Open main menu
Home
Random
Recent changes
Special pages
Community portal
Preferences
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Incubator escapee wiki
Search
User menu
Talk
Dark mode
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Editing
Rolls-Royce Merlin
(section)
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
{{Short description|Aircraft engine family by Rolls-Royce}} {{For|the Packard-produced licensed version|Packard V-1650 Merlin}} {{Use British English|date=July 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}} <!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. --> {| {{Infobox aircraft begin |name = Merlin |image = File:Rolls-Royce Merlin.jpg |caption = The Rolls-Royce Merlin|alt=A front right view of a black-painted aircraft piston engine. The words 'Rolls-Royce' appear in red text on the camshaft cover. }}{{Infobox aircraft engine |type=[[Coolant#Liquids|Liquid-cooled]] [[V12 engine|V-12]] [[Four-stroke engine|four-stroke]] [[Reciprocating engine|piston]] [[Aircraft engine|aero engine]] |manufacturer=[[Rolls-Royce Limited]] |national origin=United Kingdom |first run=15 October 1933 |major applications= [[Avro Lancaster]] <br />[[de Havilland Mosquito]] <br /> [[Handley Page Halifax]] <br /> [[Hawker Hurricane]]<br />[[Supermarine Spitfire]] <!-- Please do not add the [[North American P-51 Mustang]] here. Five North American Mustang Mk X used British-built Merlins. All other P-51s used the [[Packard V-1650 Merlin]], and their use is covered on that page. Ditto for the [[Curtiss P-40 Warhawk]]. --> |number built = 149,659 |program cost = |unit cost = |developed from = |variants with their own articles = [[Packard V-1650 Merlin]] |developed into = [[Rolls-Royce Meteor]] }} |} The '''Rolls-Royce Merlin''' is a British [[Coolant#Liquids|liquid-cooled]] [[V12 engine|V-12]] [[Reciprocating engine|piston]] [[aero engine]] of 27-litre (1,650 cu in) [[Engine displacement|capacity]]. [[Rolls-Royce Limited|Rolls-Royce]] designed the engine and first ran it in 1933 as a private venture. Initially known as the '''PV-12''', it was later called ''[[Merlin (bird)|Merlin]]'' following the company convention of naming its four-stroke piston aero engines after [[birds of prey]]. The engine benefitted from the racing experiences of precursor engines in the 1930s. After several modifications, the first production variants of the PV-12 were completed in 1936. The first operational aircraft to enter service using the Merlin were the [[Fairey Battle]], [[Hawker Hurricane]] and [[Supermarine Spitfire]]. The Merlin remains most closely associated with the Spitfire and Hurricane, although the majority of the production run was for the four-engined [[Avro Lancaster]] heavy bomber. The Merlin continued to benefit from a series of rapidly-applied developments, derived from experiences in use since 1936. These markedly improved the engine's performance and durability. Starting at {{convert|1,000|hp}} for the first production models, most late war versions produced just under {{convert|1,800|hp}}, and the very latest version as used in the [[de Havilland Hornet]] over {{convert|2,000|hp}}. One of the most successful aircraft engines of the World War II era, some 50 versions of the Merlin were built by Rolls-Royce in [[Derby]], [[Crewe]] and [[Glasgow]], as well as by [[Ford of Britain]] at their [[Ford Trafford Park Factory|Trafford Park factory]], near [[Manchester]]. A de-rated version was also the basis of the [[Rolls-Royce Meteor|Rolls-Royce/Rover Meteor]] tank engine. Post-war, the Merlin was largely superseded by the [[Rolls-Royce Griffon]] for military use, with most Merlin variants being designed and built for [[airliner]]s and [[military transport aircraft]]. The [[Packard V-1650]] was a version of the Merlin built in the United States. Production ceased in 1950 after a total of almost 150,000 engines had been delivered. Merlin engines remain in [[Royal Air Force]] service today with the [[Battle of Britain Memorial Flight]], and power many restored aircraft in private ownership worldwide.
Edit summary
(Briefly describe your changes)
By publishing changes, you agree to the
Terms of Use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)