Westland Whirlwind (fighter)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westla...lwind_(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 first single-seat, twin-engined, cannon-armed fighter of
the Royal Air Force.

When it first flew in 1938, the Whirlwind was one of the fastest combat aircraft
in the world, and with four Hispano-Suiza HS.404 20mm autocannon in its nose,
the most heavily armed. Protracted development problems with its Rolls-Royce
Peregrine engines delayed the project and few Whirlwinds were built. During the
Second World War, only three RAF squadrons were equipped with the Whirlwind but
despite its success as a fighter and ground attack aircraft, it was withdrawn
from service in 1943.

The Whirlwind was quite small, only slightly larger than the Hurricane 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.
The aircraft had short range, under 300 mi (480 km) combat radius, which made it
marginal as an escort. The first deliveries of Peregrine engines did not reach
Westland until January 1940.

By late 1940, the Supermarine Spitfire was scheduled to mount 20 mm cannon so
the "cannon-armed" requirement was being met and by this time, the role of
escort fighters was becoming less important as RAF Bomber Command turned to
night flying. The main qualities the RAF were looking for in a twin-engine
fighter were range and carrying capacity (to allow the large radar apparatus of
the time to be carried), in which requirements the Bristol Beaufighter could
perform just as well as or even better than the Whirlwind.

Production orders were contingent on the success of the test programme; delays
caused by over 250 modifications to the two prototypes led to an initial
production order for 200 aircraft being held up until January 1939, followed by
a second order for a similar number, deliveries to fighter squadrons being
scheduled to begin in September 1940. Earlier, due to the lower expected
production at Westland, there had been suggestions that production should be by
other firms and an early 1939 plan to build 600 of them at the Castle Bromwich
factory was dropped in favour of Spitfire production.

Despite the Whirlwind's promise, production ended in January 1942, after the
completion of just two prototypes and 112 production aircraft. Rolls-Royce
needed to concentrate on the development and production of the Merlin, and the
troubled Vulture, rather than the Peregrine. Westland was aware that its design
– which had been built around the Peregrine – was incapable of using anything
larger without an extensive redesign. After the cancellation of the Whirlwind,
Petter campaigned for the development of a Whirlwind Mk II, which was to have
been powered by an improved 1,010 hp Peregrine, with a better, higher-altitude
supercharger, also using 100 octane fuel, with an increased boost rating.This
proposal was aborted when Rolls-Royce cancelled work on the Peregrine. Building
a Whirlwind consumed three times as much alloy as a Spitfire.

Role
Heavy fighter

National origin
United Kingdom

Manufacturer
Westland Aircraft Limited

First flight
11 October 1938

Introduction
June 1940

Retired
December 1943

Primary user
Royal Air Force

Produced
1940 – January 1942

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
commented that the Whirlwind was "great to fly – we were a privileged few... In
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". However, test pilot Eric Brown
described the aircraft as "under-powered" and "a great disappointment".

An aspect of the type often criticised was the high landing speed 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.

As the performance of the Peregrine engines fell off at altitude, the Whirlwind
was most often used in ground-attack missions over France, attacking German
airfields, marshalling yards, and railway traffic. The Whirlwind was used to
particularly good effect as a gun platform for destroying locomotives. Some
pilots were credited with several trains damaged or destroyed in a single
mission. The aircraft was also successful in hunting and destroying German
E-boats which operated in the English Channel. At lower altitudes, it could hold
its own against the Bf 109. Though the Peregrine was a much-maligned powerplant,
it was more reliable than the troublesome Napier Sabre engine used in the Hawker
Typhoon, the Whirlwind's successor. The twin engines meant that seriously
damaged aircraft were able to return with one engine knocked out. The placement
of the wings and engines ahead of the cockpit allowed the aircraft to absorb a
great deal of damage, while the cockpit area remained largely intact. The rugged
frame of the Whirlwind gave pilots greater protection than contemporary aircraft
during crash landings and ground accidents.

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
time…The Whirlwind, once mastered, certainly shouldered extensive
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.

—F. K. Mason

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)
Wing area: 250 ft² (23.2 m²)
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)
Powerplant: 2 × Rolls-Royce Peregrine I liquid-cooled V12 engine, 885 hp (660
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: 4 × Hispano 20 mm cannon with 60 rounds per gun
Bombs: 2 × 250 lb (115 kg) or 500 lb (230 kg) bombs




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