During World War II, a number of Allied and Axis aircraft were involved in "vulnerability and survivability" tests on Orford Ness, Suffolk (see also www.irgon.org). These included a Short Stirling prototype, photographed there in 1943. Aerial images also confirm the aircraft present on Orford Ness on 30th December 1943. Would this be the first Stirling prototype L7600, written off after its first flight on 14th May 1939? Does anyone have information about the use of this or other aircraft as targets for "vulnerability and survivability" trials on Orford Ness?
Shorts Stirling tests on Orford Ness, Suffolk (1 Viewer)
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Snautzer01
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However, the entire programme suffered a setback when the first prototype suffered severe damage and was written off as a result of a landing accident at Rochester at the end of its first test flight, in which one of the brakes locked, causing the aircraft to slew off the runway and the landing gear to collapse. The resulting damage was so severe that the aircraft was scrapped, and all components salvaged were used to speed up the building of the second prototype, L7605, which first flew on 3 December 1939. The failure was traced to the light alloy undercarriage back arch braces which were replaced on succeeding aircraft by stronger tubular steel units.