Westland „Whirlwind“ – the British fighter

This aircraft was the first twin-engine, single-seat fighter, to be used in combat during World War II. The prototype took to the air for the first time at the end of 1938. As a twin-engine fighter, the “Whirlwind” proved highly maneuverable and had excellent flying characteristics. This is evidenced by the nickname, given to the plane - "pilot's machine". At low altitudes, this airplane even surpassed single-engine fighters. Grouped in the front of the fuselage 4 20 mm caliber guns gave a concentration and density of fire, unmatched in other constructions. All this and the ability to hang two 226 kg bombs on the wing assemblies made this plane a formidable opponent, destroying means of communication, port facilities, bridges and other important objects. But it was not without its shortcomings, the first of which was the constant lack of small engines for the production of these fighters. Used engines Rolls Royce "Peregrine", developing 885 h. p. power, were very capricious and difficult to service and were not used in any other aircraft. In addition, the landing speed of the “Whirlwind” was 140 km/h, which caused considerable difficulties on dirt and grass airfields. As a result, only two RAF divisions, 263 and 137, were armed with these fighters. Losses, suffered by these divisions, were mainly due to engine failures or excessive landing speeds. The “Whirlwind” featured an aerodynamically clean silhouette and excellent visibility from the cockpit. These fighters were removed from the armament in 1943 and replaced by even more capricious “Typhoon” fighters.

Medium size, medium difficulty, well designed model with cockpit interior detailing. Working under the supervision of a more experienced colleague, this model can be perfectly assembled by an advanced beginner and a modeler with little experience. Antiquarian publication.