Stirling B Mk III - Revision history

U38088265: /* Flight performance */

2023-07-09T12:46:32Z

‎Flight performance

U44629479: Edits

2022-12-02T10:53:02Z

Edits

U38088265: /* Details */

2022-11-30T15:08:34Z

‎Details

U38088265: /* Defensive armament */ Updated

2022-09-14T15:06:24Z

‎Defensive armament: Updated

U44629479: Edits

2022-01-25T16:51:13Z

Edits

U16087030: /* Pros and cons */

2022-01-25T15:47:44Z

‎Pros and cons

U38088265: Edits

2021-05-11T15:53:32Z

Edits

U13682523: /* Details */ Corrected flap rip speed

2021-02-18T16:32:56Z

‎Details: Corrected flap rip speed

U3312106: /* External links */

2021-01-24T09:48:11Z

‎External links

U38088265: Updated format

2020-12-30T21:05:55Z

Updated format

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
 ! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
-! colspan="2" | Max Speed<br>(km/h at 4,537 m)
+! colspan="2" | Max speed<br>(km/h at 4,537 m)
 ! rowspan="2" | Max altitude<br>(metres)
 ! colspan="2" | Turn time<br>(seconds)
@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 |-
 ! Stock
-| 391 || 376 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 48.7 || 50.6 || 1.8 || 1.7 || rowspan="2" | 1,060
+| 392 || 375 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 48.6 || 50.6 || 5.8 || 5.7 || rowspan="2" | 1,060
 |-
 ! Upgraded
-| 432 || 410 || 45.4 || 47.0 || 6.7 || 4.0
+| 435 || 410 || 45.4 || 47.0 || 10.7 || 8.0
 |-
 |}
@@ Line 104: / Line 104: @@
 * 9 x 1,000 lb M.C. Mk.I bombs (9,000 lb total)
 The stock payload of twenty-seven 250lbs, while large, is poor for base bombing. The loadout of twenty-seven 500 lb bombs is excellent for hitting multiple bases that could be damaged, and allows the Stirling to attack a colossal number of ground units in a single flight. The maximum payload of nine 1,000 lb bombs is a loadout that can kill 3 bases in a single flight at rank III. A group of Stirlings can decimate an enemy team's ticket count.
 === Defensive armament ===

@@ Line 183: / Line 183: @@
 A prototype, designated S31, was delivered by 1938 and on September 19, 1939 had its maiden flight. While the maiden flight was impressive, an accident during takeoff as the result of imposed modifications marked the end of the airframe, and was subsequently scrapped. An earlier built prototype, the S29, took its place and was therefor ordered into production as an "off the drawing board" design. This prototype had its maiden flight on May 14, 1939, and a second later prototype airframe was redesigned with adequate modifications and soon took its maiden flight on December 3, 1939. This aircraft, during its first sortie, lost an engine but was soon able to return to base safely.
-With the Luftwaffe's strength as well as the risk of war growing, it prompted the initial order of 200 aircraft to skyrocket to 1,500. The first few of these, the Mk.Is, were powered by four Bristol Hercules XI radial engines, but later production aircraft were fitted with higher 1,500 HP variants of the same motors, giving it a comfortable speed of 255 mph. Later Mk.III variants were fitted with even greater output engines, pushing out 1,635 HP with its Hercules VI engines which featured improvements over last variations, and gave the aircraft a top speed of 277 mph. Capable of a bomb-load of 14,000 lbs, it was the double that any of which was produced by the British manufacturer, and also featured a seven man crew with a 4000-mile range which, was equally impressive with a 2300-mile range with 10,000 lbs of ordnance.
+With the Luftwaffe's strength as well as the risk of war growing, it prompted the initial order of 200 aircraft to skyrocket to 1,500. The first few of these, the Mk.Is, were powered by four Bristol Hercules XI radial engines, but later production aircraft were fitted with higher 1,500 HP variants of the same motors, giving it a comfortable speed of 255 mph. Later Mk.III variants were fitted with even greater output engines, pushing out 1,635 HP with its Hercules VI engines which featured improvements over last variations, and gave the aircraft a top speed of 277 mph. Capable of a bomb-load of 14,000 lbs, it was the double that any of which was produced by the British manufacturer, and also featured a seven man crew with a 4,000-mile range which, was equally impressive with a 2,300-mile range with 10,000 lbs of ordnance.
 On May 7, 1940, the first production Stirling had its first flight, but introduction into service was hindered by relentless Luftwaffe bombings, and pushed back to August that same year before No.7 Squadron based at RAF Leeming received their first aircraft. Although it had a rocky start, the Stirling had a great number of deployments by June of 1942, which by May 1943 the aircraft had flown hundreds of bombing missions over Europe. Including the invasion of Normandy, Operation Market Garden, and Operation Glimmer, the aircraft was used extensively and heavily throughout the war to hammer back Axis powers. By the end of the Stirling's service, the aircraft had flown a total of 14,500 sorties and dropped 27,000 lbs of ordnance, with 582 aircraft shot down and 119 further lost to simple write-offs.
 == Media ==
-''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''
+<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
 == See also ==

