https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westland_Whirlwind_(fighter)
The Westland Whirlwind was a British twin-engined heavy fighter developed by
Westland Aircraft. A contemporary of the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker
Hurricane, it was the Royal Air Force's first single-seat, twin-engined,
cannon-armed fighter.
When it first flew in 1938, the Whirlwind was one of the fastest and most
heavily armed combat aircraft in the world. Protracted development problems with
its Rolls-Royce Peregrine engines delayed the project, and only a relatively
small number of Whirlwinds were built. During the Second World War, only three
RAF squadrons were equipped with the Whirlwind, and, despite its successful use
as a fighter and ground attack aircraft, it was withdrawn from service in 1943.
Westland's design team, under the new leadership of W. E. W. "Teddy" Petter (who
later designed the English Electric Canberra, Lightning and Folland Gnat)
designed an aircraft that employed state-of-the-art technology. The monocoque
fuselage was tubular, with a T-tail at the end, although as originally
conceived, the design featured a twin tail which was discarded when large Fowler
flaps were added that caused large areas of turbulence over the tail unit. The
horizontal stabilizer (tailplane) was moved up out of the way of the disturbed
airflow caused when the flaps were down. Handley Page slats were fitted to the
outer wings, and to the leading edge of the radiator openings; these were
interconnected by duraluminium torque tubes. In June 1941, the slats were wired
shut on the recommendation of the Chief Investigator of the Accident
Investigation Branch, after two Whirlwinds crashed when the outer slats failed
takeoff and landing was largely unaffected with the slats locked shut, while the
flight characteristics improved under the conditions in which the slats normally
deployed.
The Whirlwind was quite small, only slightly larger than the Hurricane in
overall size, but smaller in terms of frontal area. The landing gear was fully
retractable and the entire aircraft was very "clean" with few openings or
protuberances. Radiators were in the leading edge on the inner wings rather than
below the engines. This careful attention to streamlining and two 885 hp
Peregrine engines powered it to over 360 mph (580 km/h), the same speed as the
latest single-engine fighters.
There were problems as well, however. The aircraft had limited range, under 300
miles combat radius, which made it marginal as an escort. The first deliveries
of Peregrine engines did not reach Westland until January 1940.
Role
Heavy fighter
National origin
United Kingdom
Manufacturer
Westland Aircraft Limited
First flight
11 October 1938
Introduction
June 1940
Retired
October 1943
Primary user
Royal Air Force
Produced
Number built
116
Many pilots who flew the Whirlwind praised its performance. Sergeant G. L.
Buckwell of 263 Squadron, who was shot down in a Whirlwind over Cherbourg, later
retrospect the lesson of the Whirlwind is clear... A radical aircraft requires
either prolonged development or widespread service to exploit its concept and
eliminate its weaknesses. Too often in World War II, such aircraft suffered
accelerated development or limited service, with the result that teething
difficulties came to be regarded as permanent limitations." Bruce Robertson, in
The Westland Whirlwind Described, quotes a 263 Squadron pilot as saying, "It was
regarded with absolute confidence and affection."
An aspect of the type often criticised was the high landing speeds imposed by
the wing design. Because of the low production level, based on the number of
Peregrines available, no redesign of the wing was contemplated, although
Westland did test the effectiveness of leading-edge slats to reduce speeds. When
the slats were activated with such force that they were ripped off the wings,
the slats were wired shut
The aircraft was summed up by Francis Mason:
"Bearing in mind the relatively small number of Whirlwinds that reached the RAF,
the type remained in combat service, virtually unmodified, for a remarkably long
responsibilities and the two squadrons were called upon to attack enemy targets
from one end of the Channel to the other, by day and night, moving from airfield
to airfield within southern England.
Specifications (Whirlwind)
General characteristics
Crew: One pilot
Length: 32 ft 3 in (9.83 m)
Wingspan: 45 ft 0 in (13.72 m)
Height: 11 ft 0 in (3.35 m)
Airfoil: NACA 23017-08
Empty weight: 8,310 lb (3,777 kg)
Loaded weight: 10,356 lb (4,707 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 11,445 lb (5,202 kg)
kW) at 10,000 ft (3,050 m) with 100 octane fuel each
Propellers: de Havilland constant speed propeller Propeller diameter: 10 ft
(3.28 m)
Performance
Maximum speed: 360 mph (313 knots, 580 km/h) at 15,000 ft (4,570 m)
Stall speed: 95 mph (83 knots, 153 km/h) (flaps down)
Range: 800 mi (696 nmi, 1,288 km)
Combat radius: 150 mi (130 nmi, 240 km) as low altitude fighter, with normal
reserves
Service ceiling: 30,300 ft (9,240 m)
Armament
Guns: 4x Hispano 20 mm cannon with 60 rounds per gun
Bombs: 2x 250 lb (115 kg) or 500 lb (230 kg) bombs
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