fighter aircraft

Aircraft designed primarily to secure control of essential airspace by destroying enemy aircraft in combat. Designed for high speed and maneuverability, they are armed with weapons capable of striking other aircraft in flight. Developed early in World War I, they engaged in aerial combat with other fighters, shot down enemy bombers, and conducted various tactical missions. Most were biplanes with wooden frames and cloth skins, equipped with light machine guns synchronized to fire through the propeller. World War II saw the development of all-metal monoplanes that exceeded speeds of 450 mph (725 kph). Famous fighters of the period included the Focke-Wulf 190, the P-47 and P-51, and the Zero. Jet aircraft were produced at the end of the war, and jet fighters such as the U.S. Sabre and the Soviet MiG saw extensive service in the Korean War and later conflicts. Seealso air warfare, F-15, F-16.

Learn more about fighter aircraft with a free trial on Britannica.com.

This article describes the Second World War fighter aircraft. For the postwar helicopter of the same name, see Westland Whirlwind (helicopter).

The British Whirlwind was a diminutive, twin-engine heavy fighter from the Westland Aircraft company. It was one of the fastest aircraft when it flew in the late 1930s, and was much more heavily armed than any other. However, protracted development problems with its Rolls-Royce Peregrine engines delayed the entire project and only a relatively small number were ever built. During the Second World War only two RAF squadrons were equipped with the Whirlwind, and despite successful use as a fighter-bomber, its service life was short.

Background

The Whirlwind's origin lay in the new aircraft being developed for the RAF in the mid 1930s, following the last biplane fighters. With higher attack speeds giving shorter opportunities for firing on targets, it was decided to increase the minimum level of armament fitted to aircraft. Instead of two rifle-calibre machine guns, eight were specified. At the same time it was recognised that cannons such as the 20mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 which could fire exploding ammunition offered another route to heavy firepower and requests were made for aircraft designs which could carry four of these cannons.

A serious problem for air planners of the 1930s was that one could only build a nimble combat aircraft if it was small. Such an aircraft would have limited space for fuel, and would only have enough range to fight in defensive operations. A multi-engined fighter appeared to be the best solution to the problem of range, but it seemed that any fighter large enough to incorporate a substantial fuel load would be too unwieldy to successfully engage its single-engine counterparts in combat.

Germany and the United States pressed ahead with such programs anyway, which resulted in the Messerschmitt Bf 110 and the Lockheed P-38. The Luftwaffe was soon boasting that the Bf 110 could defeat any single-engine fighter, and do so while operating at long ranges escorting their bombers.

Design and development

The claims made about the Bf 110 piqued the interest of the British Air Ministry, who issued specification F.37/35 in 1935, which called for a single-seat day and night fighter armed with four cannons. Five aircraft were submitted in response to the specification, of which three were twin-engined types: the Boulton Paul P.88, the Bristol Type 153A, the Hawker F.37/35 (which was a Hurricane variant), the Supermarine 312 (a Spitfire variant), the Supermarine 313 and the Westland P.9 which was successful. A contract was placed in February 1937 for two prototypes of Westland's design.

Westland's design team, under the new leadership of Teddy Petter (who was later to design the English Electric Canberra and Lightning), designed an aircraft that employed state-of-the-art technology. The monocoque fuselage was a small tube with a T-tail at the end, built completely of stressed-skin duraluminium, with the pilot sitting high under one of the world's first full bubble canopies, while the low and forward location of the wing made for superb visibility (except for directly over the nose). Four 20 mm cannons were mounted in the nose, making it the most heavily armed fighter aircraft of its era; the clustering of the weapons also meant that there were no convergence problems as with wing-mounted guns. Hopes were so high for the design that it remained "top secret" for much of its development, although it had already been mentioned in the French press.

