Westland Whirlwind (fighter)
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The Westland Whirlwind was a British twin-engined fighter developed by
Westland Aircraft Westland Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturer located in Yeovil, Somerset. Formed as a separate company by separation from Petters Limited just before the start of the Second World War, Westland had been building aircraft since 1915. D ...
. A contemporary of the
Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Grif ...
and
Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...
, it was the first single-seat, twin-engined, cannon-armed fighter of the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
. When it first flew in 1938, the Whirlwind was one of the fastest combat aircraft in the world and with four 20 mm
Hispano-Suiza HS.404 The HS.404 is an autocannon originally designed and produced by Spanish/French company Hispano-Suiza in the mid-1930s. It was widely used as an aircraft, naval and land-based weapon by French, British, American and other military services, par ...
autocannon An autocannon, automatic cannon or machine cannon is a fully automatic gun that is capable of rapid-firing large-caliber ( or more) armour-piercing, explosive or incendiary shells, as opposed to the smaller-caliber kinetic projectiles (bull ...
in its nose, the most heavily armed.Moyes 1967, pp. 278–279. Protracted development problems with its
Rolls-Royce Peregrine The Rolls-Royce Peregrine was a , liquid-cooled V-12 aero engine designed and built by the British manufacturer Rolls-Royce in the late 1930s. It was essentially the ultimate development of the company's Kestrel engine, which had seen wides ...
engines delayed the project and only 114 Whirlwinds were built. During the Second World War, only three RAF squadrons were equipped with the aircraft and, despite its success as a fighter and
ground attack In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement ...
aircraft, it was withdrawn from service in 1943.


