Whirlwind P.9

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This page is about the British gift twin-engine fighter Whirlwind P.9. For the other version, see Whirlwind Mk I.
Whirlwind P.9
whirlwind_p9.png
GarageImage Whirlwind P.9.jpg
Whirlwind P.9
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Description

The Whirlwind P.9 is a gift rank III British twin-engine fighter with a battle rating of 4.3 (AB/SB) and 3.7 (RB). This aircraft was introduced in Update 1.77 "Advancing Storm" during the 2018 World War Two Chronicles. It was later re-released during Update 1.91 "Night Vision" as a reward for Operation "Shipyard". Whirlwind P.9, an experimental pre-production vehicle, is the direct ancestor of the British Whirlwind Mk I heavy fighter. Development of the aircraft began in 1937 and the aircraft in this series had plenty of time to fight against German aircraft and ships during the Battle of Britain.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed
at 4 876 m580 km/h
Turn time23 s
Max altitude9 144 m
Engine2 х Rolls-Royce Peregrine I
TypeInline
Cooling systemWater
Take-off weight5 t

The Whirlwind is agile and speedy in level flight. The manoeuvrability is surprising, and even better with the use of flaps, making it possible to dogfight with most of the twin-engine fighters and, with skill and situational advantages, some single-engine planes as well. Just be wary of not draining all your speed while dogfighting enemies.

If played conservatively, this plane can be a tenacious opponent, especially when having an altitude advantage as this allows the Whirlwind P.9 to dive, fire, and then escape from enemies all with the same energy. This way a pilot can exploit the Whirlwind P.9's great speed to minimize the enemy's chance of getting a successful hit.

Characteristics Max Speed
(km/h at 4,877 m)
Max altitude
(metres)
Turn time
(seconds)
Rate of climb
(metres/second)
Take-off run
(metres)
AB RB AB RB AB RB
Stock 559 543 9144 24.2 25.1 12.2 12.2 650
Upgraded 602 580 21.9 23.0 18.2 15.0

Details

Features
Combat flaps Take-off flaps Landing flaps Air brakes Arrestor gear
X X
Limits
Wings (km/h) Gear (km/h) Flaps (km/h) Max Static G
Combat Take-off Landing + -
676 265 465 433 265 ~10 ~5
Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons Rudder Elevators Radiator
< 420 < 420 < 450 > 324
Whirlwind P.9 squadron patrolling over Dover skies
Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude 100% Engine power WEP Engine power
4,575 m 885 hp 947 hp

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person
Speed of destruction
Structural676 km/h
Gear265 km/h

Packed with wide 2 layers of armour (both of 9mm) in front of the pilot, covering the 20 mm cannons and the engine. The bulletproof glass (60mm) will also be helpful in head-ons or when hunting turret defended planes.

The Whirlwind P.9 has a vulnerable tail as the elevator and ailerons generally will be blown off if the enemy gets to blaze you from behind or wins in a head-on. Hence you should avoid be caught off guard as it will much likely end your flight capacities.

Modifications and economy

Repair cost
AB919 Sl icon.png
RB3 957 Sl icon.png
SB6 656 Sl icon.png
Crew training10 000 Sl icon.png
Experts210 000 Sl icon.png
Aces700 Ge icon.png
Research Aces790 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
Talisman.png 2 × 70 / 220 / 380 % Sl icon.png
Talisman.png 2 × 154 / 154 / 154 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Flight performance Survivability Weaponry
Mods aerodinamic fuse.png
Fuselage repair
Mods radiator.png
Radiator
Mods armor frame.png
Airframe
Mods compressor.png
Compressor
Mods aerodinamic wing.png
Wings repair
Mods new engine.png
Engine
Mods armor cover.png
Cover
Mods metanol.png
Engine injection
Mods engine extinguisher.png
EFS
Mods ammo.png
hispano_belt_pack
Mod arrow 1.png
Mods weapon.png
hispano_mk1_new_gun

Armaments

Offensive armament

Ammunition484 rounds
Fire rate600 shots/min
Main article: Hispano Mk.I (20 mm)

The Whirlwind P.9 is armed with:

  • 4 x 20 mm Hispano Mk.I cannons, nose-mounted (121 rpg = 484 total)

The four cannons make the Whirlwind P.9 well-armed for head-on engagements or Boom & Zoom tactics, as the four nose-mounted cannons will shred through everything, especially with the Ground Targets belt due to its AP ammunition. If pilots rather the enemy planes catch on fire, it is recommended to use the universal or stealth ammunition belts which offer this kind of benefit, unfortunately at the cost of somewhat reduced armour piercing performance. Keep in mind the reduced ammo of the cannons and the ability of some planes to turn off fires with self-sealing fuel tanks. The choice of engagement is up to the pilot.

Although gun convergence is a personal choice, it's suggested to set the gun convergence of the nose-mounted cannons to 600 m as the four cannons are lined horizontally (vertical convergence if Boom & Zooming). This allows scoring great shots at the moment when diving onto an enemy without getting to close or too far away. Just enough to align with the target's flight trajectory and release a short burst. If engaged with them in a dogfight just keep in mind this distance.

Usage in battles

The Whirlwind P.9 should be used similarly to other heavy fighters. The flight characteristics are very similar to the Whirlwind Mk I with the main difference being that the Whirlwind P.9 has more than double the ammunition count.