@@ Line 61: / Line 61: @@
 ! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
 |-
-| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 338 || 323 || 245 || ~4 || ~2
+| 498 <!-- {{Specs|destruction|body}} --> || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 338 || 323 || 245 || ~4 || ~2
 |-
 |}

@@ Line 96: / Line 96: @@
 {{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}
 <!-- ''Describe the aircraft's suspended armament: additional cannons under the wings, bombs, rockets and torpedoes. This section is especially important for bombers and attackers. If there is no suspended weaponry remove this subsection.'' -->
-{{main|G.P. Mk.IV (250 lb)|G.P. Mk.IV (500 lb)|M.C. 1,000 lb Mk.I (1,000 lb)}}
+{{main|G.P. Mk.IV (250 lb)|G.P. Mk.IV (500 lb)|M.C. Mk.I (1,000 lb)}}
 The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:
@@ Line 102: / Line 102: @@
 * 27 x 250 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (6,750 lb total)
 * 27 x 500 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (13,500 lb total)
-* 9 x 1,000 lb M.C. 1,000 lb Mk.I bombs (9,000 lb total)
+* 9 x 1,000 lb M.C. Mk.I bombs (9,000 lb total)
 The stock payload of twenty-seven 250lbs, while large, is poor for base bombing. The loadout of twenty-seven 500 lb bombs is excellent for hitting multiple bases that could be damaged, and allows the Stirling to attack a colossal number of ground units in a single flight. The maximum payload of nine 1,000 lb bombs is a loadout that can kill 3 bases in a single flight at rank III. A group of Stirlings can decimate an enemy team's ticket count.
@@ Line 115: / Line 115: @@
 * 2 x 7.7 mm Browning machine guns, nose turret (1,000 rpg = 2,000 total)
 * 2 x 7.7 mm Browning machine guns, dorsal turret (500 rpg = 1,000 total)
-* 4 x 7.7 mm Browning machine guns, tail turret (1,000 rpg = 4,000 total)
+* 4 x 7.7 mm Browning machine guns, tail turret (2,500 rpg = 10,000 total)
 The Stirling has a pitiful defensive armament. The 7.7 mm MGs struggle to damage any aircraft at rank III, with well-armoured fighters and interceptors being nearly impossible to take down quickly. The firing arcs on the guns are good, but the lack of a ventral or belly turret means any attack from below is impossible to defend against.

