If neccessary, one endeavoured to remedy on-board failure or damage to electrical, hydraulic, oxygen and intercom systems, but was principally responsible for monitoring the flow of fuel to the engines.

The Short Stirling had 14 fuel tanks - 7 in each wing – with a maximum load of 2,694 Imperial gallons of 100 Octane petrol requiring a close watch of each tanks fuel contents gauges – a most unreliable set of instruments – eventually superceded by the introduction of a ‘Fuel Consumed’ graph to manually log consumption.

Other items would consist of carburetor air-intake, supercharger and fuel jettisoning controls, cockpit heating and an electrical distribution panel for all other decisive components throughout the aircraft, the oxygen distribution system and the initial starting of engines using the KiGas priming pumps, also, in the event of failure, lowering the undercarriage – many wearisome turns with a handle – and, only upon rare occasions, discharging the Very Pistol with the ‘Colours of the Day’.

Further tasks were to assist the pilot – sometimes necessary with some of the less experienced one’s – with throttle settings, propellor variable pitch lever positions and, furthermore, a continual monitoring of engine and oil pressure gauges to watch for overheating, hopefully remedied by engine cowling gill positions. Occasionally, it was necessary to take over the flying controls from the pilot when it was essential for him to visit the Elsan closet at the rear of the aircraft, some Flight Engineers eventually became quite capable pilots.

Finally, upon descending and to ensure a safe landing, it was essential to never exceed the weight of 1,300 gallons of fuel in the tanks – jettisoning if necessary.

2,694 gallons of petrol weigh approx 12 tons, and the maximum bomb load – 12,000 lbs – approx 8 tons

Coring

The Bristol ‘Hercules’ air cooled radial engines of the Short Stirling had the advantage of being less likely to be put out of action by battle damage as was possible with liquid-cooled engines on other aircraft.  They did, however, occasionally suffer from what was referred to as ‘Coring’, a condition when engine oil became congealed as it passed through its radiator resulting in the frozen oil not circulating properly throughout the engine with subsequent over-heating occurring.

Remedial action was to promptly lower the undercarriage and flaps to reduce air-speed passing through the radiator and followed by an increase in the engines rpm.

The possibilitiy of an incorrectly adjusted radiator shutter was sometimes the cause of the problem which could only be reached and re-adjusted by the ground-crew – thus a careful watch of oil temperature gauges was essential.