Since the
original thread is in danger of being closed, I'll post some comments on the Whirlwind here:
Probably no one around to read this but there seems to be a few misunderstandings about the Whirlwind so I will try to answer them.
1) the whirlwind was the fastest fighter in the world when first flown especially at low level and one of the first cannon armed so had lots of potential to develop further had luck gone its way.
2) Petter wanted Merlins for it from the off but because the Merlin at the time of its design was problematical to say the least the AM forced Peregrines on them in case the Merlin never saw the light of day. Ironically the 'safe' Peregrines proved the more problematical and thus cancelled. RR actually wasn't a large company in aero engines at the time and couldn't cope with too many designs of engine to build. These decisions effectively destroyed the opportunity of what was a very promising and potent aircraft.
3) it was held back in the BofB mostly because it was the only cannon armed aircraft, that should invasion occur capable of being effective against armoured vehicles.
4) it was designed as it was ie though the official Escort RAF fighter (as with all then UK fighter designs) had short range because no one expected France to fall and bombing raids thus to have to be over such long range and long range fighters to escort them. Plus the engines power potential forced the tight design people mention.
5) it was sadly delayed by the engine problems and initial canon feed issues. A Whirlwind was in fact sent to the US where it's canon set up helped perfect the Lightenings own installation.
6) Petter proposed the re engining of the aircraft again in 41 but it was rejected, we spoke to to an engineer from Westlands who saw the drawings. The main reason for this was because RR could not build enough Merlins at the time and a fighter that took two was never going to win out against one that took one engine especially as cannon armed Spits would soon be operative which was the main rationale of the WW design. In fact the Merlin suprisingly not that much bigger or heavier than the Peregrine, the lightweight low profile one on the Hornet would have been the ideal version of course but somewhat too late.
7) the above (6) explains why a twin was not contemplated by the AM at that time and answers the question posed in this thread. it was simply too big a waste of resources for a country fighting for its life. The AM were clearly right in that regard even if it nearly prevented the Mossie from happening had DeHaviland not developed it privately. Probably also delayed the Hornet but that's another story except to add the WW had handed engines the Hornet did not because RAF experience was that the logistics and complications they caused could not be justified in a war environment. They were in the best position to judge that not us. The Hornet had an additional gear mech however that did reverse the direction thus keeping the engine the same but the advantage of a fully handed engine too.
8) the WW though only 110 odd were built was in fact the longest lasting single mk aircraft in the RAF during WW2 when they run out of airframes during 43 when it was still operating as a very effective low level Whirlybird bomber where it's speed was still pretty competitive. So to say it could not be developed is somewhat unfair. It had plenty of potential to be developed indeed a jet version was also proposed to get a jet fighter in the air a year earlier.
9) a lot of Westlands problems were that it was a young company only separated from its Petter engineering parent a few years before the war and thus had none of the influence within or comfidence of the AM that Hawker or Vickers had. Equally it was fully occupied building Lysanders which after the fall of France were vital for interdiction work and seafires for the navy. Thus it was deemed they could not take on other work. Supermarine had similar problems but it got around them by being owned by Vickers luckily. Yet remember the Spitfire was nearly cancelled itself and initially only a small order was placed then to be superseded by the Typhoon/Tornado had things gone to plan. Hawker had long been the established fighter company and had the clout to match.
10) the WW was never going to be a long range fighter without considerable modification if even then, so not really comparable to the P38 unlike the Hornet which was persued by the AM, even though only jets were being considered, at the time because it was to be used on carriers in the Pacific against the Japanese.
11) while Eric Brown wasn't a great fan of the WW he only flew it in 42 by which time it had remained in service for around 3 years unaltered which in war years was effectively a decade of development. We interviewed 2 of its operational pilots and they claimed to love it's characteristics and also that most of their fellow flyers did too. Yes it had a reputation for a high landing speed though this seems to have been exaggerated and only really affected some of the shorter grass strips the fighters often operated from, it certainly would have been able to land anywhere a p38 could. Equally most of the over heating occurred on the ground relating to its then ground breaking wing mounted radiators which at least helped development of the similar ones in the Mossie and Hornet.
1) Very fast Whirly was indeed in 1940, though Spitfire was probably a bit faster.
2) Any sources on Peter wanted Merlins for Whirly when it was on the paper stage?
3) Airframes/Terry
covered that - the 1st squadron was still in training in August 1940.
4) Nothing prevented Peter to make Whirly somewhat bigger than Defiant or Hurricane, or size of Fw 187, or size of Ro.58, or with thinner but bigger wing. Whirly as escort fighter as-is? I don't think so.
5) Unfortunatley, sources are lacking on that, as pointed on another forum.
6) Yes, Peregrine was the size of Merlin. However, if there was a prolific military engine anywhere in the world in 1937-42, that was Merlin.
7) Mossie was conceived as bomber, and then as recon. AM didn't have problems in ordering the even bigger, heavier and more expensive Beaufighter and Lightning, and the price of Typhoon was probably in the ballpark. Reason for 1900-2800 HP fighters, 24-28 cylinders, was that they were supposed to carry very heavy firepower and still out-perform 1-engined fighters that carried heavy firepower - Beaufighter was supposed to do 370 mph, Lighting 400, Typhoon 460(!). WW didn't have handed engines.
8) Yes, the WW could've been upgraded - better radiators/intake/carb/exhausts, cross fuel feed, drop tanks, belt-fed cannons. Jet version? Probably with enough of lead-in time.
9) Lysander was cold meat on table vs. LW fighters & Flak, so it's usability vs. invading LW would've been limited to increasing kill tally for the experten & Flak gunners. Someone in the AM was of opinion that Westland was capable for extra design work, since Welkin emerged quickly. Seafires - yes, but in 1943, not in 1940/41.
10) Hornet was prerogative of the AM, carriers and Sea Hornet were prerogative of the Admirality/FAA.