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 {{Specs-Avia-Flight}}
 <!-- ''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.'' -->
-The general flight performance of this aircraft is poor, similar to the Stirling B Mk I, although slightly improved. The Stirling has a very poor climb rate - especially when stock. The turn time is sluggish, as well as acceleration and top speed.
+The general flight performance of this aircraft is poor, similar to the Stirling B Mk I, although slightly improved. The Stirling has a very poor climb rate, especially when stock. The turn time is sluggish, as well as acceleration and top speed. Without performance upgrades, this aircraft will struggle to climb at all while carrying a payload. And when it has its maximum payload, the Stirling will struggle massively with gaining altitude. Side-climbing is an absolute necessity in order to reach a safe altitude.
-Without performance upgrades, this aircraft will struggle to climb at all while carrying a payload.
+Being a large bomber, the Stirling has a very slow roll rate and a huge turn radius, making manoeuvres long and sluggish. It also can be difficult to control, especially in SB.
 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
@@ Line 82: / Line 82: @@
 * 9 mm Steel plate in front of engine cooling systems.
-The survivability of the Stirling B Mk III is very poor. Any encounter with a fighter or bomber hunter will end badly. The entire structure is relatively weak, and it wont take many cannon rounds to tear off the tail or a wing. The fuel tanks are vulnerable and catch fire easily too. For armour, there is a 9 mm plate in front of the cooling systems of each engine, and an 8 mm plate protecting the pilot from rounds coming from the rear of the aircraft.
+The survivability of the Stirling B Mk III is very poor. Any encounter with a fighter or bomber hunter will end badly. The entire structure is relatively weak, and it won't take many cannon rounds to tear off the tail or a wing. The fuel tanks are vulnerable and catch fire easily too. For armour, there is a 9 mm plate in front of the cooling systems of each engine, and a 8 mm plate protecting the pilot from rounds coming from the rear of the aircraft, protecting only from rifle-calibre  machine guns.
 Due to the engines being radial, you do not have to worry so much about cooling as there is no liquid cooling system. Oil leaks and high temperature are still a concern though.
@@ Line 103: / Line 103: @@
 * 27 x 500 lb G.P. Mk.IV bombs (13,500 lb total)
 * 9 x 1,000 lb M.C. 1,000 lb Mk.I bombs (9,000 lb total)
 === Defensive armament ===
@@ Line 114: / Line 116: @@
 * 2 x 7.7 mm Browning machine guns, dorsal turret (500 rpg = 1,000 total)
 * 4 x 7.7 mm Browning machine guns, tail turret (1,000 rpg = 4,000 total)
 == Usage in battles ==
@@ Line 120: / Line 124: @@
 ;Offence
-The Stirling B Mk III is very large and very heavy. However, it has the ability to carry the heaviest bombload for its rank with the 9 x 1,000 lb preset, allowing it to take out all three bases in a single flyout.
+The Stirling B Mk III is very large and very heavy. However, it has the ability to carry the heaviest bombload for its rank with the 9 x 1,000 lb preset, allowing it to take out all three bases in a single fly-out.
 ;Defence
@@ Line 164: / Line 168: @@
 '''Pros:'''
-* Great payload
+* Large and modular bomb payload
 '''Cons:'''
-* Poor durability and combat strength
+* Large target
-** The Stirling has effectively no armour penetration and is practically made of fuel tanks, making it weak to everything but small machine guns, and also means it's extremely flammable
+* Poor survivability
 * Poor flight characteristics
-** The Stirling is a slow bomber, even for rank III. The Halifax prior to it outruns it, as do heavy bombers at a similar BR in the American, German, and Japanese bomber lines. This means it's easy prey for interceptors at the same altitude, and it can't ever hope of outrunning a pursuer
+* Mediocre defensive armament
 == History ==
@@ Line 196: / Line 192: @@
 == See also ==
 ''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
 * ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
 * ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
@@ Line 203: / Line 198: @@
 <!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 * ''topic on the official game forum;''
 * ''other literature.'' -->
@@ Line 209: / Line 203: @@
 === References ===
 * [https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/the-short-stirling.html Underappreciated but Not Forgotten - The Short Stirling Bomber]
 {{AirManufacturer Short}}
 {{Britain bombers}}

