Stirling fuselage section

Thanks Jempy,

Well, that’s because the museum is run by enthusiasts who just enjoy talking “shop”. I also enjoy it very much and it never bores.

When on museum duty I always look out for eldery men who stand next to an engine or display board and are very focused on what’s to be seen or read. Nine of of ten this is a veteran or someone who experienced these things up close. The stories they tell are incredible.

Cheers

Cees

Deelen museum

Hi Cees,
I visited the Deelen museum last weekend and I agree that this is a very nice museum. Could use bit more light, tough! Ii was worth the trip from Belgium.
The people were very friendly in helping me identify some parts I recovered from a crash site in Belgium.
Cheers
Jempy

Hi Cees

Is this the Stirling near the Isle of Wight? I was told that this was a complete wreck and not even worth recovering.

Did these guys have any Whitley parts by the way?

Any news on the section of the section of cowling from a Whitley from N1521? I would be most interested in hearing more about it. I’m sorry to say that the american guy who got those window catches is not responding which is very frustrating. I will keep working on him.

Another recovery in the pipeline soon, and awaiting delivery of a new toy to assist in locating our Whitley in the channel.

Elliott

Elliott,

The gentleman who has the Whitley engine intake (a small one) doesn’t want to part with it now. If he had said so sooner it would have saved me a lot of trouble. There’s no hurry with the windowcatch 🙂

Cheers

Cees

Hi Cees

I believe that is the one I was referring to. It was reported in Flypast a couple of years ago if my memory serves.

Gerry

Mike,

There is still Stirling EF311 in the Channel. Although in salt water, the structure of the wings is largly intact and could perhaps be useful in recreating engineerings drawings. But who is going to recover it?

Cees

Hi Cees

Is this the Stirling near the Isle of Wight? I was told that this was a complete wreck and not even worth recovering.

Did these guys have any Whitley parts by the way?

Any news on the section of the section of cowling from a Whitley from N1521? I would be most interested in hearing more about it. I’m sorry to say that the american guy who got those window catches is not responding which is very frustrating. I will keep working on him.

Another recovery in the pipeline soon, and awaiting delivery of a new toy to assist in locating our Whitley in the channel.

Elliott

Realistically, the only organisation with the resources to mount a recovery and restoration on that scale would be the RAF. And that would require the will to divert a huge amount of effort and resources away from other worthy projects in order to achieve it.

I’m very much of the opinion that these things shouldn’t be recovered just for the sake of it – if you don’t have the wherewithall to restore it (or at least preserve and display it, a la Hendon Halifax), it should be left where it is.

Mike,

I totally agree about that. There are several cases where aircraft were recovered and then let to corrode away because there was no plan for restoration. The Lake Bicarosse Dornier Do-24’s and the Lake Schwering Fw-190D and Lake Balaton Ju88G-1 spring to mind. With the first scrapped and the other two under restoration now but not before a lot of airframe had corroded beyond help.

The recovery of Halifax NA337 is a good example of having a plan first and then recover later. The same goes for the currect plans to find and recover LW170 for restoration. With (hopefully) another one to follow 😎 .

But if the MOD calls off a Stirling investigation which they had been carrying out for almost a year because of human remains, then I’m having serious doubt if anything can ever be expected from that direction. But then again that’s just my opinion.

Cheers

Cees

Hi Gerry,

No, it’s not, but I would like to more about that one?

This section was used for many years as a shed in someone backyard. When the house was sold the new owner wanted to get rid of the eyesore and when he removed the overgrowth, he was stunned to see a fuselage section.
It was taken to the museum at Deelen where it is now on show but there are no plans to incorporate it into a restoration as the frames are all cut off at the floor.

The photograph shows what it looked like first (see the circle)

Cheers

Cees

Is that Sterling fuselage section the part that a Gentleman in England (I think) was using as storage unit on his property?

Mike,

There is still Stirling EF311 in the Channel. Although in salt water, the structure of the wings is largly intact and could perhaps be useful in recreating engineerings drawings. But who is going to recover it?

Cees