Sorry, Mikes original Txt message to me said that he wants Diaphragms not Diagram’s. confusion rules…:cool:

I didn’t know that there were that many flying:dev2:

I have nothing against the Whirlwind…but at a time when the UK industry couldn’t build enough aircraft, even ones with so-so records (it seemed the MoS couldn’t bring itself to turn off the taps on some types) the fact that they only built 116 (against 200 ordered) must say something about the type.
Perhaps the Peregrine engine is to blame. But whether for technical or operational reasons, after spending years and much money and effort to develop a warplane, any type that is only built in such modest numbers (not due to obsolescence like many late-war types) must be considered unsuccessful.

Rolls had only built 240 Peregrines that was just enough for 120 aircraft when they were told by the MoS to concentrate on the Merlin and as to fit a Merlin to a Whirly would have meant a total re design of the nacelle, it along with some internal wrangling between the MoS and Westland the Whirly got dropped much to the horror of a lot of the pilots who were happier with two engines rather than one. The Whirlwind was at the beginning of the war faster than the Spitfire and didn’t earn it’s nick name “Crikey” for nothing.