Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rootes75]

https://www.whirlwindfp.org/

Another ambitious project to bring back an extremely rare aircraft. Local interest for me as they were produced in Yeovil not far from us.
_________________
Various Rootes Vehicles.

[consul 57]

nice find
4 20mm cannons is some big firepower for early ww2

[Penman]

https://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/ZiegAl/8260.htm
_________________
Bristols should always come in pairs.

Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10

[Keith D]

This is an aeroplane that fascinates me.

The prototype had a performance far superior to that of the Spitfires and Hurricanes at that time. Unfortunately the production models were plagued by engine problems with the RR Perigrines. They were useless above 25,000 feet. It was suggested that the Whirlwinds should have been fitted with Merlins, but at the time Britain needed every Merlin they could get for aircraft that were actually winning the BoB.

I have read reports made by modern experts who maintain that the de Haviland/Hamilton prop used on the production models had a thicker leading edge which caused a very much higher load on the engines, causing their problems. (The Peregrines were only a modified RR Kestrel, which were successful engines and should not have been troublesome.) The prototype was fitted with a Rotal prop, that had a thinner leading edge. This report suggested that to fit Merlins would have meant a major airframe redesign as the whole balance would be affected.

Also, Westland was a very small ompany without the political clout of Vickers or Hawker and were slow to bring any moduifications in. Hence the whole project was dropped after only 114 were built.

Asthetically, the aeroplane was years ahead of all others built around that time. The old saying that "if it looks right, it is right", should have applied, but in this instance it didn't.

I hope that this one-off will be built to actually fly.

Keith
_________________
1926 Chrysler 60 tourer
1932 Austin Seven RN long wheelbase box sedan
1950 Austin A40 tourer
1999 BMW Z3
Its weird being the same age as old people.
You are either part of the problem or part of the solution

[Rootes75]

Its being built purely as a static Keith. That was one of the specs from the start of the project apparently.
_________________
Various Rootes Vehicles.