Westland Whirlwind
Westland · United Kingdom · first flew 1938 · fighter
The Westland Whirlwind was a British twin-engined fighter, the first single-seat, twin-engined, cannon-armed fighter of the Royal Air Force.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | T-tail at the end of a tubular fuselage |
| T — Tail | T-tail |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Four 20 mm cannon clustered in the nose
- T-tail at the end of a tubular fuselage
- Full bubble canopy with a low, forward-set wing
A compact twin-engined single-seater with a pointed nose full of cannon and a T-tail.
Specifications
- The Westland Whirlwind has a length of 9.83 m (32 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 13.72 m (45 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 579 km/h (360 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It first flew on 11 October 1938 and was one of the fastest combat aircraft in the world, with four 20 mm cannon in the nose. Protracted problems with its Rolls-Royce Peregrine engines delayed the project.
Variants
The design originally had a twin tail, discarded when large Fowler flaps were added; the T-tail moved the elevator clear of the disturbed airflow. It could carry two bombs under the wings.
Where you'll see it
Only 114 were built and three RAF squadrons were equipped. It was a success as a fighter and ground-attack aircraft but was withdrawn from service in December 1943.
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- Bloch MB.152 C1
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