Westland Welkin

The Westland Welkin was a British twin-engined heavy fighter built by Westland Aircraft and designed to fight at extremely high altitudes in the stratosphere, its name meaning the vault of heaven. It was conceived in 1940 in response to modified Junkers Ju 86P bombers flying high-altitude reconnaissance, which suggested that the Luftwaffe might resume bombing Britain from great height. Construction ran from 1942 to 1943. The threat never appeared, so only a small number were produced and few flew: the single-seat Mark I was built in 75 examples, with a further 26 completed without engines, and a single two-seat radar-equipped night-fighter version was made. Two Welkins served with the Fighter Interception Unit at RAF Wittering from May to November 1944, but the type was never used operationally by the RAF.