There is so little information available about this machine, as if it has been virtually erased from history, and there are no surviving examples in museums that I am aware of. Lovely to see that there still exists contemporary film as a record that it ever existed.
I found your channel looking for Lidl gliders and have found a band I really like and footage of a Westland whirlwind, I've recently completed 40 years in the factory these were made, now Leonardo helicopters . Your Lidl glider looks amazing by the way
The Whirlwind was an aesthetically beautiful aeroplane. Those who flew it loved it. The four 20mm canons in the nose would have made it a fantastically effective bomber killer. Damned shame it was killed by politics.
If you dislike a video you will not get inundated with videos from this guy's channel in your recommended section. It's a work around because TH-cam IT are a bunch of putz's!
Gorgeous plane - especially considering it first flew in 1938. Those beautiful engine nacelles, bubble canopy and ferocious-looking armament. Makes me wonder how it would have done with a pair of Merlins in place of the Peregrines.
Whirlwind Mk@ was planned, with Merlin 20s and tricycle undercarriage, but was not allowed to be built, as the Merlin engines were not permitted to be used in it.
@@cassandrafoxx4171 Tricycle undercarriage? I believe you. But they would have had to REALLY extend the nose to fit it and balance it. But, it might have been one honey of an aircraft.
@@McRocket It was similar to the Lightning for the front gear, in that it projected forward where it sat. The lower guns were moved to either side to accommodate the front wheel, and the gear retracted aft and shortened a little. The main landing gear were reversed in how they lowered and sat when locked. Considering the 80MPH of the original landing speed was considered quite fast already, the landing speed of the Mk2 could have been as high as 100MPH, so a tricycle landing gear was considered necessary to handle the speeds, even if there was no increase, and would have made landing and taxiing a lot easier for vision.
there was nothing wrong with the Rolls engines. We're an upgraded Kestrel used in most pre war Hawker aircraft , ew engine call Peregrine , but Rolls used two of them to build the rubbish called Vulture used on the Manchester , another load of rubbish , worked on those that crashed all over the place , until Avro put four Merlins and added 12 feet of wing , this aircraft was also rubbish , had a short wing likevthe Stirling , not enough lift so no height with a full bomb load , I flew as second pilot , and Fe on Halifax 2, 5, 3. Lancaster 1 and factory on 2, Stirling , and Avro York , about 1000hours U.K. India , The whirlwind was a super aircraft , better than both the Hurricane and Spitfire. , why was it not used more , lot of retreads from WW1, could not fly it scared them silly , only had one pair of wings had two engines , so was faster and much better as a fighter , so lots of excuses Landed fast so special runways needed,engines needed for the Manchester, tails fall off , the last is rubbish I witnessed Avicenna of three whirlwinds over Cornwall flying in tight formation How the RAF fought the Germans and got shot down in droves , one wing man hit the tail of the leader tail broke and the leader crashed a few miles away ,nothing was above the serface , I have a cope of that Sauadron records , states tail came off in flight , o one blamed , pilot who died trying to rescue his plane , all rubbish , sorry about the typing old finger
Whirlwind used more metal than spits and hurricanes, while the RAF wanted large numbers of planes, to make sure they could be distributed better along the coast. Fewer number of Whirlwinds would have made that distribution of planes even more difficult
It was only later that the Whirlwinds performance problem was isolated as being something simple as using the wrong props, Pegasus engine was fine but RR could not make both it and the Merlin in quantity anyway. Four 20 mm cannons at that time was the way to go.
Yes they did. Notably as part of the counter to Operation Cerberus. The only 190 shot down by a whirlwind in WW2 was 8/JG26 190 flown by Uffz Wälter, 28 jan 43, shot down by Musgrave of 137Sq, ( this whirlwind flown had previously shot down a DO-217 in july '42) There were a few 109's, couple of Ju-88's, a DO-217, a Ar-196, a HE-III and unfortunately an RAF blenheim. The Luftwaffe claimed 13 Whirlwinds shot down.
Like the Mosquito it preceded, it's an aircraft that just looks like a great design and should be successful....shame about the engines. Shame it never had Merlins fitted.
There were plans for a Mk2 Whirlwind, with Merlin 65s, four-bladed props, a Spitfire-type wing for higher altitudes and tricycle undercarriage, but when the Air Ministry restricted the use of Merlins, they fell by the wayside. The plans used to be up on a museum website, along with hundreds of others, but they disappeared back in 2002 for some unknown reason.
@@cassandrafoxx4171 Interesting information. Thanks. If you can remember which museum's website it was, maybe you could send them an email, asking about the plans?
I tried that. It seems the museum has closed down completely around 2002. It's hopeful their collection was transferred to other museums, but if they did, I haven't found where they've gotten to... yet. I'll try and see if I can find the name again, but after moving house a few times since then, the info, if I still have it, might be in storage or lost.
