299 Squadron Stirling Build - Arnhem

The Modelling section is dedicated to members who wish to show their WW2 related aircraft & squadron field kits.
Tips & Advice is available, along with photos of models under construction and completed projects.
User avatar
PAFG
Group Captain
Group Captain
Posts: 803
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2010 2:34 pm
Location: Wiltshire, UK

Re: 299 Squadron Stirling Build - Arnhem

Post by PAFG »

Great work Guy, looks like the extra investment in the engines will be well worth it in the end!

Richard
User avatar
K4KittyCrew
Air Chief Marshal (RAAF)
Air Chief Marshal (RAAF)
Posts: 3635
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:55 am
Location: Gold Coast, Queensland - Australia

Re: 299 Squadron Stirling Build - Arnhem

Post by K4KittyCrew »

Hi Guy,
Just checking in to see how your going. Any new developments?
John
K for Kitty Crew - Winthorpe, 1661 HCU's - stirlingaircraftsoc.raf38group.org/
630 Squadron - East Kirkby
" There is nothing glorious about war with the exception of those who served us so valiantly"
User avatar
GuyMassey
Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Posts: 249
Joined: Fri May 06, 2011 12:59 pm

Re: 299 Squadron Stirling Build - Arnhem

Post by GuyMassey »

Hi John, been on hold for a few weeks, my Dad's very ill and my time has not been my own. Hope to resume shortly.
"The purpose of life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave with a well-preserved body, but rather to Slide in Sideways, completely used up, yelling and screaming, what a ride!" anon.
User avatar
K4KittyCrew
Air Chief Marshal (RAAF)
Air Chief Marshal (RAAF)
Posts: 3635
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:55 am
Location: Gold Coast, Queensland - Australia

Re: 299 Squadron Stirling Build - Arnhem

Post by K4KittyCrew »

No worries Guy. On behalf of the forum members, please pass on our best wishes to your father .......... we are thinking of him.
Regards,
John
K for Kitty Crew - Winthorpe, 1661 HCU's - stirlingaircraftsoc.raf38group.org/
630 Squadron - East Kirkby
" There is nothing glorious about war with the exception of those who served us so valiantly"
User avatar
GuyMassey
Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Posts: 249
Joined: Fri May 06, 2011 12:59 pm

Re: 299 Squadron Stirling Build - Arnhem

Post by GuyMassey »

Thanks John, he seems a little brighter today. I've been helping him write an article for the "Stirling Times", the Stirling Aircraft Society magazine. Assuming you are a member you should see it soon.
Regards to you and yours.
Guy
"The purpose of life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave with a well-preserved body, but rather to Slide in Sideways, completely used up, yelling and screaming, what a ride!" anon.
User avatar
GuyMassey
Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Posts: 249
Joined: Fri May 06, 2011 12:59 pm

Re: 299 Squadron Stirling Build - Arnhem

Post by GuyMassey »

Oh Boy, so much has happened in the last few years! Anyone who has followed my post will recall that my father was taken ill in 2012. Sadly his decline continued and he passed away on 15th December 2013. Unfortunately my wife also became ill in January of 2013 and she also passed away in December 2013. So a pretty awful year. That was five years ago, and since then I have been trying to rebuild my life. All projects were put to one side to gather dust.

Last year I was fortunate enough to re-marry a lovely lady who had suffered similar losses at around the same time, and now we both feel that we can once again embrace life.

So where does that leave my build? To be honest it's still in its box, under nearly five years accumulated detritus! The good news is, that I hope to be hitting it again soon, and with encouragement, finally get it back on track. Frustratingly AUSTIN and others managed to build all 2,381 full size Stirlings faster than I have managed this one model. Perhaps I may still beat The Stirling Project team to completion!!!

