Westland Whirlwind Mk.I
| GENERAL DATA | |||
| Other Designation(s) | - |
||
| Type | Fighter |
Crew | 1 |
| Manufacturer(s) | Westland Aircraft |
||
| Production | 114 (1940 – January 1942) |
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| First Flight | 11 October 1938 |
Introduction | June 1940 (Retired in December 1943) |
| 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 Mk.I | 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. | ||
| Whirlwind Mk.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. | ||
| xperimental 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. | ||
| Merlin variant | Westland proposed fitting Merlin engines in a letter to Air Marshal Sholto Douglas.[51] The proposal was rejected but Westland used the design work already performed in developing the Welkin high-altitude fighter. | ||
| DIMENSIONS | |||
| Length | 9.83 m |
Empty Weight | 3769 kg |
| Wingspan | 13.72 m |
Loaded Weight | 4697 kg |
| Height | 3.35 m |
Max takeoff weight | 5191 kg |
| Wing area | 23 m² |
Wing loading | 223 kg/m² |
| ARMAMENT | |||
| Main Guns | 4 × Hispano 20 mm (0.79 in)
cannon * |
Ammunition Carried | 4 x 60 |
| Secondary Guns | - |
Ammunition Carried | - |
| Other Armament | optionally 2 × 115 kg or 230
kg bombs |
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(*) nose mounted
| POWERPLANT | |||
| Engine | 2 × Rolls-Royce Peregrine
I |
Type & Displacement | 2 x V-12 liquid-cooled piston, 21.2
L |
| Horsepower (maximum) | 2
x 885 hp at 3000 rpm |
Power/Weight Ratio | 376.84 hp / ton * |
| Fuel Capacity | 609-700 L
|
||
(*) for loaded weight
| PERFORMANCES | |||
| Maximum Speed | 580 km/h at 4600 m |
Cruise Speed | ? km/h |
| Stall Speed * | 153 km/h |
Service Ceiling | 9200 m |
| Rate of Climb | 7.9 m/s |
Range | 1300 km |
(*) vitesse de décrochage
| Sources | |||
| Wikipédia | aviationsmilitaires.net | ||
Drawings |