Design and development

By the mid-1930s, aircraft designers around the world perceived that increased attack speeds were imposing shorter firing times on fighter pilots. This implied less ammunition hitting the target and ensuring destruction. Instead of two rifle-calibre machine guns, six or eight were required; studies had shown that eight machine guns could deliver 256 rounds per second. The eight machine guns installed in the Hurricane fired rifle-calibre rounds, which did not deliver enough damage to quickly knock out an opponent, and were dispersed at ranges other than that at which they were harmonised. Cannon, such as the French 20 mm
Hispano-Suiza HS.404 The HS.404 is an autocannon originally designed and produced by Spanish/French company Hispano-Suiza in the mid-1930s. It was widely used as an aircraft, naval and land-based weapon by French, British, American and other military services, par ...
, which could fire explosive ammunition, offered more firepower and attention turned to aircraft designs which could carry four cannon. While the most agile fighter aircraft were generally small and light, their meagre fuel capacity limited their range and tended to restrict them to defensive and interception roles. The larger airframes and bigger fuel loads of twin-engined designs were favoured for long-range, offensive roles. The first British specification for a high-performance machine-gun monoplane was
Air Ministry specification This is a partial list of the British Air Ministry (AM) specifications for aircraft. A specification stemmed from an Operational Requirement, abbreviated "OR", describing what the aircraft would be used for. This in turn led to the specification ...
F.5/34 for a radial-engined fighter for use in the tropics which led to four aircraft designs but the aircraft produced were overtaken by the development of the new Hawker and Supermarine fighters. The RAF Air Staff thought that an experimental aircraft armed with the 20 mm cannon was needed urgently and specification F.37/35 was issued to British aircraft companies in 1935. The specification called for a single-seat day and night fighter armed with four cannon. The top speed had to be at least greater than that of contemporary bombers – at least at . Eight aircraft designs from five companies were submitted in response to the specification.
Boulton Paul Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd was a British aircraft manufacturer that was incorporated in 1934, although its origins in aircraft manufacturing began earlier in 1914, and lasted until 1961. The company mainly built and modified aircraft under co ...
offered the P.88A and P.88B (two related single engine designs differing in engine:
Bristol Hercules The Bristol Hercules is a 14-cylinder two-row radial aircraft engine designed by Sir Roy Fedden and produced by the Bristol Engine Company starting in 1939. It was the most numerous of their single sleeve valve ( Burt-McCollum, or Argyll, typ ...
radial or
Rolls-Royce Vulture The Rolls-Royce Vulture was a British aero engine developed shortly before World War II that was designed and built by Rolls-Royce Limited. The Vulture used the unusual " X-24" configuration, whereby four cylinder blocks derived from the ...
in-line respectively), Bristol the single-engined Type 153 with cannon in wings and the twin-engined Type 153A with cannon in nose. Hawker offered a variant of the Hurricane, the
Supermarine Supermarine was a British aircraft manufacturer that is most famous for producing the Supermarine Spitfire, Spitfire fighter plane during World War II as well as a range of seaplanes and flying boats, and a series of Jet engine, jet-powered figh ...
Type 312 was a variant of Spitfire and the Supermarine Type 313 a twin-engined (
Rolls-Royce Goshawk The Rolls-Royce Goshawk was a development of the Rolls-Royce Kestrel that used evaporative or steam cooling. In line with Rolls-Royce convention of naming piston engines after birds of prey, it was named after the goshawk. The engine first ...
or
Hispano 12Y The Hispano-Suiza 12Y was an aircraft engine produced by Hispano-Suiza for the French Air Force before the Second World War. The 12Y became the primary French 1,000 hp (750 kW) class engine and was used in a number of famous aircraft, i ...
) design with four guns in the nose and potentially a further two firing through the propeller hubs if the 12T was used, the Westland P.9 had two
Rolls-Royce Kestrel The Kestrel or type F is a 21 litre (1,300 in³) 700 horsepower (520 kW) class V-12 aircraft engine from Rolls-Royce, their first cast-block engine and the pattern for most of their future piston-engine designs. Used during the interwar ...
K.26 engines and a twin tail. When the designs were considered in May 1936, there was concern that on the one hand a two engine design would be less manoeuvrable than a single-engined design and on the other that uneven recoil from cannon set in the wings would give less accurate fire. The conference favoured two engines with the cannon set in the nose and recommended the Supermarine 313.Buttler 2004, pp. 36–37 Although Supermarine's efforts were favoured due to their success with fast aircraft and the promise of the Spitfire which was undergoing trials, neither they nor Hawker were in a position to deliver a modified version of their single-engined designs quickly enough - over two years for Supermarine. Westland, which had less work and was further advanced in their project, was chosen along with the P.88 and the Type 313 for construction. A contract for two P.9s was placed in February 1937 which were expected to be flying in mid-1938. The P.88s were ordered in December along with a Supermarine design to F37/35 but both were cancelled in January. The Westland design team, under the new leadership of W. E. W. "Teddy" Petter 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 A flap is a high-lift device used to reduce the stalling speed of an aircraft wing at a given weight. Flaps are usually mounted on the wing trailing edges of a fixed-wing aircraft. Flaps are used to reduce the take-off distance and the landing ...
