Special Hobby 1/72 Westland Whirlwind Mk.I 'Fighter Bomber' # 72201

Not long before the outbreak of WW2, the British Air Ministry issued a requirement calling for two types of fighter aircraft, one light weight with machine gun armament and the other one with heavy cannon armament.

To these requirements, the machine gun armed Hurricanes and Spitfires were designed, while to fit the second category, the Westland offered their Whirlwind twin engined 'Cannon Fighter'. This type was eventually produced in more than a hundred examples and further production was ceased only by the shortage of the Peregrine power units.

The Whirlwinds were deployed over the English Channel in fighter and ground attack missions.

For the latter ones, the Whirlwinds were fitted with bomb racks and were designated FB Mk.I. It was not until 1944 that the Whirlwinds were replaced by Typhoons.

Our model of the Whirlwind fighter bomber comes on two styrene sprues with one of the clear canopy parts.

The model kit also contains resin cast detail parts and etches. The decal sheet offers markings for four colour schemes, two of which of the earlier green and earth camouflage and the other two in the later scheme consisting of green and grey.

The latter ones are now improved compared to the earlier release.