Throughout World War 2, the Royal Air Force successfully developed many fighter aircraft to confront the feared Luftwaffe. Still, several fighters were largely forgotten and eclipsed by the powerful German warplanes, and the Westland Whirlwind was one of them.

A highly capable twin-engine heavy fighter, the Whirlwind was one of the fastest combat aircraft when it first took to the skies, as well as the world's most heavily armed fighter.

With four Hispano-Suiza HS.404 20-millimeter autocannons mounted on its nose, the type was explicitly made to fire hundreds of rounds per second.

The Whirlwind consistently served over the English channel as the Battle of Britain approached and was expected to destroy anything that came in its path… that is, until its own engines got in the way.

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Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.

As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.

All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.