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| Westland Whirlwind Mk. IA A small, fast twin-engined fighter, one of the first to be armed with four 20mm cannon. |
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| FS2002/2004 | |
| JRLucariny FSDS V2 24 Model | |
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| Jan/2004 | |
| A small, fast twin-engined fighter, one of the first to be armed with four 20mm cannon. The Whirlwind was a fine fighter that could combat single-engined fighters with success. |
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It had the misfortune that the development and production of the R.R. Peregrine engine was halted, and no alternative was available. |
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The Whirlwind was tailored to this engine and the original specification. When the Hurricane and Spitfire proved to be able to carry the 20mm cannon, and the Beaufighter filled in the heavy fighter role, interest in the Whirlwind faded. Another defiency was its short range, with a radius of action of only 240km. It served in small numbers as fighter-bomber. |
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General characteristics Whirlwind Mk. IA Primary function Fighter Power plant Two Rolls-Royce Peregrine I Thrust 2x 885 HP - 2x 660 kW Wingspan 45 ft - 13.72 m Length 32.25 ft - 9.83 m Wing area 250 sq ft - 23.22 sq m |
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Weight empty 8,310 lb - 3,768 kg - max. 11,410 lb - 5,175 kg Speed 360 mph - 580 km/h Ceiling 30,315 ft - 9,240 m Range max. 808 mi - 1,300 km Armament 4x 20mm cannon; 453 kg bombs Crew One Date deployed 1940 Number built 116 Link |
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Westland Whirlwind Fighter As WWII became increasingly likely the Royal Air Force determined that it was deficient in a powerfully armed aircraft that could undertake long-range escort duties and night-fighter operations. A requirement not all that different from the German's Messerschmitt Bf-110. From a specification drawn up in 1937 came the Westland Whirlwind, a heavily armed escort fighter. It had some teething problems related to the Rolls Royce Peregrine engine and the fact that it's landing speed was 80 mph, which meant that it could not use the standard grass field of a British aerodrome. The long, slender nose of the Whirlwind was at odds with the powerful armament of four 20-mm cannons. It showed some promise in combat, however, like its German counterpart it was not agile enough to successfully combat enemy fighters. |
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After some deliberation the RAF purchased only 112 and equipped only two squadrons, No.s 137 and 263, with the aircraft. After initial use as an escort fighter, it was relegated to convoy patrols and eventually as a "Whirlybomber" flying low-level "rhubarbs" with bombs and cannons against targets of opportunity in France. It was phased out of use in 1942 as better aircraft (primarily the Typhoon and Beaufighter) were being put into service that would outperform it at a lower cost. The Typhoon could carry the same armament with a single engine, and the Beaufighter was even more powerfully armed and used Bristol radial engines that were in greater supply. Also, Rolls Royce dropped the Peregine engine to focus on producing the Merlin series of engine.
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Technical Details The Whirlwind was a single seat, twin engined fighter powered by a pair of Rolls Royce Peregrine I engines. They each generated 885 hp and could move the Whirlwind up to 360 mph. The range was about 800 miles with a ceiling of 30,000 feet. It was powerfully armed with four 20-mm Hispano Mk I cannons in the nose with 60 rounds per gun and could carry up to 1000 lbs of bombs on two underwing racks. Link |
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Westland WHIRLWIND Mk I Fighter RAF The Westland Whirlwind was the first single-seat, twin-engine fighter to service with the Royal Air Force. First flown in 1938 prior to the war, the design is not well known despite having seen successful combat action. |
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Production delays meant that the type did not begin service until 1940. Its heavy four 20 mm cannon armament and long range compared to contemporary fighters made it attractive for long range escort and interdiction missions. However, its unique Peregrine engines caused some maintenance reliability headaches and its high landing speed also caused some operational accidents. Canadian pilots flew Whirlwind aircraft while attached to RAF squadrons. The Whirlwinds were withdrawn from operational service by the end of 1943. |
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Westland Whirlwind Mk. IA JRLucariny FSDS V2.24 Model |
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FDE
WESTLAND WHIRLWIND RAF TWIN FIGHTER/BOMBER PIGLET'S PECULAIR PLANES PANEL Abacus Custom Panel Designer Version 3.0 Cowl flaps Close - Ctrl+Shift+C Open - Ctrl+Shift+V Open/Close Canopy Shift+E |
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DRAWINGS |
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