Whirlwind with Merlin Engines

What would the effects be of the British developing the Westland Whirlwind with Rolls-Royce Merlin engines instead of RR Peregrines?
Merlins were more powerful and reliable than Peregrines, but all the Merlin production was used for Hurricane and Spitfire production. So suppose that the British built less Hurricanes and Spitfires, and more Whirlwinds with the Merlin engine instead.
 
The Whirlwind's airframe was specifically built to use the smaller lighter Peregrine. To fit Merlins to that airframe would not have been possible.

There weren't any reliability issues with the Peregrines either, they just never got the chance for development like the Merlin or Griffon.Although the Whirlwind was shown to be a better fighter and fighterbomber in many ways than either the Hurricane or Spitfire below 20,000, there was already too large a commitment to the Merlin engine, which is why the Whirlwind was dropped.

So basically it wasn't done because it couldn't be done.
 
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