were added that caused large areas of turbulence over the tail unit. By the employment of the T-tail, the elevator was moved up out of the way of the disturbed airflow caused when the flaps were down.Green 1964, p. 51. Handley Page slats were fitted to the outer wings and to the leading edge of the radiator openings; these were interconnected by
duraluminium Duralumin (also called duraluminum, duraluminium, duralum, dural(l)ium, or dural) is a trade name for one of the earliest types of age-hardenable aluminium alloys. The term is a combination of ''Dürener'' and ''aluminium''. Its use as a trad ...
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 during vigorous manoeuvres; tests by the
Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment The Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) was a research facility for British military aviation from 1918 to 1992. Established at Martlesham Heath, Suffolk, the unit moved in 1939 to Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, where its wo ...
(A&AEE) confirmed that the Whirlwind's take-off 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 engines were developments of the Rolls-Royce Kestrel K.26, later renamed Peregrine. The first prototype, ''L6844'', used long exhaust ducts that were channelled through the wings and fuel tanks, exiting at the wing's trailing edge. This configuration was quickly changed to more conventional, external exhausts after Westland's chief test pilot Harald Penrose nearly lost control when an exhaust duct broke and heat-fractured an aileron control rod. The engines were cooled by ducted radiators, which were set into the leading edges of the wing centre-sections to reduce drag. The airframe was built mainly of stressed-skin
duralumin Duralumin (also called duraluminum, duraluminium, duralum, dural(l)ium, or dural) is a trade name for one of the earliest types of age-hardenable aluminium alloys. The term is a combination of '' Dürener'' and ''aluminium''. Its use as a tra ...
, with the exception of the rear-fuselage, which used a
magnesium Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 of the periodic ta ...
alloy stressed skin.Buttler 2004, p. 37. With the pilot sitting high under one of the world's first full bubble canopies and the low and forward location of the wing, all round visibility was good (except for directly over the nose). Four 20 mm cannon were mounted in the nose; the 600 lb/minute fire rate made it the most heavily armed fighter aircraft of its era. The clustering of the weapons also meant that there were no convergence problems as with wing-mounted guns. Hopes were so high for the design that it remained top secret for much of its development, although it had already been mentioned in the French press. ''L6844'' first flew on 11 October 1938, construction having been delayed chiefly due to the new features and also because of the late delivery of the engines and undercarriage. ''L6844'' was passed to RAE Farnborough at the end of the year, while further service trials were later carried out at
Martlesham Heath Martlesham Heath village is situated 6 miles (10 km) east of Ipswich, in Suffolk, England. This was an ancient area of heathland and latterly the site of Martlesham Heath Airfield. A "new village" was established there in the mid-1970s and t ...
. The Whirlwind exhibited excellent handling characteristics and proved to be very easy to fly at all speeds. The only exception was the inadequate directional control during take-off which necessitated an increased rudder area above the tailplane. The Whirlwind was quite small, only slightly larger than the Hurricane but with a smaller frontal area. The landing gear was fully retractable and the entire aircraft had a very clean finish with few openings or protuberances. Radiators were in the leading edge on the inner wings rather than below the engines, which contributed to the overheating problems. This careful attention to streamlining and two Peregrine engines powered it to over , the same speed as the latest single-engine fighters. The aircraft had short range, under combat radius, which made it as marginal as an escort as the Hurricane and Spitfire. The first deliveries of Peregrine engines did not reach Westland until January 1940. By late 1940, the Spitfire was scheduled to mount 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 RAF Bomber Command controlled the Royal Air Force's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. Along with the United States Army Air Forces, it played the central role in the strategic bombing of Germany in World War II. From 1942 onward, the British bo ...
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; although ACAS was impressed by the design the highly experimental design needed careful examination. 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 ( Fairey or Hawker) and an early 1939 plan to build 800 of them at the Castle Bromwich shadow factory was dropped in favour of Spitfire production; instead a further 200 would be built by Westland. Despite the Whirlwind's promise, production ended in January 1942, after the completion of just 112 production aircraft (plus the two prototypes). Rolls-Royce needed to concentrate on the development and production of the Merlin engine, and the troubled
Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
engines, 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 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.


