Short Stirling 1939-48 (all marks): An insight into the design, construction and operation of the RAF's first four-engine heavy bomber of the Second World War (Owners' Workshop Manual) Hardcover – April 1, 2015

Despite being the mainstay of RAF Bomber Command before the Lancaster was available in large numbers, and the crucial role it played during Overlord and Market Garden, every surviving Short Stirling was scrapped after World War II. This unfortunate gap in historic aircraft preservation inevitably renders this "manual" a bit shaky in places, leaving it largely devoid of the "how it works" asides that makes this series so enjoyable. Thankfully, it manages to provide a solid and even-handed overview of the aircraft's development, wartime roles, inner workings, and handling qualities, along with some of it's maintenance quirks.This book is quite nice of a visual level, with many excellent wartime photographs, sharply detail diagrams, and color photographs of preserved artifacts. There's a 10 page photo essay showing a Stirling from construction to delivery that's especially well done. The text does a decent job providing historical and technical insights, with plenty of asides from Stirling crewmen and maintainers. There's a separate chapter devoted to the engines (something I wish more Haynes books did), along with a final chapter discussing some of the restoration projects currently underway.This book isn't perfect, though I have to congratulate Haynes for reintroducing me to some classic British warplanes I'd forgotten over the years. I can't get over how imposing the Stirling looks in many of the photographs here. The aircraft looks so TALL on the ground, I'm surprised the RAF didn't just drive them around Germany and chuck bombs out of the cockpit!

What is a Short Sterling? For anyone but the most ardent bomber enthusiast, you are still wondering. This book, another incredible Haynes publication, gives the story of this predecessor to the Lancaster. In this publication you get detailed line drawings, great pictures and on heck of a good write up. If you enjoy studying aircraft and in particular British aircraft, this book is for you.

Great resource on the RAF's first heavy bomber. Often overshadowed by the more well-know Lancaster that came a bit later.

Very nice book , Very informative period pictures and draings for the modeler .

Very useful book about a much neglected aircraft.

Nice

This has got to be the best book I've seen so far on the more technical aspects of the Stirling. I've read books on the missions and the crews, the bomb runs and the crashes..and they all start to sound the same after a while. Stirling takes off, gets shot up by night fighters, crew bail out. Squadron based here, did this, did that, upgraded to this, ended up with Lancasters etc. This particular book has lots of excellent photographs, inside the factories, inside the aircraft, the designers and Shorts staff etc...more so than some books that are padded with endless tables of figures and statistics. It's a book you won't want to put down if you like aircraft for being the machines they are. Now there are a couple of typo's in there and sometimes when you turn the page you have to 'hunt' for where the paragraph continues, because it is sometimes over the next two pages as the one before is full of pics or diagrams or little vignettes. Jonathan Falconer is one of those experts you sometimes see on BBC4 talking about various aircraft or airlines or the Comet or what have you and is obviously a passionate aircraft lover. Its a nice big book and well paced and has pictures I've not seen elsewhere despite being an avid internet researcher. It's also good value for money on quality paper and has obviously been well researched. I will probably buy another Haynes vintage workshop manual after this, and will have fun choosing what next. (of course it isn't a proper workshop manual, it doesn't tell you how to take anything apart, that's just a tongue-in-cheek reference to its comprehensiveness!).

I already have Jonathan Falconer's excellent book 'Stirling Wings' and knew that this would be up to his usual high standards, and I wasn't disappointed. I learned a few new things about the aircraft, saw lots of pictures I hadn't seen before and lapped up the technical detail. I particularly enjoyed the bit at the back about the Stirling project and the efforts to recreate a complete fuselage from salvaged and restored components. If you love the Stirling or appreciate good writing about historical aircraft, you'll enjoy this book. Excellent stuff!

Very good information and well put together but would have liked to have more details or photographs of the construction and crew stations internalequipment identified i.e the radio operator etc. Nevertheless is great value and helps me to fill in some of the gaps. It is appreciated that there are no complete aircraft of this type in existence, but this book will be a good source of reference.

A very interesting book about a much maligned and historically aeroplane. Some photos are new to me but the text is really very good. I'm glad that I noticed the book in Amazon's pages and can recommend it to anyone interested in WW2 RAF bombers. The book arrived very much within the time stated and was very well packed.

A very good coverage of this RAF heavy bomber by an author who has made the subject his own over the years. The book covers development of the Stirling, its structure and equipment, its service history and experiences of its crews. Overall a good coverage of this important aircradt type.