Britain’s Forgotten Whirlwind
Throughout World War 2, the Royal Air Force successfully developed many fighter aircraft to confront the feared Luftwaffe. Still, several fighters were largely forgotten and eclipsed by the powerful German warplanes, and the Westland Whirlwind was one of them. A highly capable twin-engine heavy fighter, the Whirlwind was one of the fastest combat aircraft when it first took to the skies, as well as the world’s most heavily armed fighter. With four Hispano-Suiza HS.404 20-millimeter autocannons mounted on its nose, the type was explicitly made to fire hundreds of rounds per second. The Whirlwind consistently served over the English channel as the Battle of Britain approached and was expected to destroy anything that came in its path… that is, until its own engines got in the way.
Credit Dark Skies
