On this day in aviation history, 84 years ago (November 1, 1942) ,the Westland Welkin took flight for the first time. Developed in Britain during WWII, the twin-engine fighter was designed to intercept German reconnaissance and bomber aircraft operating at extremely high altitudes. Its unusual design reflected the challenges of flying and fighting in the stratosphere. The Welkin originated from a 1940 Air Ministry requirement prompted by German Junkers Ju 86P reconnaissance aircraft operating at altitudes beyond the reach of conventional British fighters. Designed by W.E.W. Petter, the Welkin incorporated features of Westland’s earlier Whirlwind fighter, but with an enormous 70-foot wingspan, more powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, and a pressurized cockpit. The aircraft was designed to operate at altitudes approaching 45,000 feet, where pilots would otherwise struggle with extreme cold and insufficient oxygen.
Although the Welkin demonstrated impressive high-altitude capabilities, development was complicated by aerodynamic compressibility problems and the narrow range of safe operating speeds at extreme altitudes. Meanwhile, the threat of high-altitude German bombing diminished as specially modified Spitfires proved capable of intercepting reconnaissance aircraft. Only 77 complete Welkins were produced, and two were evaluated by the RAF’s Fighter Interception Unit in 1944. The aircraft never entered operational combat service. The Welkin Mk I measured 41 feet 6 inches in length with a wingspan of 70 feet and was powered by two Rolls-Royce Merlin 76/77 engines producing approximately 1,233 horsepower each. It could reach a maximum speed of 385 mph, had a range of 1,480 miles, and a service ceiling of 44,000 feet. Its rate of climb was approximately 3,850 feet per minute, while its armament consisted of four 20 mm Hispano cannons mounted beneath the fuselage.
