Westland P.9 Whirlwind

Type: Single Seat Day Fighter (later Fighter-Bomber)
Origin: Westland
Models: Mk. I and IA
First Flight October 11, 1938
Service Delivery: June 1940
Final Delivery: December 1941
Number Produced: 112
Engine:
  Model: Rolls-Royce Peregrine I
  Type: 12-Cylinder liquid cooled Vee
  Number: Two    Horsepower: 885 hp
Dimensions:
Wing span: 45 ft. (13.72m)
Length: 32 ft. 9 in. (9.98m)
Height: 11 ft. 7 in. (3.52m)
Wing Surface Area: N/A

Weights:
Empty:
   Whirlwind I: 7,840 lb. (3699 kg)
   Whirlwind IA: 8,310 lb. (3770 kg)
Loaded:
   Whirlwind I: 10,270 lb. (4658 kg)
   Whirlwind IA: 11,388 lb. (5166 kg)
 Performance:
Maximum Speed:
    Clean: 360 mph (580 km/h)
    With Bombs: 270 mph (435 km/h)
Initial Climb (Clean): 3,000 ft/min (915 m/min)
Service Ceiling (Clean): 30,000 ft. (9144m)
Range: N/A (but thought to be roughly 800 miles)

Armament:
Four 20mm Hispano Cannons in nose.

Payload: IA only
Underwing racks for up to 1,000 lb. (454 kg) of bombs.
Images:
Comments:
    The Whirlwind was developed to fullfill a requirement (F.37/35) for a long range escort fighter. The type was a stable and pleasant aircraft to fly and had a formidable amount of firepower for the time. Unfortunately development was delayed by the unreliable Peregrine engine. Also the type suffered from an unusually high landing speed (80 mph) which meant that the type couldn't operate from short, grass fields. These issues led the type to see only limited production.
    Eventually two squadrons, nos 263 and 137, were equipped with the type and in August 1941 escorted Blenheims on an attack against Cologne in daylight. After the RAF switched to night bombing the type was relegated to cross-channel straffing and bombing sorties.
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Sources:
Gunston, Bill - The Encyclodepia of the Worlds Combat aircraft, 1976, Chartwell Books, Inc., New York