It's an engine whose distinctive roar can make your heart leap. The successor of the great Merlin engine, the Rolls Royce Griffon played its part in helping to win the Second World War when it was fitted to iconic warbirds such as the Spitfire. ...
“Without the Merlin, we would not have won the Battle of Britain and Hitler may have crossed the channel.” — states Mike Evans, who founded the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust. Many believe the engine turned the tide of war. ...
— often forgotten is that the capacity of the Merlin was quite small when compared to the opposition. The Merlin has a capacity of 27 liters, whereas the DB-601 of the Messerschmitt 109 was 36 liters and the BMW-801 engine of the Focke-Wulf 190 had 42 liters ...
— developed from engines designed and used during World War I and the peacetime air speed competition, the Schneider Trophy. Receiving no government backing, Rolls-Royce built a prototype which by 1935 was producing more than 1,000 horsepower, 40% more than its predecessor the Kestrel. ...