2 thoughts on “From Daily Time Waster, Rolls-Royce Merlin: Forging the Engine That Won The War”
Except most of the real heavy work was done by Wright engines.
R-2800s were known to be nigh unto impossible to kill. They ran them without oil and the damned things still ran. Ran them with cylinders missing, still ran. Overheated, still ran.
The Merlin was a great engine, but do one thing to it, like remove cooking or put one round into the cylinder area, and the bitch would shut down, violently, and blow up and catch fire.
The R-2800, by the way, powered the F6F Hellcat, F8F Bearcat, F4U Corsair, P-47 Thunderbolt (by the end of the war the fastest single-propellor engine fighter and the longest range fighter) and so much more.
The P-51 was a great plane but was outclassed by the FW-109…….
……..until it was handed to the Rolls-Royce Limeys, who stuck a Merlin engine in it and handed it back to you Yanks.
Then it became a true killing machine. You’re welcome 🙂
Except most of the real heavy work was done by Wright engines.
R-2800s were known to be nigh unto impossible to kill. They ran them without oil and the damned things still ran. Ran them with cylinders missing, still ran. Overheated, still ran.
The Merlin was a great engine, but do one thing to it, like remove cooking or put one round into the cylinder area, and the bitch would shut down, violently, and blow up and catch fire.
The R-2800, by the way, powered the F6F Hellcat, F8F Bearcat, F4U Corsair, P-47 Thunderbolt (by the end of the war the fastest single-propellor engine fighter and the longest range fighter) and so much more.
The P-51 was a great plane but was outclassed by the FW-109…….
……..until it was handed to the Rolls-Royce Limeys, who stuck a Merlin engine in it and handed it back to you Yanks.
Then it became a true killing machine. You’re welcome 🙂