WESTLAND WELKIN NF MK.II

The Westland Welkin was a British heavy fighter aircraft in a spine-wing configuration with a retractable landing gear dating back to World War II. The drive was provided by two motors Rolls-Royce Merlin 76/77 with 1233 hp each. The prototype's flight took place in 1942. In the course of serial production, about 80 examples of this aircraft were produced. It was armed with 4 20mm Hispano-Suiza cannons. The Westland Welkin was created as a highly specialized fighter to operate at very high altitudes (over 13,000 meters), capable of engaging German long-range reconnaissance and bomber aircraft (eg Ju-86P) that could raid over the British Isles. Work on this unusual plane began in 1940, and the Westland factory relied on the Whirlwind plane. The planes entered the line in the summer of 1944, but in November of the same year they were withdrawn from the line as the threat from the Luftwaffe bombers had dropped to zero. The only mass-produced version was the Westland Welkin Mk. I. A prototype of a night fighter (Westland Welkin NF Mk. II) was also created, but it never entered mass production.