Westland Whirlwind revisited

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Admiral Beez said:
We can't add Merlins without costly changes. But with the Peregrine giving issues, was a return to the Kestrel ever considered? Add a supercharger? Rolls-Royce Kestrel - Wikipedia
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The RR Peregrine was not giving issues (whatever that means) apart from the usual problems caused by a new engine. With practically zero development because of the understandable concentration on the RR Merlin the 305 Peregrines built lasted in service till late 1943. The only changes I know of were to allow 100 Octane fuel and +12lbs boost.
 

+1 on this.

The only changes I know of were to allow 100 Octane fuel and +12lbs boost.
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Peregrine was allowed to +9 psi boost with 100 oct fuel, both for combat and take off.
Pilot's notes The Whirlwinnd I
 
The Whirlwind could have taken belts of 110-120 per gun. There were two different nose set ups built (but only one flown?) with the larger ammo capacity. Unfortunately the set ups were pneumatic powered magazines and not belts and did not work as claimed. By this time the Whirlwind was canceled and further developments were a very low priority.
No need for belts under the pilot.

BTW, Kestrels came with and without superchargers but reverting to a Kestrel even with a supercharger means over 100 hp less per engine.
 

The problem for the Whirlwind was that when the first production Peregrine was delivered in February 1940 the decision had already been made to cease production after 290 units. To all intents, the Whirlwind was doomed from that point on.

Anything else is just wishful thinking.

I think that the intractable problem of fitting the Merlin, with its up draught carburettor, have already been covered. Machine guns are a bit of a non starter for an aircraft designed to lift cannon! That is not how the Air Ministry worked.

Cheers

Steve
 
stona said:
Anything else is just wishful thinking.
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Time to double down on wishful thinking. Let's have a naval Whirlwind. We've got high landing speed, long take-off runs and short endurance issues to address, for starters. Ark Royal and Illustrious class lifts are likely too narrow, but wings need to fold to fit down Indomitable and Courageous types.
 
Whirlwind with radials would address availability issues of the Peregrine while not tying up Merlins needed for the Spitfire, Hurricanes, etc.

The closest to the Whirlwind I see is the IMAM Ro.57, showing what a Whirlwind with radials would look like.



With radials, you can omit the radiators and streamline the leading edge. Plus you can add fuel where the rads were, see below.



Put some Townend rings or NACA cowls over the radial engine and we'll still have a streamlined bird.
 
stona said:
Seems like a lot of work when you already have a Beaufighter.

Just saying
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Beaufighter was more of a light/medium bomber than 'fighter', it was much bigger than a P38. The radial engine Whirlwind would have been like an F5F Skyrocket. Same basic size as a single engine fighter.
 
pinsog said:
Beaufighter was more of a light/medium bomber than 'fighter', it was much bigger than a P38. The radial engine Whirlwind would have been like an F5F Skyrocket. Same basic size as a single engine fighter.
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Yes, and it fulfilled a lot of roles that a Whirlwind, whatever engines were bolted on to it, could not. The Whirlwind was far too small and a bit of a one trick pony, shades of the Fw 187 here.

The last thing the British needed was a T/E interceptor when they had the Spitfire and Hurricane and were expecting the Tornado. Twins were expensive and used a lot of valuable resources.
 
Admiral Beez said:
Agreed, stop production of the Whirlwind. But send all 100+ produced to late 1941 to Malaya to bolster the Buffaloes. It won't turn the coming loss to Japan, but it will give the Whirlwind a chance to shine.
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The Whirlwind was shining defending the South West Approaches to the English Channel. If there was to be another fighter sent to Malaya and the Straits Settlements, my choice would be the Mohawk IV.
 
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There were serious reliability and serviceability issues with the Whirlwind. It's one of the reasons it was sent to SW England, Westland was based at Yeovil.

Sending the type anywhere abroad, let alone to the Far East, would have been ridiculous.

I'm not sure how well the South West Approaches needed the Whirlwind. In May 1941 they flew 81 convoy patrols and 22 others, a total of 210 sorties without once meeting the enemy!
The Whirlwind did better in late 1941, and later, making low level attacks on Luftwaffe airfields and other targets.

Let's not forget that there were only ever two squadrons (Nos.263 and 137) operating the Whirlwind and that neither routinely had a double figure number of aircraft serviceable on any given day. I've read both squadron's ORBs.

Cheers

Steve
 
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