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.

Big thank you to RRB Engineering for the delivery this week of components for the pilot’s rudder link tube.  

Also further progress by Kev in the making of patterns for Sutton Harness release components.

Progress on Pilots’ Harness Release Mechanism, one set of Engineers Fuel Levers dismantled and flight deck assembly so far.

First Pilot’s rudder components assembled on Saturday, eagle eyed will spot the different modification standards of P1 and P2 pedals!

Over the last couple of weeks the first pilot’s rudder pedal adjuster ‘ducks bill’ has been cast and machined with the slider plates fitted.  Also a couple of other components for the rudder controls prepared. 

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.

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.