The P.9 is very effective in a boom and zoom role due to its good climb rate, and powerful armament. However, the relatively low wing break speed in RB does limit you in this role. The Whirlwind P.9 has a good turn rate for a heavy fighter but will be easily out-turned by single-engined fighters. The use of combat flaps will help to balance out this disadvantage. Care must be taken when using the combat flaps, however, as they are prone to snapping off at a relatively low speed.

At this battle-rating you will see many BV 238s and Me 264s. Heading on these bombers will usually guarantee you a kill, but you still need to be careful of the powerful defensive armament of them.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer Pitch Radiator Supercharger Turbocharger
Oil Water Type
Controllable Controllable
Not auto controlled
Not controllable
Not auto controlled
Controllable
Auto control available
Combined Not controllable
1 gear
Not controllable
Whirlwind P.9 silhouette

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Devastating armament in 4 x nose-mounted 20 mm Hispano cannons
  • Guns are tightly packed which makes it easier to aim
  • Decent manoeuvrability for a twin-engine fighter
  • Decent roll rate for a heavy fighter
  • Deadly with the Ground Targets belt
  • Gets an airspawn

Cons:

  • Ammo can deplete pretty quickly (though still double that of the Whirlwind Mk I)
  • Slower than average dive speed
  • Unlike the Mk I variant the P.9 can't take any secondary weapons
  • Experiences severe control stiffening at speeds above 500 km/h
  • Vulnerable to speedy fighters
  • Very low red-line speed

History

During the Mid-1930s, development of combat aircraft in Britain was accelerated, when a war with Germany was becoming more apparent. While trusty and advanced, the Hurricane and Spitfire lacked in range and armament, and in 1935 the British Air Ministry issued operational Requirement F.37/35 which called for a heavy fighter design to be fitted with four 20mm Hispano cannons. Many British aircraft manufacturers responded, but it was found that the submission made by Westland Aircraft of Yeovil in Somerset would be the one selected in 1937.

Known as the P.9, Westland's fighter design featured innovative designs such as low mounted wings with the engines mounted in under-wing pods, as well as the four 20mm Hispano cannons being mounted in the nose. The aircraft aso featured two Rolls-Royce Kestrel engines, which were proven by that point in the inter-war period with aircraft such as the Hawker Fury and Handley Page Heyford Bi-Plane bomber. The canopy, being a bubble design, gave excellent all around visibility and combined with a "Tail-Dragger" configuration allowed for the installation of a high-mounted elevator assembly. The tail design was initially planned to incorporate a twin-tail design, but this was found to be impractical as the disturbed air from the engines affected performance.

The first flight of the new aircraft, now designated the Whirlwind, took place in October 1938 with the prototype aircraft being made of an all-metal design with flush riveted construction as well as magnesium skin at the rear of the fuselage. Initial flight testing proved impressive, so much so that the Air Ministry considered rushing the aircraft into production. These considerations were dismissed as a decision was reached to swap the Kestrel engines with newly developed, supercharged Rolls-Royce Peregrine engines, outputting over 850HP compared to the Kestrel's 650HP.

Media

Images
Videos

See also

Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

External links


Westland Aircraft Limited
Aircraft 
Fighters  Whirlwind Mk I · Whirlwind P.9
Turboprop  Wyvern S4
Helicopters
Attack  AH Mk.1 Apache**
Utility  Wessex HU Mk.5 · Scout AH.Mk.1 · Wasp HAS.Mk.1 · Lynx AH.Mk.1 · G-LYNX
  *After World War II, Westland Aircraft focused on building helicopters and changed its name to Westland Helicopters.
  **Licensed AH-64D
See Also  Boeing Aircraft

Britain strike aircraft
Blackburn  Firebrand TF Mk IV · Firecrest
Bristol  Beaufighter Mk I (40-mm) · Beaufighter Mk VIc · Beaufighter Mk X · Beaufighter Mk 21
CAC  ▄Wirraway
Fairey  Firefly F Mk I · Firefly FR Mk V
de Havilland  Mosquito FB Mk VI · Mosquito FB Mk XVIII
Hawker  Hurricane Mk IV · Tempest Mk V (Vickers P)
Westland  Wyvern S4

Britain premium aircraft
Fighters  Tuck's Gladiator Mk II · ▄Boomerang Mk I · ▄Boomerang Mk II · ▄D.520
  ▄Martlet Mk IV · ▄Corsair F Mk II · ▄Hellcat Mk II · ▄Thunderbolt Mk.1 · ▄Mustang Mk IA
  Hurricane Mk.I/L FAA M · Spitfire Mk.IIa Venture I · Spitfire F Mk IXc · Plagis' Spitfire LF Mk IXc · Spitfire F Mk XIVc · Prendergast's Spitfire FR Mk XIVe
  Typhoon Mk Ib · MB.5
Twin-engine fighters  Hornet Mk.I · Whirlwind P.9
Jet fighters  Attacker FB.2 · Hunter FGA.9 · Lightning F.53 · Meteor F Mk.8 Reaper · Sea Vixen F.A.W. Mk.2 · F-4J(UK) Phantom II
Strike aircraft  ▄Wirraway · Beaufighter Mk I (40-mm) · Wyvern S4
  Harrier GR.1 · Strikemaster Mk.88
Bombers  ▄Avenger Mk II · ▄Boston Mk I · ▄Catalina Mk IIIa · ▄DB-7 · ▄Havoc Mk I · ▄Hudson Mk V · Swordfish Mk II