@@ Line 72: / Line 72: @@
 |-
 | < 350 || < 350 || < 350 || > 308
 |-
 |}
@@ Line 204: / Line 182: @@
 A prototype, designated S31, was delivered by 1938 and on September 19, 1939 had its maiden flight. While the maiden flight was impressive, an accident during takeoff as the result of imposed modifications marked the end of the airframe, and was subsequently scrapped. An earlier built prototype, the S29, took its place and was therefor ordered into production as an "off the drawing board" design. This prototype had its maiden flight on May 14, 1939, and a second later prototype airframe was redesigned with adequate modifications and soon took its maiden flight on December 3, 1939. This aircraft, during its first sortie, lost an engine but was soon able to return to base safely.
-With the Luftwaffe's strength as well as the risk of war growing, it prompted the initial order of 200 aircraft to skyrocket to 1,500. The first few of these, the Mk.Is, were powered by four Bristol Hercules XI radial engines, but later production aircraft were fitted with higher 1,500 HP variants of the same motors, giving it a comfortable speed of 255 mph. Later Mk.III variants were fitted with even greater output engines, pushing out 1,635 HP with its Hercules VI engines which featured improvements over last variations, and gave the aircraft a top speed of 277 mph. Capable of a bomb-load of 14,000 lbs, it was the double that any of which was produced by the British manufacturer, and also featured a seven man crew with a 4000-mile range which, was equally impressive with a 2300-mile range with 10,000 lbs of ordinance.
+With the Luftwaffe's strength as well as the risk of war growing, it prompted the initial order of 200 aircraft to skyrocket to 1,500. The first few of these, the Mk.Is, were powered by four Bristol Hercules XI radial engines, but later production aircraft were fitted with higher 1,500 HP variants of the same motors, giving it a comfortable speed of 255 mph. Later Mk.III variants were fitted with even greater output engines, pushing out 1,635 HP with its Hercules VI engines which featured improvements over last variations, and gave the aircraft a top speed of 277 mph. Capable of a bomb-load of 14,000 lbs, it was the double that any of which was produced by the British manufacturer, and also featured a seven man crew with a 4000-mile range which, was equally impressive with a 2300-mile range with 10,000 lbs of ordnance.
-On May 7, 1940, the first production Stirling had its first flight, but introduction into service was hindered by relentless Luftwaffe bombings, and pushed back to August that same year before No.7 Squadron based at RAF Leeming received their first aircraft. Although it had a rocky start, the Stirling had a great number of deployments by June of 1942, which by May 1943 the aircraft had flown hundreds of bombing missions over Europe. Including the invasion of Normandy, Operation Market Garden, and Operation Glimmer, the aircraft was used extensively and heavily throughout the war to hammer back Axis powers. By the end of the Stirling's service, the aircraft had flown a total of 14,500 sorties and dropped 27,000 lbs of ordinance, with 582 aircraft shot down and 119 further lost to simple write-offs.
+On May 7, 1940, the first production Stirling had its first flight, but introduction into service was hindered by relentless Luftwaffe bombings, and pushed back to August that same year before No.7 Squadron based at RAF Leeming received their first aircraft. Although it had a rocky start, the Stirling had a great number of deployments by June of 1942, which by May 1943 the aircraft had flown hundreds of bombing missions over Europe. Including the invasion of Normandy, Operation Market Garden, and Operation Glimmer, the aircraft was used extensively and heavily throughout the war to hammer back Axis powers. By the end of the Stirling's service, the aircraft had flown a total of 14,500 sorties and dropped 27,000 lbs of ordnance, with 582 aircraft shot down and 119 further lost to simple write-offs.
 == Media ==
@@ Line 218: / Line 196: @@
 == External links ==
 <!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 * ''topic on the official game forum;''
 * ''encyclopedia page on the aircraft;''

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{About
 | about = British bomber '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
 | usage = the other version
 | link = Stirling B Mk I
 }}
 == Description ==
 <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of and the creation and combat usage of the aircraft, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the aircraft in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
 The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British bomber {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]].
@@ Line 180: / Line 178: @@
 |-
 | Not controllable || Controllable<br>Not auto controlled || Not controllable<br>Not auto controlled || Controllable<br>Auto control available || Separate || Controllable<br>2 gears || Not controllable
 |-
 |}