That's a he'll of a lot of firepower in an aircraft as fast as a Spitfire hate to be on other end of an attack Pity the engines didn't live up to their promise
As fast as a Spitfire more firepower than any enemy aircraft could withstand but let down by overheating engines If Britain could have produced more Marlins to change over from Peregrinnes well who knows but at the time every Merlin was needed elsewhere
It should they're of the same ilk those in charge pissèd away their operational time so they didn't see combat until other faster more modern designs came into use in the whirlwinds case the mosquito and in the tigercats place the Panther jet!
If Rolls Royce hadn't stopped developing the engines it would have gone like a tigercat as well ,one of very few twins that could mix it with a Bf 109.
Weird, it seemed way more modern than other RAF aircraft at the time. It had way better armament than our other fighters: 4x20mm cannons in the nose. It looks more streamlined than anything else except a Spitfire. It had much better visibility with that perspex canopy than anything else. Just a shame about the engines. I suppose it made sense for Rolls Royce to concentrate on the Merlin and Griffon if their resources were limited.
Kevin Varney - Streamlining, or "free speed" as it's sometimes known, was a big feature of the Whirlwind design. Originally the designers had a section of the exhaust running through the middle of a fuel tank as part of the quest for streamlining.
![เจ็บที่ยังฮัก - ม่อน วรวิทย์ [ Official Mv ] จอนนี่มิวสิค](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/KALIGSRSjFs/mqdefault.jpg)
There is so little information available about this machine, as if it has been virtually erased from history, and there are no surviving examples in museums that I am aware of. Lovely to see that there still exists contemporary film as a record that it ever existed.
Only one airframe survived, and is in the hands of a private owner. Nothing is known about it since it was bought at auction in the 2000s.
Super bit of vintage film of a fabulous aeroplane.
She was under powered! The Mosquito replaced it.
The saddest" what if" of the war. Beautiful aircraft
I found your channel looking for Lidl gliders and have found a band I really like and footage of a Westland whirlwind, I've recently completed 40 years in the factory these were made, now Leonardo helicopters . Your Lidl glider looks amazing by the way
Tremendously advanced aeroplane. I wonder what the performance would have been like if it had been fitted with Merlins?
it was a surprisingly good aircraft, in the right hands formidable.
The Whirlwind was an aesthetically beautiful aeroplane.
Those who flew it loved it.
The four 20mm canons in the nose would have made it a fantastically effective bomber killer.
Damned shame it was killed by politics.
What did the two people disliking this video want? A Whirlwind to materialise in their basement? Some Ariana Grande music accompaniment?
If you dislike a video you will not get inundated with videos from this guy's channel in your recommended section. It's a work around because TH-cam IT are a bunch of putz's!
Gorgeous plane - especially considering it first flew in 1938.
Those beautiful engine nacelles, bubble canopy and ferocious-looking armament.
Makes me wonder how it would have done with a pair of Merlins in place of the Peregrines.
That's the question all the Whirlwind lovers ask themselves
Whirlwind Mk@ was planned, with Merlin 20s and tricycle undercarriage, but was not allowed to be built, as the Merlin engines were not permitted to be used in it.
@@cassandrafoxx4171 Tricycle undercarriage? I believe you. But they would have had to REALLY extend the nose to fit it and balance it.
But, it might have been one honey of an aircraft.
@@McRocket It was similar to the Lightning for the front gear, in that it projected forward where it sat. The lower guns were moved to either side to accommodate the front wheel, and the gear retracted aft and shortened a little. The main landing gear were reversed in how they lowered and sat when locked. Considering the 80MPH of the original landing speed was considered quite fast already, the landing speed of the Mk2 could have been as high as 100MPH, so a tricycle landing gear was considered necessary to handle the speeds, even if there was no increase, and would have made landing and taxiing a lot easier for vision.
@@cassandrafoxx4171 Do you have a link?
That aircraft was a beast.
At the age of 94 exRAF Apprentice Saw some of them in action ,and have info not known , and I flew 41 ops as a FE , lots of history , Smiler
reg miles I'd love to sit and hear your stories over a few beers ! God bless and thank you for your service !
