Westland Welkin
The Westland Welkin was a high-altitude fighter of the Royal Air Force.
History
As a high-flying German high altitude reconnaissance type Junkers Ju 86 P with reconnaissance flights and Störangriffen from a great height created confusion, the Fighter Command of the Royal Air Force first tried this trap with rebuilt machines of the type Supermarine Spitfire. The Air Ministry was then but in July 1940, the specification for a single-seat day F.4/40 height Jager out. At the tender, even Hawker and General Aircraft involved alongside Westland Aircraft, but Westland received in January 1941 the contract for its design.
While the designs have already been developed, the Air Ministry changed the specification and now demanded the use of an air interception radar. According to the new specification F.7/41 also Vickers Armstrong now expanded its model 432
The most important component of the new height hunter was the pressurized cabin, which was ventilated by a turbo fan on the left engine and had double glazing.
The maiden flight of the first prototype Welkin took place on November 1, 1942 under the chief test pilot Harald Penrose. The second prototype followed in March 1943.
Even relatively quickly serious flaws turned out, even the requested services were not met. In comparison dogfights showed that the machine for its intended task was not agile enough. In addition, a change in the military situation, which could be expected German Height no more attacks came. Nevertheless ordered 100 aircraft were completed. But these were no longer used, but were mostly scrapped immediately after the delivery.
Westland even put some machines even for experimental purposes, including among others to test with liquid oxygen injection and other pressurized cabins.
1944 arose from a Welkin F. the two-seat night fighter NF Mk II, which had a lengthened fuselage to accommodate the radar and an enlarged cockpit for the radar operator. On 23 October 1944, the machine started its maiden flight, but at the trial showed no improvements over the Tagjägermodell, also the required altitude and speed performance could not be provided. Therefore, mass production in favor of the now available jet fighter was rejected.