Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: Charlie on September 28, 2005, 05:29:18 AM

Title: The need to add the Whirlwind
Post by: Charlie on September 28, 2005, 05:29:18 AM

http://www.military.cz/british/air/war/fighter/whirlwind/whirlwind_en.htm

(http://www.military.cz/british/air/war/fighter/whirlwind/whirl_inflbw.jpg)

Would be an interesting add.

Charlie

Title: The need to add the Whirlwind
Post by: Lye-El on September 28, 2005, 10:01:10 AM

I like the German version better.  :D

(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/839_1127849744_800px-wilberwind_cfb_borden_2.jpg)

Title: The need to add the Whirlwind
Post by: Furball on September 28, 2005, 12:10:20 PM

Whirlwind really was a missed opportunity for the British, awesome low level plane for its time.

Would be a good early war attack plane.

Title: The need to add the Whirlwind
Post by: MOIL on September 29, 2005, 05:16:48 AM

Yes, add the Wirbelwind.

I've only been asking for this delightful piece of  equipment for 4yrs.

(http://www.panzer.punkt.pl/artykuly/wirbelwind/Wirbelwind_big.jpg)

:aok

Title: Westland Whirlwind
Post by: KD303 on September 29, 2005, 05:57:07 AM

I used to live in a house near the east coast of Scotland with a fine view of the disused Drem RAF fighter base, wishing I had some kind of time machine so I could watch the WWII planes doing their stuff! Drem was home to 263 squadron who, in July 1940, received delivery of the first production Whirlwinds. Their job was to iron out the teething problems, of which there were many. Not least the engines - RR Perigrines, which proved to be unreliable. At low altitude, it had excellent performance but was at a distinct disadvantage when fighter on fighter combat moved to higher altitudes, so it was neccessary to restrict operations to a lower level where, for a time, the type proved useful for light bombing and fighter sweeps. Because of its drawbacks, a high landing speed restricting the fields it could operate from being one, the initial order for 200 was cut to 112 and the second run of 200 was cancelled. Last plane came off the line in January 1942. Only two squadrons, 263 and 137 were equiped with Whirlwinds, though the second prototype underwent NF trials with 25 squadron (a Blenheim unit) between may and july 1940. The first prototype was equiped with and tested with 12 Browning 303s and another had a 37mm cannon. The production models, however, used four 20mm canon in the nose, giving a weight of fire of 600lb per minute, superior to any fighter in the world, at that time (1940).  By June 1943, 137 squadron had re-equiped with rocket firing Hurricane IVs and in December of the same year, 263 moved over to Typhoons.
No Whirlwinds survive today.
(Most info taken from: British Aircraft Of WWII by David Mondey)
It would be an interesting plane for Aces High but I fear it would be outclassed, though for hit and run on ground targets, it'd be useful. It was very useful for cross-channel sweeps on targets of opportunity.
KD (http://www.flyingsites.co.uk/forum/images/smiley.gif)

Title: The need to add the Whirlwind
Post by: Whisky58 on September 29, 2005, 10:10:32 AM

Whirlwinds with Merlins would be an interesting "what if" but priority went to other types at the time.