Admiral Beez
Major
Faacinating news. One of the engines looks like it could be rebuilt. The other is wrecked I'd say.
Rolls-Royce Peregrine engines recovered
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Admiral Beez
Major
It's a Facebook link. I'll post a screen shot. I think all their content is on FB.
Attachments
Oh cool, thanks Admiral. I'm not on stalkbook.
Wow! that's great news and a fascinating story. The Kent BoB museum at Hawkinge is a terrific place, but they have this draconian rule that photography is not permitted because more than 20 years ago someone broke in and stole some stuff and they believe the culprits took photos of the security system. Other than that, a great place.
The only photo I have from the Kent Battle of Britain Museum. The building to the right was the RAF Hawkinge watch office. Note the Hurricane replicas, the museum has a lot of these. To the right is a Bolingbroke fuselage. I took this photo from a mound that now sits where one of the hangars stood during the airfield's time as an RAF station.
2307 Hawkinge watch office
Wow! that's great news and a fascinating story. The Kent BoB museum at Hawkinge is a terrific place, but they have this draconian rule that photography is not permitted because more than 20 years ago someone broke in and stole some stuff and they believe the culprits took photos of the security system. Other than that, a great place.
The only photo I have from the Kent Battle of Britain Museum. The building to the right was the RAF Hawkinge watch office. Note the Hurricane replicas, the museum has a lot of these. To the right is a Bolingbroke fuselage. I took this photo from a mound that now sits where one of the hangars stood during the airfield's time as an RAF station.
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MiTasol
1st Lieutenant
Thank you Admiral
I also do not use Farsebook.
Great news that these engines survived and I found it interesting that the Peregrine had downdraft carbs which meant they were much more tolerant to dusty runways.
I also do not use Farsebook.
Great news that these engines survived and I found it interesting that the Peregrine had downdraft carbs which meant they were much more tolerant to dusty runways.
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
Good artical and a reminder that in the midst of the arguments about the P-38, Fw187 and Bf110, Britain also (for a short time) had a twin-engined fighter.
buffnut453
Captain
Wow!!! That's incredible news. Hopefully this will be the start of efforts to recreate a Whirlwind. I realize there are very few original components left, all recovered from crash sites...however, it would be awesome to have one in a museum somewhere.
buffnut453
Captain
Hmmm....it seems those Peregrines have been around for a while. According to this website, they were recovered in the 1970s:
warbirdsnews.com
Westland Whirlwind Fighter Project
The Westland Whirlwind was a remarkable twin-engined fighter which served Britain's Royal Air Force during the early stages of WWII. The type had great promise, being one of the fastest fighters of its day when it flew for the first time in October, 1938. With a top speed of 360mph at 15,000'...
warbirdsnews.com
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- #9
Admiral Beez
Major
It's a shame no one thought to keep a few Whirlwinds around.
buffnut453
Captain
Agreed. The last airframe, RAF serial P7048, was granted a civilian registration postwar and was used as a company hack by Westlands. Sadily, it was scrapped in 1947. Here's a sad photo of its remains:
Per the link in my previous post, it seems there's still interest in recreating a Whirlwind using as many original parts as possible, including the 2 engines and other components from the crash site of P6966. However, I don't know how well the project is proceeding. According to Wikipedia, the Whirlwind Fighter Project hoped to complete its replica around 2016 but that clearly hasn't happened.
The project is still on going. A newsletter was put out at Xmas 2021
www.whirlwindfighterproject.co.uk
www.whirlwindfighterproject.co.uk
MiTasol
1st Lieutenant
Thanks Ewen
I found the discussion on the prop aerodynamics at https://www.whirlwindfighterproject.co.uk/arm-waving-aerodynamics/ very interesting
I found the discussion on the prop aerodynamics at https://www.whirlwindfighterproject.co.uk/arm-waving-aerodynamics/ very interesting
When you consider that there were 2 prototype Whirlwinds built 1938/39 and 114 production aircraft completed between May 1940 and Dec 1941 and that 263 squadron still had 16 flyable when it converted to Typhoons at the end of 1943 and then that Rolls Royce only built 301 Peregrine engines between 1938 and 1942, the Peregrine cannot have been that unreliable.
By way of comparison they built 538 Vulture engines, most of which were for the 200 Manchesters built by Avro, which had a similar lifespan, albeit the last year in a training role.
By way of comparison they built 538 Vulture engines, most of which were for the 200 Manchesters built by Avro, which had a similar lifespan, albeit the last year in a training role.
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- #14
Admiral Beez
Major
They must have a great deal of engine and frame hours. That's at least a year and a half of combat service to run down from 114 aircraft to 16. What happened to those other 98? I wonder if many were stripped as parts machines rather than flown.
Pity, Dave for the Mighty Blenheim IF and its successor the Beaufighter, let's not forget the NF Mosquito variants...
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- #16
Admiral Beez
Major
I'm not sure I'd want to take either the Beaufighter or Mosquito up against the Axis single engined fighters. The Whirlwind, like the P-38 was up to that job. As for the Blenheim fighter, it was too slow...getting smoked in Malaya - might as well have stuck a gun pack on a Bombay. After the Whirlwind I don't think the British had a high performance single-seater twin-engined fighter until the Meteor.
Not denying any of this, but you might be reading subtext to the response that simply isn't there. Dave forgot to mention these aircraft, stating Britain only had a twin-engined fighter in the Whirlwind, which it didn't. No mention of effectiveness or career or stuff at all.
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
I was referring to the original heavy fighter (as designed) types and I should have included the Beaufighter, of course.
I just feel that the Whirlwind got a bad deal, as it did have potential but with the advent of the Mossie's ability to fill the Whirlwind's niche, the writing was on the wall.
True enough. I feel like the Whirlwind was over promised and under delivered. I guess in hindsight, knowing what we do about the history of the Peregrine, Petter could and should have started with the Merlin from the outset and perhaps had he not been so technologically ambitious he might have had a winner on his hands. A little bit simpler without the flaps interconnected with the radiator and engine cooling cowls, and a simpler control system - does an aircraft that size need a hydraulically actuated control system? Then the aircraft could have been a winner. Confining the design to the Peregrine was effectively a death sentence, because only with considerable redesign could a different engine be fitted. All in hindsight, of course.
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
Agreed.
Many types that held great promise, were doomed because they were designed for an engine that either didn't materialize or fell short of the mark.
Many types that held great promise, were doomed because they were designed for an engine that either didn't materialize or fell short of the mark.
