Westland Whirlwind with Merlin engine

Could it have been done?
What speed! Twin Merlin-equipped Whirlwind, "not much larger than a Hurricane" as they say, with those thin leading-edge radiators.
All I could ask is for more ammo for the 4 cannon.
And I'm not concerned about the high landing speed, as the FW-190 was high also.
Even with 1280HP Merlins in use late 1940-early '41, that would be a lot of speed, can anyone estimate what it would have been?
Thanks!

 

About 407 mph (ignoring extra weight and drag). The speed ratio varies (generally) as the cube root of the HP increase, so (1280/855)^(1/3) = 1.13 (*360mph).

 

I suspect that the extra weight of the Merlins might have unbalanced the plane - it was really too small for such an installation.

This is my take on an ideal British fighter twin: http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/WW2plane.htm

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and discussion forum

 

You learn something everyday as i've never heard of the Gloster G.39 or the Gloster F.9/37!
I found something but i don't understand a word of it....

http://www.samoloty.ow.pl/str117.htm

 

I too had felt for a long time that the Gloster twin F.37 would have been a great fighter bomber/multi-role - and thought it was ingeneous how the plane was designed so well for potential variants - i.e. the second crewman that could be carried behind the first, as a radar operator for instance. At least that's how it was described in...in which book I can't remember.
Recently I read that the armament is mounted at an upwards angle only. Is this true, or was this some special bomber-destroyer variant?

 

Oh and thanks Oli for the calculation; I thought it would be promising as the wings are so thin, esp compared to say a Hurricane. Sidney Camm once said that we wished he could have made the Hurricanes wings thinner.
Could the balance of the aircraft be be restored while using the heavy Merlins? Fuselage fuel tanks will just get emptied, so perhaps equipment, or pilot position moved slightly aft?
Thanks

 

The upward angle was fairly small - nothing like Schräge Musik. It was intended for the then-fashionable "no allowance" shooting, in which aerodynamic effects on the projectiles provided lift which balanced ballistic drop, which basically meant that you could aim straight at your target without worrying about the trajectory - the sights would always be "on target".

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and discussion forum

 

The short answer is that, yes, it could. But it wouldn't have looked much like a Whirlwind after the alterations.
If there's one thing I always hate doing it's centre-of-gravity calculations. :angry: Tedious and annoyingly recursive...
Probably the easisest way to restore balance would be to shift the wings back slightly, and/or or reverse the engines to make them pusher rather than tractor types. (Supermarine 320(?) anyone?).
Hmm, I wonder if I can find an old Airfix kit of the Whirlwind, it would make a good what if model.

 

The easiest way to recreate balance is by putting permanent ballast into the fuselage (that was done in those days and is still being used today)
109/spitfire/F-15 you name it they have it!