Westland Whirlwind: A Delayed Nightmare for Enemy Bombers

The Westland Whirlwind, with its 20mm Hispano cannon, was a formidable weapon designed to take down enemy bombers. However, a series of challenges prevented it from reaching its full potential during the critical Battle of Britain.

The Merger Engine Fiasco

Westland was confident that they could have installed the Merlin engine into the Whirlwind and cured its other minor defects, but this vision was never realized. The Ministry of Aircraft Production (MAP) refused to grant permission for this development.

There were several reasons behind this decision. In 1940, Rolls-Royce was struggling to produce sufficient Merlin engines. The development and production of the Whirlwind's Peregrine engine had already been halted. Introducing a single-seat fighter that required two precious Merlin engines instead of one would have been a logistical nightmare.

Material and Production Concerns

Each Whirlwind aircraft consumed twice as many materials and took nearly twice as long to build compared to a Spitfire. The MAP was more inclined to produce two Spitfires rather than one Whirlwind. This further compounded the challenge of meeting the demands of the war effort.

Design Flaws and Reliability Issues

While the 20mm Hispano cannon was an outstanding weapon, it was initially plagued with reliability issues when used in single-engine fighters. The cannon was designed as a “moteur cannon” bolted to a V12 engine block, and unless it was rigidly fixed, it would flex and jam. This led to a series of problems, especially during the Battle of Britain.

However, when four of these cannons were mounted in the nose of the Whirlwind, it never experienced any issues. In theory, if the Whirlwind had been put into action against the Luftwaffe's bomber fleets, it would have commanded the same level of respect as the legendary Spitfire. The superiority of four 20mm cannons over eight .303 machine guns for destroying bombers was well understood by the RAF, which is why the Whirlwind was originally designed in this way.

Operational Limitations

The Whirlwind faced several operational limitations that made it ill-suited for the Battle of Britain and beyond. It was not a particularly agile dogfighter due to handling quirks. Additionally, it had a shorter operational range compared to other RAF fighters of its generation, and required a very long runway for takeoff. In 1940, when the RAF was still reeling from the German blitzkrieg, there were not many suitable runways available.

These limitations made the Whirlwind more of a solution in search of a problem rather than a necessary component of the defense strategy. Its engine and size constrained its versatility, preventing it from being deployed in multiple scenarios.

In conclusion, while the Westland Whirlwind had the potential to become a devastating bomber killer, a combination of logistical, material, and design issues prevented it from realizing its full potential. Had it been deployed earlier and used more effectively, it could have earned a place alongside the Spitfire as a symbol of British air superiority.