The first prototype (L6844) flew on 11 October 1938. It exhibited excellent handling and was very easy to fly at all speeds. The only exception was the high landing speed; Fowler flaps were added to correct this problem, which also required the horizontal stabilizer (tailplane) to be moved up out of the way of the disturbed air flow caused when the flaps were down. An initial production order for 200 machines was placed in January 1939 followed by a second order for a similar number, deliveries to fighter squadrons being scheduled to begin in September 1940.

The Whirlwind was quite small, only slightly larger than the Hurricane in overall size, but smaller in terms of frontal area. The landing gear was fully retractable and the entire aircraft was very "clean" with few openings or protuberances. Careful attention to streamlining and two 885 hp Peregrine engines powered it to over 360 mph (580 km/h), the same speed as the latest single-engine fighters which used much higher-powered engines. The speed quickly garnered it the nick-name Crikey, (a minced oath meaning "my god!" or more accurately "Christ's keys!").

But there were problems as well. The aircraft actually had limited range, under 300 miles combat radius, which made it marginal as an escort. More troublesome were the continued failures of the Peregrine engines. Originally intended to be one of Rolls' main designs, the Merlin had become much more important to the war effort and the Peregrine was relegated to a secondary status, and the first deliveries of Peregrine engines did not reach Westland until January 1940.

Westland argued for the creation of a Mk II model using two Merlin engines, but by this time the role of escort fighter was becoming less important as Bomber Command turned to night bomber missions. By 1940, the Supermarine Spitfire was mounting 20 mm cannons, so the "cannon-armed" requirement was also being met. The main qualities the RAF were looking for in a twin-engine fighter was range and carrying capacity (to allow the large radar apparatus of the time to be carried), which the Bristol Beaufighter could do just as well as or even better than the Whirlwind.

Development and delivery problems with the Peregrine engines along with a number of flying accidents and its high landing speed which restricted the number of airfields from which it could operate, resulted in Whirlwind production being ended in January 1942 after the completion of just 112 aircraft.

Operational history

The Bf 110's experience had shown the difficulties faced by twin-engined fighters against modern fighter aircraft and as a result the Whirlwind was confined to two squadrons. The first production aircraft were delivered to No. 263 Squadron in July 1940, after the decision had been made that No. 263, not No. 25, would be the first RAF Whirlwind squadron. However, from then until October, production of the Peregrine engine was so slow that only 11 Whirlwinds could be delivered to the squadron. Due to slow deliveries and the delays involved in transitioning from Hawker Hurricanes to the new fighter, the squadron did not become operational with Whirlwinds until December 1940, but went on to fly them until December 1943. A second Whirlwind squadron, No. 137, flew the type from September 1941 until June 1943.

No. 263 squadron became operational with the Whirlwind in December 1940, carrying out convoy patrols from Exeter. The Whirlwind’s first confirmed kill occurred on 8 February, when the squadron shot down an Arado Ar 196 floatplane. The squadron went on to carry out day bomber escort missions with the Whirlwinds, including the escort of six Blenheim squadrons to Antwerp on 12 August 1941. In the summer of 1942, both squadrons' Whirlwinds were fitted with racks to carry two 250 lb or 500 lb bombs and redesignated Whirlwind IA. These undertook low-level cross-channel "Rhubarb" sweeps, attacking locomotives, bridges, shipping, and other targets until late 1943 when both squadrons re-equipped with Hawker Typhoons.

One Whirlwind (P6972) was tested as a night fighter in 1940 with No. 25 Squadron while the first prototype was tested with an armament configuration of 12 0.303 machine guns. Another Whirlwind had a single 37 mm cannon fitted.

An appraisal

At low level, the aircraft was a devastating fighter-bomber, armed with both cannons and bombs, and it could hold its own with the Bf 109 at low-level. The performance of the Peregrine engine fell off at altitude, so the Whirlwind was used almost exclusively at low level.

Philip J.R. Moyes notes in Aircraft in Profile 191: The Westland Whirlwind:

Bruce Robertson, in The Westland Whirlwind Described quotes a 263 Squadron pilot as saying, "It was regarded with absolute confidence and affection.”

