The Whirlwind - a plane I'd forgotten...

[Sparks]

While I agree that only 120 or so were built I still think the Whirlwind would be a good addition as an early war fighter attack.  Apparently its performance at low level (below 15000) was as good or better than then current Spitfires and even though it was a twin it was a very small aircraft so in terms of its fighter ability in the MA it wouldn't be the barn door target that the P38 is.

I agree Nexx that the Beaufighter has GOT to be a addition soon but I think the Whirlwind would be an intersting addition - and anything with 4 hispanos can't be all bad

Sparks

[Tony Williams]

Originally posted by Sabre
Sorry, but that is contrary to everything I've ever heard and read on the Defiant.  And if you'll think about it tactically, you'll see why.  With the only armament being four .303 machine guns, installed in a turret covering only the upper rear quadrant, it is totally unsuitable as a bomber destroyer.  The only way to attack a bomber would be to ease up underneath it until just below and forward.  Then, assuming the bomber pilot would oblige you by holding straight and level while you attack, you'ld bang away with only half the firepower of your lighter, faster, and more manueverable front-line interceptors.  The RAF was spending a lot of time being bounced by the higher LW fighters, leading to the shaky conclusion that putting the armament on the rear of the fighter would solve the problem.  Now you could argue that they might be more effective as close (very close) escort for your own bombers, but the Defiant's limited range becomes an issue in that role.

A few comments:

The point about the Defiant being able to fire forwards and upwards has already been made.

Bombers in tight, mutually defensive, daylight formations are not free to take violent avoiding action.

The design of the Defiant was fixed long before air battles started with the Luftwaffe, so could not have been influenced by any such experience.

"The British Fighter" (the standard work on the subject) states that the specification for the Defiant was to replace the Hawker Demon two-seat turret fighter, but there were conflicting views on its usefulness "...for it should be remembered that the Demon had only been introduced with one purpose in mind - that of intercepting its related light bomber version, the Hart."

Tony Williams
Author: "Rapid Fire: The development of automatic cannon, heavy machine guns and their ammunition for armies, navies and air forces"
Details on my military gun and ammunition website:
http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk
Military gun and ammunition discussion forum:
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[Tony Williams]

Originally posted by Replicant
As for the Whirlwind, only two squadrons used this plane in RAF service.  It was pretty much used in conjunction with the Typhoon (it entered service just before the Typhoon IA in 1941).  It could carry 2 x 250lb bombs which I believe was eventually increased to 2 x 500lb.  It's 4 x 20mm Hispano had 60 rds per gun and were originally very unreliable - think it was something to do with the cocking action and also going from drum to belt feed?

There were various problems with the British Hispano (although not as prolonged as the USA experienced with the same gun). The main ones were that the firing pin didn't always fire the primer (rapidly solved by shortening the chamber) and that the gun had been designed to be bolted to a rigid engine block, and didn't take kindly to be mounted in a flexible wing. The first Spitfire installation made matters worse by mounting the guns on their sides - they REALLY didn't like that.

The Whirlwind installation would have been more rigid, so should have avoided the worst of the problems. Belt feed was not used in this plane.

Tony Williams
Author: "Rapid Fire: The development of automatic cannon, heavy machine guns and their ammunition for armies, navies and air forces"
Details on my military gun and ammunition website:
http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk
Military gun and ammunition discussion forum:
http://forums.delphiforums.com/autogun/messages/