BernieC:
You may have noticed that I have recently been talking about 53 Squadron Hector/Blenheim pilots? Well, as something of a coincidence, one of my good friends from that era was a chap called John Wray (Gp Capt JB Wray CBE DFC) who is sadly no longer with us.
When he left 53 Squadron he was posted as the commanding officer of 137 Squadron equipped with Westland Whirlwinds. He absolutely loved the aircraft. He admitted that it was not a great fighter but it was an excellent ground attack machine. They used to take off from Manston, cross the Channel at low level and cause a lot of mayhem in northern France.
The aircraft would take a lot of punishment and would get you home easily on one engine. The big problem was that the government of the day had ordered Rolls-Royce to concentrate on the Merlin and to stop making the Peregrine which powered the Whirlwind. Consequently, there was only ever one other Whirlwind squadron (263 Sqn).
I have always found it interesting in my flying career that most of rumour, legend and general bad-mouthing about certain aircraft comes from those who have never set foot or worked on the aircraft concerned.
Of course, I do not include you in that category; you are merely passing on the existing myth. It is so much more interesting to talk to people who were actually there operating and risking their lives in the machine.