Why was the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine so good?
But well-designed liquid-cooled engines like the Merlin could run for long periods beyond normal operational limits without overheating, as liquid cooling is more efficient than air cooling, particularly for the cylinder head and valves. And they could operate at higher altitudes, reducing risk from anti-aircraft fire.
What was special about Merlin engine?
Engineering refinements meant that by the end of the war, the Merlin 66, an intercooled variant of the engine sporting a two-stage, two-speed supercharger, was making 2,050 hp (increased from 1,030 hp in the Merlin II)—and these improved engines were allowing aircraft to operate at significantly higher altitudes, as …
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200 mph
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What replaced the Merlin engine?
Compared with earlier Rolls-Royce designs, the Griffon engine featured several improvements, which meant that it was physically only slightly larger than the Merlin, in spite of its 36% larger capacity of 37-litres (2,240 cu in).
Was the Merlin engine ever fuel injected?
The final development, which was fitted to the 100-series Merlins, was an S.U. injection carburettor that injected fuel into the supercharger using a fuel pump driven as a function of crankshaft speed and engine pressures.
How many horsepower did a Merlin engine have?
After adoption for the prototype Spitfire, the engine, now named ‘Merlin’ was a 27-litre, liquid-cooled V12, producing an initial power output of 1000 horsepower, which was to all but double during the course of the war.
Can you buy a Merlin engine?
It will be sold at the H&H Classics auction at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford on October 16th for an estimate of £35,000 to £45,000. The immortal Merlin will be forever associated with the aircraft it so successfully powered – most famously the Spitfire, Hurricane, Mustang, Lancaster and Mosquito of WWII.