Westland Whirlwind Fighter

 The Westland Whirlwind was one of the fastest aircraft in the air when it flew in the late 1930s and heavily armed than any other aircraft. During the Second World War only two RAF squadrons were equipped with the Whirlwind, though it was successful as a fighter-bomber, it immediately retired in 1943.

Only 114 Whirlwinds were produced arming only two squadrons, No. 263 Squadron RAF and No. 137 Squadron RAF. Due to their good low-altitude performance, they were used primarily in interdiction roles and were referred to as Whirlybombers. Their role was marginalized when the Hawker Typhoon was introduced and the Whirlwinds were removed from service in late 1943.

Production ended in January 1942, the Whirlwind became another “also-ran”. As of today, none exists, as surviving airframes were scrapped at 5MU-RAF Kemble.

Specifications (Whirlwind)
Crew: one pilot
Maximum speed: 360 mph (560 km/h)
Range: 808 miles (1,300 km)
Service ceiling: 30, 315 ft (9,240 m)
Rate of climb: 1.550 ft/min (474 m/min)
Armament: 4 x Hispano 20 mm cannon in nose
2 x 250 lb (115 kg) or 500 lb (230 kg) bombs

Filed Under History

Comments

Leave a Reply