The Westland Whirlwind - A Detailed Guide to the RAF's Twin-Engine Fighter (Airframe Album)

Another great volume in Valiant's Airframe Album series. Well done reference guide to the little known Whirlwind of which not one complete example exists today, Highly recommended.

Great informational book

Interesting technical and historical guide to a lesser known and used RAF type.

eXCELLENT BOOK

Very happy with the quality & delivery of "The Westland Whirlwind" book.

If ever an aircraft looked the part of a world beating fighter that aircraft was the Westland Whirlwind. The two engines gave an impression of great power and the four cannon protruding well beyond the nose contours looked like they could destroy any enemy aloft. I first became acquainted with the Whirlwind in the RAF Fighters volume of the old Hylton Lacy series in the late '60s and have had an interest in it ever since so the present volume was very welcome. The excellent cover painting perfectly captures the impression of an aircraft that looks like it means business. Unfortunately, looks can be deceptive.It is the 4th entry in the "Airframe Album" series by Valiant Wings. It is an 8-1/4" x 11-3/4" square bound card cover with 80 interior pages. I say "interior" because the covers are included in the page numbering for some reason. The Whirlwind flourished (if that is the word) before color photography was the norm so color is restricted to the modern graphics like the aforementioned cover and the numerous color profiles. There is only one contemporary color photo in the book.A five page introduction gives you the bare basics about the aircraft, development, production, service history, specifications, and an evaluation of sorts. This latter misses the mark I think. Single seat twin engine fighters were not common before the advent of jet propulsion, the Whirlwind and the Lockheed P-38 being the only examples that entered service. The P-38 was successful because it used the same engines as its single engine contemporaries, the P-39 and P-40, and the US was rich enough to afford the extravagance. The Whirlwind tried get by on smaller engines than the Merlins in Hurricanes and Spitfires on an aircraft of about the same size but the combination didn't really work.The next thirty pages are the real meat of the book as far as I'm concerned and examine the details of the aircraft using drawings and photographs culled from contemporary technical literature. The captions are informative as well.The next section describes the evolution of the aircraft via a series of perspective drawings which point out the differences between the prototypes and production Whirlwinds and some experiments as well. This is a Richard Franks specialty and there is always much to learn.Then there is the rather exhaustive 17 page camouflage and markings section. Franks does not seem to have missed much here although he gives his usual disclaimer about nothing being certain when trying to parse black and white photos. Next, eight pages are devoted to brief histories of each of the 116 Whirlwinds produced. The Whirlwind might not have been a tremendous success but it seems to have seen a great deal of action and one gets the impression the RAF got their money's worth.The book concludes with three pages of appendices covering models, accessories, and a bibliography.Highly recommended. This is an aircraft whose fame exceeded its accomplishments thanks to an unusual and attractive general arrangement.

I have to admit having read and enjoyed a number of books of this nature by Richard A Franks, and I was not disappointed in this book. I'll also admit that the Westland Whirlwind is a kind of odd-duck aircraft that has a special fascination for me (like the Commonwealth Whirraway and Boomerang or the Temco TT-1 Pinto (I've also got Franks' book on the Boomerang and it's equally excellent). The book has developmental history, more photos than I thought existed, reviews of the plane's operations - even a bibliography and quick review of model kits.If you like odd-looking and fairly obscure British combat aircraft (or the Whirlwind in particular), this is the book for you. Highly recommended.

ここ10年ほどの間に何冊ものモノグラフが刊行されたホワールウインドですが、ハードウェアの情報についてモデラーが満足できるものはありませんでした。マニュアルから抜粋したと思われる図版や写真を多数掲載し、細かなサブタイプの相違点まで解説した本書は、まさにモデラー待望のもの。実機が現存していない本機においては、これ以上を望みがたい「決定版」と云って差し支えないでしょう。巻末に文献リストも掲載されていますが、その多くが本書自身によって役目を終えたと云えます。（計器盤の写真１枚の欲しさにPutnamの"Westland"を買った時代がウソのようです（笑））但し運用歴／戦歴の方は薄いので、ヒストリアンの方にはAirlifeやFonthill Mediaの本が有用であることに変わりありません。

Fantastic book, with all the info you would hope to find on this little known twin engined fighter.Great photos, technical drawings, info and and details.Highly recommended for model builders and those who want to know what made the Whirlwind tick.It's a shame she didn't get a better chance in life...