![]() ![]() One of the men involved in the Merlin’s development was a mathematician named Sir Stanley Hooker. The Kestrel had been a reliable and well-received engine but Rolls-Royce realised that it needed an engine that quickly delivered more power and development was based around the Schneider Trophy winning ‘R’ engine. It was a major improvement on the Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine in terms of power. To start with the Merlin was officially called the PV-12 but Rolls-Royce had a convention of naming their engines after a bird of prey and once the PV-12 received government funding for its development it became the Merlin. It passed its type testing in July 1934 when on a test run it generated 790 hp and first took to the air in February 1935. The Merlin engine was first run on October 15 th 1933. The Merlin was also used to upgrade the power of the previously underpowered P51 Mustang used by the USAAF. The Merlin engine was used in forty aircraft during World War Two but it is primarily associated with the Supermarine Spitfire, Hurricane Hurricane, Avro Lancaster bomber and the de Havilland Mosquito. The legendary Rolls-Royce Merlin engine powered numerous aircraft used by the RAF during World War Two. ![]()
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