Operational history

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 Cherbourg (; , , ), nrf, Chèrbourg, ) is a former commune and subprefecture located at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French department of Manche. It was merged into the commune of Cherbourg-Octeville on 28 Feb ...
, 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". Another 263 Squadron pilot said "It was regarded with absolute confidence and affection". By comparison the 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 yard A classification yard (American and Canadian English (Canadian National Railway use)), marshalling yard (British, Hong Kong, Indian, Australian, and Canadian English (Canadian Pacific Railway use)) or shunting yard (Central Europe) is a railway ya ...
s, 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 mission. The aircraft was also successful in hunting and destroying German
E-boats E-boat was the Western Allies' designation for the fast attack craft (German: ''Schnellboot'', or ''S-Boot'', meaning "fast boat") of the Kriegsmarine during World War II; ''E-boat'' could refer to a patrol craft from an armed motorboat to a lar ...
which operated in the
English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
. At lower altitudes, it could hold its own against the
Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was, along with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War an ...
. Though the Peregrine was a much-maligned engine, it was more reliable than the troubled Napier Sabre engine used in the
Hawker Typhoon The Hawker Typhoon is a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. It was intended to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, as a replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, but several design problems were encountered and i ...
, 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. According to P. J. R. Moyes The first Whirlwinds went to 25 Squadron based at North Weald. The squadron was fully equipped with
radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...
-equipped Bristol Blenheim IF night fighters when
Squadron Leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also ...
K. A. K. MacEwen flew prototype Whirlwind ''L6845'' from
RAF Boscombe Down MoD Boscombe Down ' is the home of a military aircraft testing site, on the southeastern outskirts of the town of Amesbury, Wiltshire, England. The site is managed by QinetiQ, the private defence company created as part of the breakup of the Def ...
to
RAF North Weald North Weald Airfield is an operational general aviation aerodrome, in the civil parish of North Weald Bassett in Epping Forest, Essex, England. It was an important fighter station during the Battle of Britain, when it was known as the RAF Stat ...
on 30 May 1940.James 1991, p. 268. The following day it was flown and inspected by four of the squadron's pilots and the next day was inspected by the
Secretary of State for Air The Secretary of State for Air was a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state position in the British government, which existed from 1919 to 1964. The person holding this position was in charge of the Air Ministry. The Secretar ...
, Sir
Archibald Sinclair Archibald Henry Macdonald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso, (22 October 1890 – 15 June 1970), known as Sir Archibald Sinclair between 1912 and 1952, and often as Archie Sinclair, was a British politician and leader of the Liberal Party. Backgr ...
and
Lord Trenchard Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Montague Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard, (3 February 1873 – 10 February 1956) was a British officer who was instrumental in establishing the Royal Air Force. He has been described as the "Father of the ...
. The first two production Whirlwinds were delivered in June to 25 Squadron for night-flying trials.James 1991, pp. 268–269.Buttler 2002, p. 11. It was then decided to re-equip 25 Squadron with the two-seat Bristol Beaufighter night fighter, as it was already an operational night fighter squadron.James 1991, p. 269. The first Whirlwind squadron would be 263 Squadron, which was reforming at RAF Grangemouth, after disastrous losses in the Norwegian Campaign. The first production Whirlwind was delivered to 263 Squadron by its commander, Squadron Leader H. Eeles on 6 July.Heffernan 1985, p. 62. Deliveries were slow, with only five on strength with 263 Squadron on 17 August 1940 and none serviceable.Price 1995, p. 162. (The squadron supplemented its strength with Hawker Hurricanes to allow the squadron's pilots to fly in the meantime.) Despite the
Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...
and the consequent urgent need for fighters, 263 Squadron remained in Scotland,
Air Chief Marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer originating from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. An air chief marshal is equivalent to an Admir ...
Hugh Dowding Air Chief Marshal Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding, (24 April 1882 – 15 February 1970) was an officer in the Royal Air Force. He was Air Officer Commanding RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain and is generally c ...
, in charge of
RAF Fighter Command RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War. It earned near-immortal fame during the Battle of Brita ...
, stated on 17 October that 263 could not be deployed to the south because "there was no room for 'passengers' in that part of the world". The first Whirlwind was written off on 7 August when
Pilot Officer Pilot officer (Plt Off officially in the RAF; in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly P/O in all services, and still often used in the RAF) is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countri ...
McDermott had a tyre blow out while taking off in ''P6966''. In spite of this he managed to get the aircraft airborne. Flying Control advised him of the dangerous condition of his undercarriage. PO McDermott bailed out of the aircraft between Grangemouth and Stirling. The aircraft dived in and buried itself eight feet into the ground. On recent inspection of the salvaged wreck of P6966, it was noticed that the defective tyre fitted was not of the correct size for a Whirlwind. Instead, it was the correct size for a Hurricane which 263 Squadron was also flying. No. 263 Squadron moved south to
RAF Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
