wunwinglow Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 My father who grew up in Bath, Somerset, saw them frequently and indeed saw one crash. We were at an airshow one and we struck up a conversation with a chap, turned out he too came from Bath. They got to reminiscing about their childhood and the crash came up, and they discovered both had got on their bikes (along with a load of other kids!!) and beat the local Home Guard to the wreck! Dad got a tail light cover and the other chap some some rather bent instruments!! Small world!! PS I've looked for the light cover all over, but no luck I am afraid.... Dad passed away in 2009. David66, Kagemusha, monthebiff and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clunkmeister Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 Interesting design that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cib2265 Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 Ps. Just imagine what this aircraft would have been capable of had it had the same Merlin powerplant, some propellor system as the Mk IX Spits, and fuel crossfeed and self sealing fuel tanks with redundant flight controls. The in-field serviceability and operational readiness including combat survivability would have been outstanding. Isnt that the de Havilland Hornet? The best prop fighter plane ever? Kagemusha, scvrobeson, David66 and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thierry laurent Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 The result was the Welkin, not very succesful although about 70 built. Cees, are you sure about that? I always thought the Welkin had been designed for high altitude interception, so a rather different role than the Whirlwind one. David66, mpk and Derek B 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monty Python Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 Cees, are you sure about that? I always thought the Welkin had been designed for high altitude interception, so a rather different role than the Whirlwind one. The Welkins were designed as a high altitude fighter to intercept the Ju86P. These had the 2 stage Merlin engines instead of the Peregrine. Derek B, mpk and David66 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thierry laurent Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 Thanks, this is what I thought. If my memory is right, I also read that the main reason the Welkin was put aside was the fact the alleged Ju86 bombing threat never materialized as a significant hassle. David66, mpk and Derek B 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cees Broere Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 Well, if you had to adapt the Whirlwind airframe to use Merlins, the nacelles would have to be bigger, the wings had to grow as a result and then the fuselage too. Not that the Welkin was designed as a fighter/bomber but the airframe looks like a Whirlwind on steroids. Derek B, Tony C, David66 and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek B Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 The result was the Welkin, not very succesful although about 70 built. Although the Welkin F.1 was specifically designed for high altitude fighting, an enlarged Merlin powered Whirlwind may have made a difference? Derek mpk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharmyDown Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 My father who grew up in Bath, Somerset, saw them frequently and indeed saw one crash. We were at an airshow one and we struck up a conversation with a chap, turned out he too came from Bath. They got to reminiscing about their childhood and the crash came up, and they discovered both had got on their bikes (along with a load of other kids!!) and beat the local Home Guard to the wreck! Dad got a tail light cover and the other chap some some rather bent instruments!! Small world!! PS I've looked for the light cover all over, but no luck I am afraid.... Dad passed away in 2009. If that was the one that came down in the Weston area of Bath, my Dad was literally underneath the other Whirlwind it had collided with. He was watching trains at our local railway station just outside Bath when the plane came screaming out of the sky straight at him, crashing no more than 40 yards from him in the station yard, exploding on impact. The only momento my Dad got from that was a piece of flying debris in his leg! Small world indeed. mpk and David66 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wunwinglow Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 Yes, that's the one! Of course, I didn't ask the Old Man enough questions when he was alive, and now it is too late. Lesson learned there for anyone with older relatives with a bit of history to their name.... Talk with them NOW! You never know what they might recall! Tim David66, TaffyMan, mpk and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wunwinglow Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 (edited) http://www.saltfordenvironmentgroup.org.uk/history/historyresources/1941-whirlwind-crash-saltford-station-by-philharding.pdf I think my father would have gone to the other crash, as I am pretty sure at that time, his family were living nearby the house directly opposite the entrance to Haycombe Cemetery. I think it is a Vets now, but at the time it was a funeral directors office, and my grandfather was a monumental stone mason, worked in the yard preparing and maintaining the memorials and headstones in the cemetery. Kelston is nearer there than Saltford. Hm, actually, looking at the map, there isn't much in it!! Small world indeed! And all the more reason to get one of the kits when it is released! Edited February 9, 2017 by wunwinglow LSP_K2, David66, mpk and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony C Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 Well, if you had to adapt the Whirlwind airframe to use Merlins, the nacelles would have to be bigger, the wings had to grow as a result and then the fuselage too. Hmmm, I can feel a What If calling, might have a use for my Trumpeter kit after all mpk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KOG7777 Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 I hadn't even heard of it until today, but now I'm interested in a kit of the Welkin. Doesn't need to be 1/32 though. 1/48 would be fine. David66 and mpk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radders Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 This is one 1/32nd scale aircraft I AM going to build.. David66, mpk, The Phantom and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_K2 Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 This is one 1/32nd scale aircraft I AM going to build.. Oh yes, it's been on my dream list for years now. I built the Airfix kit when I was a kid, had the Classic Airframes kit (but sold it), and have been dreaming of the kit in 1:32 scale for ages. mpk, Derek B and David66 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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