does still exist based on eye witness account, but no photographic evidence exists unfortunately. all the new attache can do for us is to request access to the sites listed to ascertain if there is any truth in the rumours.

From our perspective this is still ongoing albeit that our focus is now on the cockpit repro. We could keep chasing shadows, but at least the top of the RAF is on the case on our behalf

John