British Forces

Westland Whirlwind in flight.

The Westland Whirlwind was developed in the late 1930s as a heavy two-engined fighter. The project may have been influenced by developments in two-engined fighters elsewhere - the MeBf 110 comes to mind. However, the main brief was to produce a hard-hitting long-distance escort fighter, carrying four 20mm cannon - a very tall order for single-engine fighters in the prewar period, as existing single-engine airframes could not readily bear the strain of firing such a heavy weapons complement. The aircraft was developed in a very short period, with serious trials being completed as late as 1938, and production commencing in 1940. Nonetheless, the resulting aircraft showed considerable promise. Its pair of Rolls Royce Peregrine engines could produce very high speed - not far off 600 km/ph - with good manoeuvarability at low altitudes. Early engagements showed that it could compete well with the MeBf 109E at such low altitudes. However, performance reduced dramatically at higher altitudes, making it vulnerable to single-engine fighters higher up, and to being "jumped" by 109's when flying at its preferred level. Furthermore, development to improve the Peregrine engine was delayed by technical difficulties. In the heel of the hunt, advances in British single engine fighters (the development of cannon-firing Spitfires for example), and the prioritisation of the Rolls Royce Merlin engine over the Peregrine for production and development, limited the production of Whirlwinds. Another adverse consideration was the fact that the Whirlwind showed no sign of meeting one important element of its brief - that of long range. Range in the initial production fighters was not significantly better than contemporary single-engine types, so that the projected function of long-range escort was not realised. The Whirlwind was, in consequence, produced only in small numbers (not much over 100), and was effectively squeezed out of British plans. Production, which commenced in 1940, was discontinued in January, 1942. In the interim, it was discovered that the Whirlwind did function well as a ground/air-to-sea attack aircraft, a role in which surviving aircraft operated, often with devastating success, in cross-channel raiding until mid-1943, at which point the type was declared obsolete. Its fighter-bomber and ground attack roles were taken on by the De Havilland Mosquito. "Obsolete" seems to me a harsh judgement. In retrospect, the Whirlwind appears to have been a very promising type early in the war. It had its problems, arising from late and rapid development, and clearly needed further design and technical work to maximise its potential. However, even as it was, the Whirlwind was a capable and very hard hitting weapon in the fighter-bomber role, and its failure to achieve full development seems to have had more to do with the pressure of prioritisation in wartime than to any serious inherent flaws in the design (whatever about its conception as a long-distance escort). A case of a "lost aircraft", perhaps. Once declared obsolete, major repair of surviving aircraft was discontinued and most were eventually dismantled. Only one example survived the war; none survive today. Best regards, JR.