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Circa 1943.
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Type: Single Seat Day Fighter (later Fighter-Bomber) Origin: Westland Models: Whirlwind Mk. I and IA First Flight October 11, 1938 Service Delivery: June 1940 Final Delivery: December 1941 Number Produced: 112 Engine: Model: Rolls-Royce Peregrine I Type: 12-Cylinder liquid cooled Vee Number: Two Horsepower: 885 hp Dimensions: Fuselage: Length: Tail Down: 32 ft. 9 in. (9.98m) Tail Up: 32 ft. 3 in. Height: 11 ft. 7 in. (3.52m) Main Plane: Span: 45 ft. (13.72m) Surface Area: 250 Sq. Ft. Center section: Max chord: 6 ft. 10 in. Dihedral: 0° :t 15' Incidence: 0° Outer plane: Max chord: 6 ft. 4 in. Dihedral: 2° . 13' :t 15' Incidence: 0° Thickness chord ratio at root: 17% Thickness chord ratio at tip: 8%. Aileron area: 37 sq. ft. Flaps: : Type: Fowler : Area: 42 sq. ft. : Travel: 46° Tail Plane: Span: 15 ft. 11 in. Chord: 4 ft. 6 in. Incidence: -1° Tailplane area: 37.5 sq. ft. Fin area: 15 sq. ft. Elevator area: 36 sq. ft. Rudder area: 11.6 sq. ft. |
Sub-systems: Hydraulic System: Type: Dowty Max. Operating Pressure: 800 psi Emergency air pressure: 1,200 psi Fuel System: Fuel Type: 100 octane Tanks: Four Capacity: 134 Imperial gallons Weights: Empty: Whirlwind I: 7,840 lb. (3699 kg) Whirlwind IA: 8,310 lb. (3770 kg) Loaded: Whirlwind I: 10,270 lb. (4658 kg) Whirlwind IA: 11,388 lb. (5166 kg) Performance: Maximum Speed: Clean: 360 mph (580 km/h) With Bombs: 270 mph (435 km/h) Initial Climb (Clean): 3,000 ft/min (915 m/min) Service Ceiling (Clean): 30,000 ft. (9144m) Range: N/A (but thought to be roughly 800 miles) Armament: Four 20mm Hispano Cannons in nose. Payload: IA only Underwing racks for up to 1,000 lb. (454 kg) of bombs. Image Gallery: Image 1 - 100th production aircraft (P7110). Image 2 - P6997 in flight. Image 3 - 3-View Illustration. Image 4 - Parked in revetments. Image 5 - Experimental nose with 37mm cannon. |
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Comments: The Whirlwind was developed to fullfill a requirement (F.37/35) for a long range escort fighter. The type was a stable and pleasant aircraft to fly and had a formidable amount of firepower for the time. Unfortunately development was delayed by the unreliable Peregrine engine. Also the type suffered from an unusually high landing speed (80 mph) which meant that the type couldn't operate from short, grass fields. These issues led the type to see only limited production. Eventually two squadrons, nos 263 and 137, were equipped with the type and in August 1941 escorted Blenheims on an attack against Cologne in daylight. After the RAF switched to night bombing the type was relegated to cross-channel straffing and bombing sorties. |
| Sources: Gunston, Bill - The Encyclodepia of the Worlds Combat aircraft, 1976, Chartwell Books, Inc., New York Green, William - War Planes Of The Second World War - Fighters - Vol. 2, 1961, Hanover House, New York |