I am still looking for reference material specifically of 299 squadron aircraft, especially those involved in Arnhem, obviously it would be even better were it one of Dad's aircraft (X9W and Z). There are lots of "similar" pictures, and I do have just about every book ever published so I am really having to think outside the box to locate these. Father's pilot was Sdn Ldr P. Dale who I think passed away in the 70's, maybe a descendent may have something..... Hmmm
"The purpose of life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave with a well-preserved body, but rather to Slide in Sideways, completely used up, yelling and screaming, what a ride!" anon.
User avatar
ed441
Leading Aircraftman
Leading Aircraftman
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Sep 01, 2019 11:42 am
Location: Somerset, UK

Re: 299 Squadron Stirling Build - Arnhem

Post by ed441 »

Hi Guy,
I hope this finds you well: I am new to the forum having found your posts while doing similar research on a particular Stirling used at Arnhem for a kit I am building. Mine is for LK148 (5G-R) of 299 Sqn captained by F/O G Liggins (RAAF) on 17th Sept 1944 - the Horsa it was towing broke up mid-air over the UK 37 min after take off and crashed at the village where I grew up (Paulton, Somerset) - all 23 on board killed - the first casualties of the Market operation.
Anyway for the 75th anniversary commemoration a local musuem has an exhibition about the crash & Market Garden in general, and for them I have built a replica Horsa & am now on the Stirling (Italeri kit of the Mk IV, so a lot more straightforward than your build!) - and am running in to the same issues are you regarding colours & lack of good refernce images - did you ever find any?
I have read that the wing stripes were only really used for D-Day, and wore off or were painted over on most planes through the summer/autumn of 1944, and only the fuselage ones were being kept, so I'm going with that (faed wing stripes + clear fuselage) unless I find any better information!
I'd like to see some images of your model - the ones on the forum won't load; I can ost some of mine if anyone is interested.
Also I'd be interested if the Stirlings had their call letter (e.g. "R" for mine as its 5G-R) painted on the nose? I see it on some photos & its nice to see the letter as it is obscured by the stripes on the fuselage for the other 1944 299 Sqn images I can find.
Regards,
Ed
User avatar
GuyMassey
Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Posts: 249
Joined: Fri May 06, 2011 12:59 pm

Re: 299 Squadron Stirling Build - Arnhem

Post by GuyMassey »

So Sorry not to have got back to you at the time you posted. Life has been somewhat hectic having re-married! Would you believe that my Stirling is still in its box?

I have also now become the editor of the Stirling Times, the magazine that goes out to paid up members of the Stirling Aircraft Society, for my sins!

From what I can gather, aircraft used during the Normandy landings had stripes on upper and lower wing surfaces and right round the rear fuselage. For the most part those used for subsequent operations i.e. Arnhem lost the upper surface stripes and the rear fuselage stripes were only on the bottom.

I hope this helps! Have you posted any pictures of your build?

Regards

Guy
"The purpose of life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave with a well-preserved body, but rather to Slide in Sideways, completely used up, yelling and screaming, what a ride!" anon.
User avatar
GuyMassey
Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Posts: 249
Joined: Fri May 06, 2011 12:59 pm

Re: 299 Squadron Stirling Build - Arnhem

Post by GuyMassey »

Well, amazingly after nine years during which life for me changed beyond recognition, I'm cracking on with the build! This weeks challenge has been a new nose glass!
Attachments
V (21).jpg
V (21).jpg (52.23 KiB) Viewed 213089 times
V (20).jpg
V (20).jpg (67.41 KiB) Viewed 213089 times
V (1).jpg
V (1).jpg (45.08 KiB) Viewed 213089 times
"The purpose of life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave with a well-preserved body, but rather to Slide in Sideways, completely used up, yelling and screaming, what a ride!" anon.
User avatar
GuyMassey
Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Posts: 249
Joined: Fri May 06, 2011 12:59 pm

Re: 299 Squadron Stirling Build - Arnhem

Post by GuyMassey »

Vacuum box build
Attachments
V (19).jpg
V (19).jpg (73.35 KiB) Viewed 213089 times
V (18).jpg
V (18).jpg (61.34 KiB) Viewed 213089 times
V (17).jpg
V (17).jpg (70.97 KiB) Viewed 213089 times
"The purpose of life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave with a well-preserved body, but rather to Slide in Sideways, completely used up, yelling and screaming, what a ride!" anon.
Post Reply