In all my research into the Whirlwind and it’s pilots, I only came across one who didn’t like the aircraft. Yes above 15,000 it was of little use, however below that level it was a good aircraft and loved by it’s pilots, it had a good turn of speed, even when loaded with a couple of bombs, it could out dive virtually any single engined aircraft at the time. Admittedly it was not much of a match in a dogfight for single engined types, but if the pilot saw the attack coming, then he shoved the stick forward and was gone.
The reason it wasn’t built in greater numbers was that RR wanted to concentrate on the production of Merlin’s, and not spend time developing the Peregrine further. Only 114 were produced and those were in service from late 1940, through to Oct 1943 when 263 replaced them with the Typhoon, 263 were sad to see them go.
I’ve heard that it was impossible to fly the Whirlwind on one engine, however I know of at least 3 pilots who brought their aircraft back from sorties to Europe on one engine, I’ve also heard that it was difficult to maintain, but have a friend locally who was an erk on Whirlwinds with 263 who has told me first hand that in fact it was no more difficult to maintain than other types, and certainly less difficult than the Typhoon. At times Whirlwinds were the only aircraft flying when everything else was kept out of the sky by weather. It had teething problems like the majority of aircraft, which delayed it coming into service however these were sorted in time.
The what if Merlin debate will be discussed at length for evermore, we will basically never know. But to claim that the Whirlwind was a bad aircraft, I think we should give the guys who flew them some credit.
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