Edgar Brooks
Senior Airman
You asked for capabilities, not design specifications.But not when designed or prototyped.
Do you have any evidence that the Mk.II Peregrine could have operated at 30,000'? All that is ever mentioned is the work needed to make it capable of using 100 octane 100% of the time.The Tornado/Typhoon was to be the next generation all altitudes fighter. Now, with the resources put into the Whirlwind instead, the high altitude limitation upon Whirlwinds could have been dealt with.
To fit Merlins would have needed modified/strengthened wings, so it seems doubtful that the Whirlwind could have carried a pair of 1000lb bombs.Is there any structural loading etc. limitation that would prevent a Whirlwind eventually carrying a Typhoon low level strike load equivalent to the OTL Typhoon?
Just as a personal take, I would see the low level role going to radial Whirwinds and the medium/high level one to developed Peregrine/Merlin Whirlwinds but that is not the point I was exploring.