Westland Whirlwind

As World War II became more and more probable, the RAF lacked a powerful armed aircraft that could undertake escort functions and long-range night attack operations similar to the German Messerschmitt Bf 110. Specifications for a "gunner" were developed in 1937 and Westland proposed the Whirlind, a strongly armed aircraft, which would remain the only Westland fighter ever deployed within RAF operational units.



The Westland Whirlwind was powered by two Rolls-Royce Peregrine twelve-cylinder, liquid-cooled V-engines with 885 hp each, allowing it to reach a speed of 579 km / h at an altitude of 4,500 m. His weaponry consisted of 4 guns of 20 mm mounted in the nose and a load of bombs of 453 kg. Its innovation was a metallic structure covered with a foliage of magnesium.




The Westland Whirlwind was the first twin-engine single-engined aircraft operated by the RAF in 1940. The poor performances of its thrusters limited its use to the escort and then as a fighter-bomber. Built in only 114 specimens, it was removed from the first lines in November 1943. They were relegated to various tasks (convoy) as soon as the Bomber Command adopted the technique of night bombing with high-performance devices such as the Beaufighter.

The construction was not pursued for two other reasons: the Rolls Royce Peregrine engines, with a modest power of 850 hp each, had proved capricious, and the Whirlwind, due to its high landing speed (About 130 km / h), could only be used on concrete runways and not on standard, grassy British aerodromes.


Specifications :  

Crew 1
Length 9.83 m
Wingspan 13.72 m
Wing area 23,23 m²
Drive two V-12 Rolls-Royce Peregrine I with 885 HP each
Max speed 576 km / h in 4570 m altitude
Range ~ 1300 km
Service height 9240 m
Leermasse 3768 kg
Flight mass 5175 kg

Armament four 20 mm cannon, 453 kg bombs

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