BAPC Membership
This month the Stirling Aircraft Project visited the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby. This was because the BAPC (British Aviation Preservation Council) was holding a meeting there. The BAPC is an umbrella organisation for the UK Aviation Preservation scene including all the major Museums as well as small organisations.
We gave a presentation on what the Project was doing and hoping to do. This was well received and we were voted in as a member of the BAPC. Our Stirling Flight deck will be given a BAPC number as an unknown airframe which will allow it to be given official status. As well as this, we made some useful contacts from other member organisations who may be able to help us in the future. We also collected the 5 oxygen bottles donated to us.
Pilots’ seat harness adjustment – new buys
The pilots’ seat harness adjustment mechanism took a step further recently with the production of some of the components that make up these items. The picture shows the mounting blocks, spring sleeves and spring retaining blanks.
Recent purchases have included an auto pilot Mk 4 gyro, Flight Engineer’s station fuel cock levers and bomb release relays.
Project Update 30 January 2016
End of January 2016 update.
James Harris continues to produce some stunning CAD pictures of the aircraft construction.
Kev’s work on the coupe is currently looking at the trim and fuel controls that run through the roof of the coupe and has produced a pattern for one of the pulley blocks. Identifying the correct size of pulleys continues as they do not appear to be an AGS item.
Also the P2 rudder pedal assembly came a step closer to completion on Saturday.

Throttle Box / Coupe / P2 Rudder Pedal Progress
New Year has started with more steady progress, all 4 throttle box cam sets now fitted, thanks to Cambridge Precision for their manufacture. Kev’s professional skills came to the fore by assembly of the base for the cockpit coupe jig and the 2nd Pilot’s rudder pedal set came a step closer to assembly.
Presentation of Stirling Model to SAPA UK Ltd
You may recall that we reported that the Project had received a donation of some special aluminium extrusion which had been manufactured by SAPA UK Ltd. In recognition of this, Richy Doel visited their factory and presented a model of the Stirling to Steve Nash from the company who arranged for the manufacture to take place. The photos below show Richy and Steve with the the model and with the extrusion die from which the extrusion was formed. This too has been donated to the Project should we need any more making in the future. Once again, many thanks to SAP UK for their kind donation.
Throttle Box Progress
Steady progress with the Throttle Box build includes addition of Friction Device Star Wheel produced by Laser Prototypes Europe Ltd of Belfast. This is a Alumid resin aluminium composite produced from an original drawing.
Also fitted are the throttle lever cam supports which have been machined from solid by Cambridge Precision Ltd of St Neots Cambridgeshire, these were yet another complex component part of the throttle box which required much thought in their production.