there was nothing wrong with the Rolls engines. We're an upgraded Kestrel used in most pre war Hawker aircraft , ew engine call Peregrine , but Rolls used two of them to build the rubbish called Vulture used on the Manchester , another load of rubbish , worked on those that crashed all over the place , until Avro put four Merlins and added 12 feet of wing , this aircraft was also rubbish , had a short wing likevthe Stirling , not enough lift so no height with a full bomb load , I flew as second pilot , and Fe on Halifax 2, 5, 3. Lancaster 1 and factory on 2, Stirling , and Avro York , about 1000hours U.K. India ,
The whirlwind was a super aircraft , better than both the Hurricane and Spitfire. , why was it not used more , lot of retreads from WW1, could not fly it scared them silly , only had one pair of wings had two engines , so was faster and much better as a fighter , so lots of excuses Landed fast so special runways needed,engines needed for the Manchester, tails fall off , the last is rubbish I witnessed Avicenna of three whirlwinds over Cornwall flying in tight formation How the RAF fought the Germans and got shot down in droves , one wing man hit the tail of the leader tail broke and the leader crashed a few miles away ,nothing was above the serface , I have a cope of that Sauadron records , states tail came off in flight , o one blamed , pilot who died trying to rescue his plane , all rubbish , sorry about the typing old finger
Whirlwind used more metal than spits and hurricanes, while the RAF wanted large numbers of planes, to make sure they could be distributed better along the coast. Fewer number of Whirlwinds would have made that distribution of planes even more difficult
It looks so right. Should have been developed to its full potential, but with the war on there were other priorities.
Any idea which airfield this was filmed at? Exeter or Harrowbeer maybe?
Love this plane so much!
It should have been re-engined ith a pair of W1X and later H1 or Derwents.
It was only later that the Whirlwinds performance problem was isolated as being something simple as using the wrong props, Pegasus engine was fine but RR could not make both it and the Merlin in quantity anyway. Four 20 mm cannons at that time was the way to go.
Peregrine engines, not Pegasus
Peregrine engines. Pegasus were radials
Did Whirlwinds ever engage 109's or 190's ?? My mother lived in Yeovil and worked for Westlands with the design team, also worked on the Lysander.
Yes they did. Notably as part of the counter to Operation Cerberus.
The only 190 shot down by a whirlwind in WW2 was 8/JG26 190 flown by Uffz Wälter, 28 jan 43, shot down by Musgrave of 137Sq,
( this whirlwind flown had previously shot down a DO-217 in july '42)
There were a few 109's, couple of Ju-88's, a DO-217, a Ar-196, a HE-III and unfortunately an RAF blenheim.
The Luftwaffe claimed 13 Whirlwinds shot down.
Like the Mosquito it preceded, it's an aircraft that just looks like a great design and should be successful....shame about the engines. Shame it never had Merlins fitted.
There were plans for a Mk2 Whirlwind, with Merlin 65s, four-bladed props, a Spitfire-type wing for higher altitudes and tricycle undercarriage, but when the Air Ministry restricted the use of Merlins, they fell by the wayside. The plans used to be up on a museum website, along with hundreds of others, but they disappeared back in 2002 for some unknown reason.
@@cassandrafoxx4171 Interesting information. Thanks. If you can remember which museum's website it was, maybe you could send them an email, asking about the plans?
I tried that. It seems the museum has closed down completely around 2002. It's hopeful their collection was transferred to other museums, but if they did, I haven't found where they've gotten to... yet. I'll try and see if I can find the name again, but after moving house a few times since then, the info, if I still have it, might be in storage or lost.
@@cassandrafoxx4171 Thanks, for that.
Westland Welkin mate. Enjoy :)
Very similar in layout to the much later D.H.Hornet. Right aeroplane at the wrong time?
The Hornet came too late, the Whirlwind too soon
Awesome aircraft,pity they didn't have better engines .
Apparently it was the propellers which held it back according to new data.
Rare aircraft thanx for posting!!
Such a beautiful design, shame it didn't play a more prominent role in the great war !
That's a he'll of a lot of firepower in an aircraft as fast as a Spitfire hate to be on other end of an attack Pity the engines didn't live up to their promise
Right plane wrong time in the War.....?🤔
It like looking at a movie featuring dodos or dinosaurs. Not a single example survives. Why?
As fast as a Spitfire more firepower than any enemy aircraft could withstand but let down by overheating engines If Britain could have produced more Marlins to change over from Peregrinnes well who knows but at the time every Merlin was needed elsewhere
reminds me of the Grumman F7F
It should they're of the same ilk those in charge pissèd away their operational time so they didn't see combat until other faster more modern designs came into use in the whirlwinds case the mosquito and in the tigercats place the Panther jet!
If Rolls Royce hadn't stopped developing the engines it would have gone like a tigercat as well ,one of very few twins that could mix it with a Bf 109.
Weird, it seemed way more modern than other RAF aircraft at the time. It had way better armament than our other fighters: 4x20mm cannons in the nose. It looks more streamlined than anything else except a Spitfire. It had much better visibility with that perspex canopy than anything else. Just a shame about the engines. I suppose it made sense for Rolls Royce to concentrate on the Merlin and Griffon if their resources were limited.
Kevin Varney - Streamlining, or "free speed" as it's sometimes known, was a big feature of the Whirlwind design. Originally the designers had a section of the exhaust running through the middle of a fuel tank as part of the quest for streamlining.
English me-262
No....more like a better Me410
Tragic Craft. Rare film