and was declared operational with the Whirlwind on 7 December 1940. Initial operations consisted of convoy patrols and anti
E-boat E-boat was the Western Allies' designation for the fast attack craft (German: ''Schnellboot'', or ''S-Boot'', meaning "fast boat") of the Kriegsmarine during World War II; ''E-boat'' could refer to a patrol craft from an armed motorboat to a lar ...
missions.James 2006, pp. 70–71. The Whirlwind's first confirmed kill occurred on 8 February 1941, when an
Arado Ar 196 The Arado Ar 196 was a shipboard reconnaissance low-wing monoplane aircraft built by the German firm of Arado starting in 1936. The next year it was selected as the winner of a design contest and became the standard aircraft of the ''Kriegsmarin ...
floatplane was shot down; the Whirlwind responsible also crashed into the sea and the pilot was killed.James 2006, p. 71. From then on the squadron was to have considerable success with the Whirlwind while flying against enemy
Junkers Ju 88 The Junkers Ju 88 is a German World War II ''Luftwaffe'' twin-engined multirole combat aircraft. Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works (JFM) designed the plane in the mid-1930s as a so-called ''Schnellbomber'' ("fast bomber") that would be too fast ...
,
Dornier Do 217 The Dornier Do 217 was a bomber used by the German ''Luftwaffe'' during World War II as a more powerful development of the Dornier Do 17, known as the ''Fliegender Bleistift'' (German: "flying pencil"). Designed in 1937 and 1938 as a heavy bomber ...
, Messerschmitt Bf 109s and Focke-Wulf Fw 190s. 263 Squadron also occasionally carried out day bomber escort missions with the Whirlwinds. One example was when they formed part of the escort of 54 Blenheims on a low-level raid against power stations near
Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
on 12 August 1941; owing to the relatively short range of the escorts, including the Whirlwinds, the fighters turned back near
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
, with the bombers continuing on without escort. Ten Blenheims were lost.Price 1995, p. 163.Richards 1995, pp. 118–119. The squadron mostly flew low-level attack sorties across the channel (" Rhubarbs" against ground targets and "
Roadstead A roadstead (or ''roads'' – the earlier form) is a body of water sheltered from rip currents, spring tides, or ocean swell where ships can lie reasonably safely at anchor without dragging or snatching.United States Army technical manual, TM 5- ...
" attacks against shipping). The Whirlwind proved a match for German fighters at low level, as demonstrated on 6 August 1941, when four Whirlwinds on an anti-shipping strike were intercepted by a large formation of Messerschmitt Bf 109s and claimed three Bf 109s destroyed for no losses. A second Whirlwind squadron, 137, formed in September 1941, specialising in attacks against railway targets.Buttler 2002, p. 15. In the summer of 1942, both squadrons were fitted with racks to carry two bombs, and nicknamed 'Whirlibombers'.James 1991, p. 270. These undertook low-level cross-channel "Rhubarb" sweeps, attacking locomotives, bridges, shipping and other targets. The worst losses of 137 Squadron occurred on 12 February 1942 when they were sent to escort five British destroyers, unaware of the escaping German warships '' Scharnhorst'' and '' Gneisenau'' making the
Channel Dash The Channel Dash (german: Unternehmen Zerberus, Operation Cerberus) was a German naval operation during the Second World War. (Cerberus), a three-headed dog of Greek mythology who guards the gate to Hades. A (German Navy) squadron comprising ...
to safer ports. Four Whirlwinds took off at 13:10 hours and soon sighted warships through the clouds about from the Belgian coast. They descended to investigate and were immediately jumped by about 20 Bf 109 fighters of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 2. The Whirlwinds shot at anything in their sights but were heavily outnumbered. While this was happening, at 13:40, two more Whirlwinds were sent up to relieve the first four and two more Whirlwinds took off at 14:25; four of the eight Whirlwinds failed to return. From 24 October until 26 November 1943, Whirlwinds of 263 Squadron made several heavy attacks against the German blockade runner '' Münsterland'', in dry dock at Cherbourg. As many as 12 Whirlwinds participated at a time in dive bombing attacks carried out from using bombs. The attacks were met by very heavy anti-aircraft fire but virtually all bombs fell within of the target; only one Whirlwind was lost during the attacks. The last Whirlwind mission to be flown by 137 Squadron was on 21 June 1943, when five Whirlwinds took off on a "Rhubarb" attack against the German airfield at Poix. P6993 was unable to locate the target and instead bombed a supply train north of
Rue ''Ruta graveolens'', commonly known as rue, common rue or herb-of-grace, is a species of ''Ruta'' grown as an ornamental plant and herb. It is native to the Balkan Peninsula. It is grown throughout the world in gardens, especially for its bluis ...
. While returning, the starboard throttle jammed in the fully open position and the engine eventually lost power. It made a forced landing in a field next to
RAF Manston Royal Air Force Manston or more simply RAF Manston is a former Royal Air Force station located in the north-east of Kent, at on the Isle of Thanet from 1916 until 1996. The site was split between a commercial airport Kent International Airpo ...
but the aircraft was a write-off, although, as in many other crash landings in the type, the pilot walked away unhurt. No. 263 Squadron, the first and last squadron to operate the Whirlwind, flew its last Whirlwind mission on 29 November 1943, turning in their aeroplanes and converting to the
Hawker Typhoon The Hawker Typhoon is a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. It was intended to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, as a replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, but several design problems were encountered and i ...
in December that year.James 2006, pp. 71–72. On 1 January 1944, the type was declared obsolete.James 2006, p. 73. The remaining serviceable aircraft were transferred to No. 18 Maintenance Unit, while those undergoing repairs or overhaul were allowed to be repaired only if they were in near-flyable condition. An official letter forbade aircraft needing repair to be worked on. The aircraft was summed up by Francis Mason as follows:


