Westland Whirlwind Whirling in my brain

[PR19_Kit]

If you want to put more weight in a Whirlwind, in the form of heavier engines, you need more wing too.

I keep ON saying that. 

[Rick Lowe]

If you want to put more weight in a Whirlwind, in the form of heavier engines, you need more wing too.

I keep ON saying that. 

Yeah, but you apply it to everything... 

[Old Wombat]

This thread & a recent (to me) Rex's Hangar YT video on another twin-engined single-seat fighter got me thinking ...


What would the Battle of Britain have looked like if these two aircraft dominated the skies, instead of the Bf. 109 & the Spitfire*?





Focke-Wulf Fw 187 Falke          &          Westland Whirlwind (fighter)

Obviously with further development ... &, perhaps, better engines?




[*: OK, in reality, the Hurricane - but the Spit wins on the Pop Culture front.]

[NARSES2]

Always liked the Falke, indeed I'm building a single seater at the moment 

[PR19_Kit]

[*: OK, in reality, the Hurricane - but the Spit wins on the Pop Culture front.]

So true, sadly.

[jcf]

This thread & a recent (to me) Rex's Hangar YT video on another twin-engined single-seat fighter got me thinking ...


What would the Battle of Britain have looked like if these two aircraft dominated the skies, instead of the Bf. 109 & the Spitfire*?





Focke-Wulf Fw 187 Falke          &          Westland Whirlwind (fighter)

Obviously with further development ... &, perhaps, better engines?




[*: OK, in reality, the Hurricane - but the Spit wins on the Pop Culture front.]

Like the Battle of Britain with twin-engine fighters?
🧐

Of course even with different fighters
it wouldn't change all that much as
the "home team" would still have the
same advantages:
Chain Home; the most complete and advanced centralized air defense command and system in the world; a an increasing supply of new airframes to replace losses; damaged aircraft could land and be returned to flight; the ability to land, refuel, rearm and make more sorties; pilots who had to bail out were "at home" and the not seriously injured and uninjured able to quickly return to flight; the training programs were producing replacement pilots at an increasing rate etc.

The Luftwaffe on the other hand was
tactically disadvantanged due to Chain Home and the air defense system;
pilots who bailed out and survived were captured, which meant entire crews lost in the case of bombers; ditto when shot down without survivors; damaged aircraft were often unable to return to their base; fuel and armament limitations, what you took off with was it; repair and replacement had to be done at bases in France which meant a much longer, and complex, logistical tail etc.

Britain would have had to seriously cock it up in order to lose.

[Mossie]

Engines may have been an issue. Doubling the engines increases costs and put strain on the manufacture and logistics. A bomb or two in the wrong place may have caused supply issues at a critical time.

[jcf]

Engines may have been an issue. Doubling the engines increases costs and put strain on the manufacture and logistics. A bomb or two in the wrong place may have caused supply issues at a critical time.

Yes, but remember that they'd started putting the shadow factory plans into play before the war, for engines and systems as well as airframes. It's one of the main reasons that Manchester and the Halifax were very modular in design of their structure, it was also a factor in why it was relatively easy to derive the Lancaster from the Manchester.
Derby was expanded between 1935 and 1939 to enable mass production of the Merlin, Crewe started delivering engines in 1939 and Glasgow in Nov. 1940.

[zenrat]

Engines may have been an issue. Doubling the engines increases costs and put strain on the manufacture and logistics. A bomb or two in the wrong place may have caused supply issues at a critical time.

Yes, but remember that they'd started putting the shadow factory plans into play before the war, for engines and systems as well as airframes. It's one of the main reasons that Manchester and the Halifax were very modular in design of their structure, it was also a factor in why it was relatively easy to derive the Lancaster from the Manchester.
Derby was expanded between 1935 and 1939 to enable mass production of the Merlin, Crewe started delivering engines in 1939 and Glasgow in Nov. 1940.

And during the Battle of Britain the Luftwaffe were concentrating on airfields not factories.

[Scotaidh]

I re-engined a Whirlwind with DB605s



'Course, I also did that to a P-38 Lightning

[Charlie_c67]

Imgur not worky   

[NARSES2]

And during the Battle of Britain the Luftwaffe were concentrating on airfields not factories.

My paternal granny might well have taken umbrage with that statement Fred    Mind you they did live very close to Croydon Airport and a lot of the small factories around there were aircraft parts related. Smiths the clock people for instance made cockpit dials etc.

[PR19_Kit]

My paternal granny might well have taken umbrage with that statement

And my Granny and Grandad, and Mum too. Their house was a bit further away, just south of East Croydon Station, but the whole area was pretty heavily bombed.

[63cpe]

 This is my griffon engined Westland Wyvern / Welkin turned into Westland Woden:

IMG_9850 by Buddy Holly, on Flickr

David aka 63CPE

[Old Wombat]

I don't want to appear rude, David, but this is a Wyvern;



This is a Whirlwind;




Unless you did a Merlin engined Whirlwind & called in a Wyvern, which I'm unaware of, then upgraded that?