A GRP construction method, as others have said, would be very heavy and difficult to do for such a large aircraft, you would need some sort of internal structure first. Using moulds is fine if your planning a production run, but for a one off it would be impractical.The James May Spit used an existing mould that will have been used many times before.You could do as in some Rutan designs and carve the basic shape from foam and then cover it with a layer of GRP to give it strength and rigidity but the Stirling has many flat or single curveture panels that cry out to be replicated in aluminium, just like the the original.
A tubular frame made from steel tubes welded together to form a backbone frame then bulked out with MDF or ply frames with ally skinning would work. Or take another similar aircraft and reprofile it like someone did to a Dak to get a Wellington, but I cannot think of a suitable base for a Stirling.

Richard

Ref
A company in the US sells a whole range of replical WW1 aircraft, perhaps they are manufactured in Czech http://www.airdromeaeroplanes.com including a Pup,although the picture does look a bit more Camel than Pup.

Richard

Is the additional expense to the MOD of operating the Skyvan strictly justifiable? Especially in view of the fact that the Skyvan is operated by a civilian company and due to their age the cost of maintaining them being high and spares an ever decreasing comodity.

I would have thought the operating costs of a Skyvan compared to a C130 would be minimal, and allow a C130 to be used more usefully somewhere else.
A few Skyvans still operate in the world, so I would guess spares are still being manufactured.

Richard

Had a thought that the numbers used in your example of 131/83/XXX may have comtained the ATA chapter in there, 83 is Accessary Gear Boxes which doesnt seem right for a watch. Instruments are 31.

Richard

Could it be Tangmere Airfield, that would make sense as that was there that the night fighter trials took place, using this aircraft, except in the picture it is before it was converted to a night fighter.

Richard

Fender
I am interested in this talk, having lived close to Greenham throughout my younger days and seen it go from a busy SAC base to closure.
Just one point, I guess you mean 6 Dec 2009.

Richard

The French flying boat is a C.A.M.S.55.1 of Escadrille 4E1 powered by Hispano-Suisa engines. Based at Karouba, Tunisia in 1930.

Richard

It could be Old Sarum but how many airfields would fit the scene with a row of Belfast Truss hangars, quit a few I suspect.
Incidentally the aircraft seems to have the rockets fitted to the rails, are they complete or should they have a weapon head attached, like when used on Typhoon’s.

Richard