Time Period: Interwar Period, World War II
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Type: Fighter Aircraft
Manufacturer: Westland Aircraft
Westland Whirlwind Aircraft Overview
The Westland Whirlwind was a British twin-engined fighter aircraft that was designed and built by the Westland Aircraft Company during World War II. It was developed to provide the Royal Air Force with a heavily-armed, high-performance fighter aircraft that was capable of engaging enemy bombers and fighters.
The Whirlwind had a twin-engine, twin-boom design and was powered by two Rolls-Royce Peregrine engines. It was armed with four 20mm Hispano cannons and could carry bombs and rockets. The aircraft had a top speed of around 360 mph and a range of approximately 500 miles.
The Whirlwind first entered service with the Royal Air Force in 1940 and was used primarily for low-level ground attack and anti-shipping duties. The aircraft saw extensive service in the Mediterranean and North Africa, and was particularly effective against enemy shipping.
Despite its success in combat, the Whirlwind was plagued by engine reliability problems and was gradually replaced by more advanced fighters such as the Hawker Typhoon and Hawker Tempest. A total of 114 Whirlwinds were built between 1938 and 1942.
Although the Whirlwind’s service life was relatively short, it was an important development in the evolution of the twin-engine fighter concept and contributed to the development of later aircraft such as the Westland Welkin and de Havilland Hornet.
Westland Whirlwind I Specifications
- Crew: 1
- 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 sq ft (23 m2)
- Airfoil: root: NACA 23017; tip: NACA 23008
- Empty weight: 8,310 lb (3,769 kg)
- Gross weight: 10,356 lb (4,697 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 11,445 lb (5,191 kg)
- Powerplant: 2 × Rolls-Royce Peregrine I V-12 liquid-cooled piston engines, 885 hp (660 kW) each at 10,000 ft (3,000 m) with 100 octane fuel
- Propellers: 3-bladed de Havilland-Hydromatic, 10 ft (3.0 m) diameter variable-pitch propellers
Westland Whirlwind I Performance
- Maximum speed: 360 mph (580 km/h, 310 kn) at 15,000 ft (4,600 m)
- Stall speed: 95 mph (153 km/h, 83 kn) flaps down
- Range: 800 mi (1,300 km, 700 nmi)
- Combat range: 150 mi (240 km, 130 nmi) as low altitude fighter, with normal reserves
- Service ceiling: 30,300 ft (9,200 m)
- Time to altitude: 15,000 ft (4,600 m) in 5 minutes 54 seconds, 30,000 ft (9,100 m) in 20 minutes 30 seconds
- Wing loading: 45.6 lb/sq ft (223 kg/m2)
Westland Whirlwind I Armament
- Guns: 4 × Hispano 20 mm cannon with 60 rounds per gun.
- Bombs: optionally 2 × 250 lb (115 kg) or 500 lb (230 kg) bombs.
