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The Westland Whirlwind was a British twin-engined fighter developed by Westland Aircraft. A contemporary of the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane , it was the first single-seat, twin-engined, cannon-armed fighter of the Royal Air Force .
Whirlwind Mk I, 263 Sqn Exeter, in flight over West Country. The Westland Whirlwind was the first cannon-armed fighter for the RAF, first flown in October 1938 and at the production stage by 1940. It was a twin engined heavy fighter (also able to function as a fighter bomber with 500-pound (230 kg) bombload).
Two Westland Whirlwind twin-engine fighters (P6975 & P6978) of 263 Squadron were in a section of three that took off from RAF Exeter and were transitting from Bovey Tracey towards Princetown, Devon to escort two incoming Catalinas from Darrel's Island, Bermuda, to Milford Haven but then re-tasked to patrol off Start Point.
From November 1941 to August 1942 the base was host to No. 137 Squadron, one of only two RAF squadrons to fly the unique twin-engine fighter, the Westland Whirlwind, when it was engaged on East coast convoy patrols and anti-shipping tasks. It was supported by the Air Sea Rescue squadron No. 278, Matlaske-based from October 1941 to April 1942.
Westland Whirlwind HAR.1 search and rescue helicopter (July 1961 - March 1962) Hawker Sea Hawk FGA.6 Fighter/Ground attack (May 1962 - May 1967) Westland Whirlwind HAR.3 search and rescue helicopter (July - September 1963) Westland Whirlwind HAS.7 anti-submarine helicopter (May 1965) Westland Wessex HU.5 transport helicopter (May 1969 - March 1981)
Other aircraft acquired in the 1980s included two more variants of the Westland Whirlwind, a Westland Scout AH Mk.1 and a Westland Wessex. The museum reopened on a new airfield site in 1988 and volunteers spent the next year restoring old buildings and erecting a new display annexe.
In his absence Mensford switched the design effort from the B1/44 bomber to work on specification N11/44 for a Naval single-seat fighter that would eventually become the Wyvern. [44] When Petter returned he was furious with Mensford. He knew Westland would not have the resources to develop and build both the fighter and the bomber. [44]
No. 84 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was formed on 16 February 1917 at East Boldre (Beaulieu) [4] under the command of Major Hazelton Nicholl. [5] It was equipped with a variety of types for training purposes, including Avro 504Ks, a Curtiss JN, Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2s, Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12s, Nieuport 12s and Sopwith 1½ Strutters.