# Mystery Aircraft



## Bowser (Dec 11, 2006)

Hi there

For my first I would like to ask a favour. I am trying to locate an airfix model which I built as a boy, but cannot for the life of me remember the name of. The aircraft is British, I believe came out towards the end of the war. It is a T tailed, low wing monoplane with a low wing configuration, twin engined and (I think) a bubble cockpit above a thin fusilage.

Can anyone help me out with the name, and if possible the spec of the aircraft.

many thanks


----------



## pbfoot (Dec 11, 2006)

hows this westland whirlwind


----------



## Bowser (Dec 11, 2006)

Brilliant.

Any idea of spec, history or pilots experiences - or where I could find out about it

Many thanks


----------



## syscom3 (Dec 11, 2006)

Amazing to think that this aircraft was a "peer" of the P38 Lightning.


----------



## k9kiwi (Dec 11, 2006)

Here are some rare ones for you


----------



## syscom3 (Dec 11, 2006)

Its a beautifull airplane.


----------



## mkloby (Dec 11, 2006)

syscom3 said:


> Its a beautifull airplane.



She definitely has some interesting lines... kind of a more subtle beauty than say, the Spit...


----------



## Chingachgook (Dec 11, 2006)

nice pics! beautiful plane. Always liked the Whirlwind. Shame about the engines...


----------



## Gnomey (Dec 12, 2006)

Certainly is a good looking aircraft. Here are some specs:

British Aircraft of World War II - WESTLAND WHIRLWIND I

www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org - British Aviation Resource Center - Westland Whirlwind


----------



## R-2800 (Dec 12, 2006)

always liked the wirlwind


----------



## Matt308 (Dec 12, 2006)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but were there rather severe stability problems with this bird? And didn't it also suffer from severe mach tuck during dives?


----------



## twoeagles (Dec 12, 2006)

It had some tail flutter that was cured by that odd arrangement with the 
intersection of horizontal stab and fin. Still, just sitting between those
lovely RR engines must have been sweet - kind of a girly F7F Tigercat
(sorry, not meant in an ugly way).


----------



## twoeagles (Dec 12, 2006)

I wonder if you were thinking of the DH 103 Sea Hornet? A far superior
aircraft to the Westland...


----------



## Matt308 (Dec 12, 2006)

Yeah maybe so. That's some decent firepower concentrated in that nose. And I liked your F7F analogy. Spot on.


----------



## the lancaster kicks ass (Dec 12, 2006)

syscom3 said:


> Amazing to think that this aircraft was a "peer" of the P38 Lightning.



why's that? and why does she have to be compared to the P-38?


----------



## Matt308 (Dec 12, 2006)

You always have to aspire to be something grand.


----------



## the lancaster kicks ass (Dec 12, 2006)

the whirlybird was out killing in mid '41 when the P-38 was completely useless as a combat aircraft........


----------



## Matt308 (Dec 12, 2006)

Well you had to use what you had, I guess.


----------



## johnbr (Dec 12, 2006)

Love the look of it.But it would have better with the RR Exe.


----------



## Matt308 (Dec 12, 2006)

C'mon. Looks like a cowboy riding rigid on a mean bull. The plane looks marvelous, but the perpendicular lines are counterintuitive to a streamlined airplane. That cowboy is never gonna make the run...


----------



## mkloby (Dec 13, 2006)

the lancaster kicks ass said:


> the whirlybird was out killing in mid '41 when the P-38 was completely useless as a combat aircraft........



ahhh you don't have to knock the 38! It's true the whirlwind would've been a beast with one of RR uprated engines, but they also had the mosquito....


----------



## FLYBOYJ (Dec 13, 2006)

the lancaster kicks ass said:


> the whirlybird was out killing in mid '41 when the P-38 was completely useless as a combat aircraft........



True - By 1944 the P-38 was the most lethal killing machine in the PTO - where was the Whirly?


----------



## the lancaster kicks ass (Dec 14, 2006)

my point exactily, why compare the two?


----------