Variants

P.9 prototype :Single-seat twin-engine fighter aircraft prototype. Two built (L6844 and L6845), can be distinguished from later production samples by the mudguards above the wheels (as did the first production sample, P6966), the exhaust system and the so-called 'acorn' on the joint between fin and rudder. L6844 had a distinctive downward kink to the front of its pitot tube, atop the tail not seen again in following models. L6844's colour was dark grey. L6844 had opposite-rotation engines, L6845 had engines that rotated in the same direction; this carried over to production machines. Whirlwind I :Single-seat twin-engine fighter aircraft, 400 ordered, 2 prototypes were built and 114 productions were built, 116 were built. Whirlwind II :Single-seat twin-engine fighter-bomber aircraft, fitted with underwing bomb racks, were nicknamed "Whirlibombers". At least 67 conversions made from the original Mk I fighter. Experimental variants A Mk I Whirlwind was tested as a night fighter in 1940 with No. 25 Squadron. The first prototype was armed with an experimental twelve 0.303 (7.7 mm) machine guns and another one 37 mm cannon.Robertson 1970, p. 16. Merlin variant Westland proposed fitting Merlin engines in a letter to Air Marshal
Sholto Douglas Sholto Douglas was the mythical progenitor of Clan Douglas, a powerful and warlike family in medieval Scotland. A mythical battle took place: "in 767, between King '' Solvathius'' rightful king of Scotland and a pretender ''Donald Bane''. The vic ...
. The proposal was rejected but Westland used the design work already performed in developing the Welkin high-altitude fighter.


