dawin defender whirlwind

[oz rb fan]

i made this for a fun project over Christmas

it now looks like it will be used in a future alternate history book ;D

 

[Pioneer]

Great work!
There is no doubt that the RAAF could have done with a fighter like this (as I do not think the Whispering Death was yet in RAAF service!!)
I wonder how it would have fared in the tropics of up North though????

Thanks again

Regards
Pioneer

 

[Abraham Gubler]

The RAAF’s requirement for a twin engine fighter that lead to the Beaufighter was a horrific joke invented by the second worst operational leader they ever had (AVM Bostock). The idea was a long range twin engine fighter would be able to intercept Japanese carrier aircraft above their carrier. Of course how they were to know where and when the carrier would be launching strike aircraft was never answered but this aircraft did need to have a navigator onboard to get there. In reality it was part of a power struggle between those in the RAAF and Australian Government who wanted to build domestic aircraft with US technology and those that insisted that the RAAF only acquire British aircraft (ie the Beaufighter). This reached the farcical level of the RAAF chief of air staff and worst operational leader of all time (ACM Burnett) declining the RAF’s offer of transferring their order of 600+ Lockheed P-38s to the RAAF in mid 1941 because it wasn’t as ‘suited’ to the RAAF’s needs as the Beaufighter which would only be available two years later! So while the RAAF Whirlwind model may be fun and look good it touches a very soft spot for those who are aware of the history of Australia in WW2.

 

[oz rb fan]

this isnt taking the place of any long range twin engine fighter(the whirlwind wouldnt have the range any way)it's replacing spitfire's,hence the 457sqn markings.
would have the raf ordered p-38's been any good debatable as the raf in here wisdom ordered them without the turbochargers so they had very poor performance at altitude,the ones that were built before the order was canceled never saw combat and were used for training in the u.s.
yes we were ham strung by various political and Australian military factions wanting different things,plus interference from England over the possible take over of the disaster that was the whole Beaufort project by cac .
but even the Americans didn't want us building many aircraft (just look at the problems with getting the ca-15 up to flying state).
wackett wanted to build the dc3 in australia and MacArthur stopped that ??? .
and after all the whirlwind is as you say a bit of very pretty fun
paul
ps when the beaufighter was ordered did we know who we'd be fighting ?

 

[Abraham Gubler]

this isnt taking the place of any long range twin engine fighter(the whirlwind wouldnt have the range any way)it's replacing spitfire's,hence the 457sqn markings.

I see and that’s a credible question as there were lots of problems with using the Spitfires in the tropics. Not sure if the Whirlwind would be much better, however it looked much cooler!

would have the raf ordered p-38's been any good debatable as the raf in here wisdom ordered them without the turbochargers so they had very poor performance at altitude,the ones that were built before the order was canceled never saw combat and were used for training in the u.s.

The first 143 of the RAF’s order book were Model 322-61s with a common engine installation with the P-40 Kittyhawk lacking turbochargers and opposing prop rotation and were very inferior to the USAF standard. But they were better than anything else the RAAF had. Even an inferior Lightning was a lot better than a Wirraway. The next 524 Lightnings on order were to full P-38E spec and would have been available in 1942 and would have transformed the RAAF’s air combat capability in the crucial years of 1942 and 43.

And the Lightning (or Atlanta as Lockheed called it) was just one example. The RAAF turned down the RAF’s B-17s as well! Could have had a squadron able to bomb Truk in 1941… These very poor decisions were made so the RAAF would use alternate British sourced aircraft which were inferior and never actually made available or hugely delayed.

yes we were ham strung by various political and Australian military factions wanting different things,plus interference from England over the possible take over of the disaster that was the whole Beaufort project by cac .

It’s easy to blame the British but it was Australian leaders like Menzies and Bruce that did all the damage in the name of Imperial solidarity.

but even the Americans didn't want us building many aircraft (just look at the problems with getting the ca-15 up to flying state).
wackett wanted to build the dc3 in australia and MacArthur stopped that ??? .

Late in the war is not as significant as the lead up to it. It was the Australian government that stopped the RAAF and CAC from building a single engine fighter derived from the Wirraway before the war and launched the disastrous Beaufort saga. Things like the lack of R-2800s for the CA-15 and Macarthur’s hold on non-combat aircraft production are no where near as damaging to the Australian industry and the RAAF as the duplication of effort of the Beafort project, building inferior British technology and the lack of domestic fighter and bomber production in the first half of the war.

ps when the beaufighter was ordered did we know who we'd be fighting ?

Absolutely. All Australian defence planning since WW1 was based around fighting the Japanese.

I have to recommend “Wounded Eagle - The Bombing of Darwin and Australia's Air Defence Scandal” by Dr. Peter Ewer a new book about the planning and implantation of the RAAF’s capability in the 30s and 40s. Really exposes all the damage done to the RAAF and Australian aviation industry by the Government in the name of Empire. Deflates a few of the British sacred cows of aviation ‘lore’ as well.