Westland Whirlwind (airplane)
| Westland Whirlwind | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
October 11, 1938 |
| Commissioning: |
June 1940 |
| Production time: |
1938-1942 |
| Number of pieces: |
116 |
The Westland Whirlwind was a twin-engine heavy fighter / fighter-bomber of the Second World War from British production. The low-wing aircraft manufacturer's Westland Aircraft was the first single-seat, with machine guns equipped hunters of the Royal Air Force .
history
The design was carried out by WEW Petter according to specification F.37 / 35. The first flight with Harald Penrose at the controls took place on October 11, 1938, and the aircraft had been in service with the RAF since June 1940 . In fact, an excellent design with good range and heavy armament centrally located in the bow.
The fighter-bomber version (Whirlwind Mk IA) appeared in 1942 and was quite successful as part of the so-called “Rhubarb” missions against German-occupied France .
The coolers were housed in the center sections of the wings. Fowler flaps were used as high-lift aids . The slats envisaged in the draft were retracted because they had proven to be unnecessary.
The model suffered from the unreliability of the Peregrine engine developed from the Rolls-Royce Kestrel , which was not used in any other aircraft. The use of Merlin engines was considered as a solution to the engine problem , but was discarded when it turned out that the necessary changes came close to redesigning the aircraft.
116 machines were built including the two prototypes. As early as 1943, the model was replaced because of the unsolved engine problems. Due to its high flying speed and strong armament with four 20 mm automatic cannons, the Whirlwind could nevertheless be used with some success to combat German speedboats and other ships in the English Channel .
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Whirlwind Mk.I |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 |
| length | 9.83 m |
| span | 13.72 m |
| Wing area | 23.23 m² |
| Wing extension | 8.1 |
| Empty mass | 3768 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 5175 kg |
| drive | two V-12 Rolls-Royce Peregrine I with 885 PS (651 kW) each |
| Top speed | 576 km / h at an altitude of 4570 m |
| Service ceiling | 9240 m |
| Range | ~ 1300 km |
| Armament | four 20 mm cannons, 453 kg bombs |
literature
- Victor Bingham: Whirlwind, The Westland Whirlwind Fighter. Airlife Publishing Ltd., Shrewsbury 1987, ISBN 1-85310-004-8 .
- William Green: Warplanes of the Second World War, Fighters, Vol. 2. Macdonald, London 1961.
- William Green: Gordon Swanborough: WW2 Aircraft Fact Files - RAF Fighters, Part 3. Jane's, London 1981, ISBN 0-7106-0119-0 .
- Alan W. Hall: Westland Whirlwind F.Mk.I, Warpaint Series no.54. Warpaint Books, Luton 2006, No ISBN.
- Derek N. James: Westland: A History. Tempus Publishing Ltd., Gloucestershire 2002, ISBN 0-7524-2772-5 .
- Westland (Images of England). Tempus Publishing Ltd., Gloucestershire 1997, ISBN 0-7524-0799-6 .
- Francis K. Mason: Royal Air Force Fighters of World War Two, Volume One. Hylton Lacy Publishers Ltd., Windsor 1969.
- David Mondey: Westland (Planemakers 2). Jane's Publishing Company, London 1982, ISBN 0-7106-0134-4 .
- Michal Ovcacik, Karel Susa: Westland Whirlwind: Mk.I Fighter, Mk.I fighter-bomber. Mark 1 Ltd., Prague 2002, ISBN 80-902559-6-5 .
- Bruce Robertson: Westland Whirlwind Described. Kookaburra Technical Publications, Dandenong 1970, ISBN 0-85880-004-7 .
- John WR Taylor: Westland Whirlwind. In: Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the present. GP Putnam's Sons, New York 1969, ISBN 0-425-03633-2 .
See also
Web links
swell
- Flight , April 15, 1955