Operators

*
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
** No. 25 Squadron RAF tested three aircraft between May and July 1940. (might have carried code letters "ZK") **
No. 263 Squadron RAF No 263 Squadron was a Royal Air Force fighter squadron formed in Italy towards the end of the First World War. After being disbanded in 1919 it was reformed in 1939 flying mainly strike and heavy fighter aircraft until becoming No 1 Squadron ...
operated Whirlwinds between July 1940 and December 1943. Aircraft had applied the squadron's "HE" code letters. **
No. 137 Squadron RAF No. 137 Squadron RAF existed briefly as a day bomber unit in World War I but never became operational. During World War II it flew as one of the two Whirlwind squadrons before converting to Hurricane Mk.IV fighter-bombers and later the Hawker T ...
operated Whirlwinds between September 1941 and June 1943. Aircraft had applied the squadron's "SF" code letters. US Navy One aircraft P6994 was sent to the US for trials in June 1942 and survived there until at least late 1944.


Survivors

After retirement in December 1943, all but one of the surviving Whirlwinds were sent to
No. 18 Maintenance Unit RAF The following is a list of Royal Air Force Maintenance Units (MU). The majority of MUs were previously Equipment Depots (ED), Storage Depots (SD) and Aircraft Storage Units (ASU)s. No. 1 MU – No. 100 MU No. 101 MU – No. 200 MU No ...
at
Dumfries Dumfries ( ; sco, Dumfries; from gd, Dùn Phris ) is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is located near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth about by road from the ...
, Scotland, where they were scrapped. ''P7048'' was retained by Westland and was granted a civil
certificate of airworthiness A standard certificate of airworthiness is a permit for commercial passenger or cargo operation, issued for an aircraft by the civil aviation authority in the state/nation in which the aircraft is registered. For other aircraft such as crop-spraye ...
on 10 October 1946, with the
registration Register or registration may refer to: Arts entertainment, and media Music * Register (music), the relative "height" or range of a note, melody, part, instrument, etc. * ''Register'', a 2017 album by Travis Miller * Registration (organ), th ...
''G-AGOI''. It was used as a company hack for a short time before being withdrawn in 1947 and scrapped.Buttler 2002, p. 16. In October 1979, the remains of Whirlwind P6966, the first Whirlwind to be lost, were recovered near Grangemouth by enthusiasts in a dig group. The two Peregrine engines were recovered, as well as many pieces of the airframe. The Whirlwind Fighter Project began building a full-scale replica Whirlwind in 2011–2012, with the intention to have it built in approximately four years though dependent on the volunteers and funding."Whirlwind Fighter Project. About us."
''whirlwindfighterproject.org,'' 2011. Retrieved: 20 September 2013.
Plans for a 2/3 scale replica were marketed for home building in the late 1970s and early 1980s as the Butterworth Westland Whirlwind.


Specifications (Whirlwind I)


