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Old 01-03-2019, 09:54 AM
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Paper Kosmonaut Paper Kosmonaut is offline
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Thanks all around for the kind words, friends.

It indeed is a very intriguing plane, there only were two RAF squadrons equipped with this plane, and there were only 140 or thereabout built. Biggest problem was the engine, the Rolls Royce Peregrine. A little 12 cylinder engine. The Whirly was one of just two plane types that used it. Rolls Royce wanted to concentrate on the much bigger and more powerful Merlin and that was the main reason the Whirlwind was abandoned. Besides, two engines did cost a lot of extra fuel, while one Merlin did a better job than two Peregrines.

Just one survived the war (the rest was scrapped) and that last one also was scrapped in the early 50's. Still, the pilots flying the Whirlies were very happy with their machines. It had some heritage, though, the Westland Whelkin is based on the Whirlwind and the Peregrine V12 engine was developed into an X-24 engine called Vulture, a block that was used in the twin-prop bomber AVRO Manchester (which developed into the Lancaster with four Merlins), the Hawker Tornado, a dead-end fighter plane that evolved into the Tempest and eventually the Sea Fury.

I think is isn't ugly at all, Kacper. Im my eyes it is a very sleek, elegant small plane, almost a little baby sister of the Mosquito.

There is a small group of people in the UK at the moment building a full-scale replica of the Whirlwind, and as far as I know, they want to make it airworthy. I presume they will be putting in other engines than the Peregrine.
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