The aircraft is well summed up by Francis K. Mason’s comments in Royal Air Force Fighters of World War Two, Vol. One:

Variants

P.9 prototype

Single-seat twin-engine fighter aircraft prototype. Two built (L6844 and L6845), can be distinguished from later production samples by the mudguards above the wheels (Though the first production sample (P6966) had them as well), the exhaust system and the so-called 'acorn' on the joint between fin and rudder .Whirlwind I

Single-seat twin-engine fighter aircraft, 400 ordered, 114 builtWhirlwind IA

Single-seat twin-engine fighter-bomber aircraft, fitted with underwing bomb racks. At least 67 conversions made from the original Mk.I fighter.

Operators

• Royal Air Force
• No. 25 Squadron RAF May 1940 - July 1940, Squadron code 'ZK' (not used on the three Whirlwinds it tested).
• No. 137 Squadron RAF September 1941 - June 1943, Squadron code 'SF'.
• No. 263 Squadron RAF July 1940 - December 1943, Squadron code 'HE'.

Survivors

With the end of production in January 1942, the Whirlwind became another "also-ran." Today none exist, as surviving airframes were scrapped at 5MU - RAF Kemble. Plans for a 2/3 scale replica were marketed for homebuilding in the late 1970s and early '80s as the Butterworth Westland Whirlwind. In 2003, UK aircraft restorer Tony King announced that he would lead a group to build a Westland Whirlwind replica from scratch. Built in aluminium throughout, the full-scale replica was intended to taxi under its own power. Since the project announcement, further work appears to be stymied.

Specifications (Whirlwind)

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Bingham, Victor. Whirlwind, The Westland Whirlwind Fighter. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 1987. ISBN 1-85310-004-8.
• Crawford, Alex and Phil H. Listemann. Allied Wings No.4: Westland Whirlwind Mk.I. www.raf-in-combat.com, 2008. ISBN 2-9526381-8-7.
• Green, William. Warplanes of the Second World War, Fighters, Vol. 2. London: Macdonald, 1961.
• Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. WW2 Aircraft Fact Files - RAF Fighters, Part 3. London: Jane's, 1981. ISBN 0-7106-0119-0.
• Hall, Alan W. Westland Whirlwind F.Mk.I (Warpaint Series no.54). Luton, Berfordshire, UK: Warpaint Books, 2006. No ISBN.
• James, Derek N. Westland (Images of England). Gloucestershire, UK: Tempus Publishing Ltd., 1997. ISBN 0-7524-0799-6.
• James, Derek N. Westland: A History. Gloucestershire, UK: Tempus Publishing Ltd., 2002. ISBN 0-7524-2772-5.
• Mason, Francis K. Royal Air Force Fighters of World War Two, Volume One. Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Hylton Lacy Publishers Ltd., 1969.
• Mondey, David. Westland (Planemakers 2). London: Jane's Publishing Company, 1982. ISBN 0-7106-0134-4.
• Morgan, Eric B. "Westland P.9 Whirlwind." Twentyfirst Profile Vol.2, No.14. New Milton, Hertfordshire, UK: 21st Profile Ltd., ISBN 0-961-8120-11.
• Moyes, Philip J.R. Westland Whirlwind (Profile No. 191). London: Profile Publications, 1967.
• Ovcácík, Michal and Karel Susa. Westland Whirlwind: Mk.I Fighter, Mk.I fighter-bomber. Prague, Czech Republic: Mark 1 Ltd., 2002. ISBN 80-902559-6-5.
• Robertson, Bruce. Westland Whirlwind Described. Dandenong, Victoria, Australia: Kookaburra Technical Publications, 1970. ISBN 085-88000-4-7.
• Taylor, John W.R. "Westland Whirlwind" Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the present. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. ISBN 0-425-03633-2.

External links

• Westland Whirlwind
• British Aircraft of WW2
• colour profiles