An Exciting UK Rebuild - A Westland Whirlwind!

[11SQNLDR]

I've always been fascinated by the Whirlwind with its two Peregrine engines and 4x20mm Cannon... quite a futuristic beast for its day!

Check this link out - still a long journey ahead but at least someone is bringing one back to life.

Any Kiwi's associated with this aircraft type?

whirlwindfighter.blogspot.co.uk/

[Dave Homewood]

Yes, Sir Samuel Howard Ellis, who lived here in Cambridge, donated one to the RAF (along with two other fighters). His Whirlwind was perhaps the most famous of all Whirlwinds as it was often photographed and released in model kit form. See my page here:

www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Howard%20Ellis.htm

[Dave Homewood]

There was also this pilot, if we can work out who he was:

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 305, 26 December 1942

A LUCKY "JERRY"

JUST MISSED WING TIP

As his last burst ripped into a Dornier 217 off the East Coast recently, the sergeant-pilot of a Whirlwind fighter saw the enemy bomber's crew bale out. Suddenly the parachute of one of the enemy airmen opened, and the Whirlwind pilot—a 22-year-old New Zealander from New Plymouth had a fraction of a second to dip his port wing to avoid hitting the descending airman. He succeeded, and then turned to see the bomber, whose destruction was shared by another Whirlwind pilot, a native of Kent, crash into the sea a mass of flames.

[baronbeeza]

This is what happens when you start believing the internet.

www.whirlwindfighter.blogspot.co.uk/

Tuesday, 31 March 2015
April Newsletter


Every so often something surprising turnes up, we always thought that the UK was the only country to operate the Whirlwind apart of course, the USA that had one for evaluation. So to all our shock it has been discovered that the Whirlwind was in overseas service with the Botswana Defence Force, There don't appear to be any photographs available but I have been able to find a profile of the said aircraft. I have no idea who drew it but I reproduce it here for you to see and draw your own conclusions. We have been trying to find out the aircrafts serial number but as of yet to no avail so if anyone can help we would be very interested.

It is accompanied by a pic of an American so I am not sure what to make of it.
Could he be serious ?
Perhaps he hasn't quite got the dates sorted and it is a timezone issue or the timing of the release was a mistake by someone.

[The Red Baron]

Any Kiwi's associated with this aircraft type?

If you find a copy of Arthur Cloustons book 'Dangerous Skies" he did some of the test flying of the Whilwind prototype,theres a chapter on it.