Whirlwind

The Westland Whirlwind was a twin‑engine fighter‑bomber developed in Britain during the late 1930s and introduced into service in 1940. Conceived by Westland Aircraft as a high‑performance interceptor, the Whirlwind combined a sleek all‑metal monocoque fuselage with a distinctive, low‑drag wing that housed two Rolls‑Royce Peregrine V‑12 engines. Its eight .303‑inch Browning machine guns, mounted in the nose, gave the aircraft a devastating forward‑firing capability unmatched by most contemporaries. First flown on 19 May 1938, the Whirlwind entered operational squadrons such as No. 263 and No. 486, where it proved especially effective at low‑level attacks against enemy shipping and ground targets during the early years of World War II. Despite its impressive speed of 360 mph and excellent climb rate, production was limited to only 112 airframes because the Peregrine engine suffered reliability problems and strategic priorities shifted toward other types. Nevertheless, the Whirlwind’s innovative all‑metal construction, high wing loading, and concentrated firepower influenced later British designs, marking it as a notable, though brief, milestone in the evolution of multi‑role combat aircraft. Today, surviving examples in museums serve as reminders of Westland’s engineering ambition and the aircraft’s brief but heroic legacy.