See also


References


Notes


Citations


Bibliography

* Air Ministry. ''Pilot's Notes: The Whirlwind I Aeroplane, Two Peregrine I Engines. Air Publication 1709A''. London, UK: Air Ministry, June 1940. * Bingham, Victor. ''Whirlwind, The Westland Whirlwind Fighter''. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 1987. . * Buttler, Tony. ''British Secret Projects: Fighters and Bombers 1935–1950''. Earl Shilton, Leicester, UK: Midland, 2004. . * Buttler, Tony. "Reap The Whirlwind: Britain's Pioneer Cannon Fighter". ''
Air Enthusiast ''Air Enthusiast'' was a British, bi-monthly, aviation magazine, published by the Key Publishing group. Initially begun in 1974 as ''Air Enthusiast Quarterly'', the magazine was conceived as a historical adjunct to '' Air International'' maga ...
''. No. 99, May/June 2002, pp. 2–16. . * Cordury, Niall. ''Whirlwind; Westland's Enigmatic Fighter''. Stroud, UK: Fonthill Media Limited, 2013. * Franks, Richard A. ''The Westland Whirlwind: A Detailed Guide to the RAF's Twin-engine Fighter (Airframe Album 4)''. Bedford, UK: Valiant Wings Publishing, 2014. * Green, William, ed. "Foremost with Four Cannon." ''Flying Review International'', Volume 19, No. 7, April 1964. * Green, William. ''Warplanes of the Second World War, Fighters, Vol. 2''. London: Macdonald, 1961. * Heffernan, Terry. "Something Special from Somerset – Part 2". ''
Aeroplane Monthly ''Aeroplane'' (formerly ''Aeroplane Monthly'') is a British magazine devoted to aviation, with a focus on aviation history and preservation. __TOC__ ''The Aeroplane'' The weekly ''The Aeroplane'' launched in June 1911 under founding edito ...
''. Vol. 13, No. 2, February 1985, pp. 60–64. . * James, Derek N. ''Westland Aircraft since 1915''. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1991. . * James, Derek N. "Westland's Double Trouble" (Database). '' Aeroplane'', Vol. 34, No. 5, May 2006, pp. 60–73. . * Mason, Francis K. ''Royal Air Force Fighters of World War Two, Volume One''. Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Hylton Lacy Publishers Ltd., 1969. * Meekoms, K. J. and E. B Morgan. ''The British Aircraft Specifications File: British Military and Commercial Aircraft Specifications 1920–1949''. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1994. * Moyes, Philip J.R. ''Westland Whirlwind (Profile No. 191)''. London: Profile Publications, 1967. * Price, Alfred. "The Vortex from Yeovil: The Story of the Westland Whirlwind Fighter". ''
Air International ''AIR International'' is a British aviation magazine covering current defence aerospace and civil aviation topics. It has been in publication since 1971 and is currently published by Key Publishing Ltd. History and profile The magazine was fir ...
''. Vol. 48 No. 3, March 1995, pp. 157–164. . * Richards, Denis. ''The Hardest Victory: RAF Bomber Command in the Second World War''. London: Coronet, 1995. . * * Robertson, Bruce. ''Westland Whirlwind Described''. Dandenong, Victoria, Australia: Kookaburra Technical Publications, 1970. *


Further reading

* Crawford, Alex and Phil H. Listemann. "Westland Whirlwind Mk.I." (Allied Wings No.4). London: Casemate Pub & Book Dist. Llc, 2008. * Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. ''WW2 Aircraft Fact Files – RAF Fighters, Part 3''. London: Jane's, 1981. * Hall, Alan W. ''Westland Whirlwind F.Mk.I'' (Warpaint Series no.54). Luton, Berfordshire, UK: Warpaint Books, 2006. No ISBN. * James, Derek N. ''Westland'' (Images of England). Gloucestershire, UK: Tempus Publishing Ltd., 1997. * James, Derek N. ''Westland: A History''. Gloucestershire, UK: Tempus Publishing Ltd., 2002. * Mondey, David. '' Westland '' (Planemakers 2). London: Jane's Publishing Company, 1982. * Morgan, Eric B. "Westland P.9 Whirlwind." ''Twentyfirst Profile'', Vol. 2, No. 14. New Milton, Hertfordshire, UK: 21st Profile Ltd. * Ovcácík, Michal and Karel Susa. '' Westland Whirlwind: Mk.I Fighter, Mk.I fighter-bomber''. Prague, Czech Republic: Mark 1 Ltd., 2002. * Taylor, John W.R. "Westland Whirlwind" ''Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the Present''. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969.


External links


The Westland Whirlwind
''Flight'' 5 March 1942
"Flying Arsenal Pace Bombers on Raids."
''Popular Science'', June 1942, p. 65.



''Flight'' 18 June 1942
Whirlwind Fighter Project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Westland Whirlwind (Fighter) 1930s British fighter aircraft Whirlwind (Fighter) Low-wing aircraft Cruciform tail aircraft Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1938