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Rolls Royce Merlin Engine Specs

The Rolls Royce Merlin is in the family of engines developed by Rolls Royce in the late 1930s for use in military aircraft. The engine went through several generations from its introduction in 1936 through World War II, when it was most heavily used in production. To keep up with demand, Rolls Royce later licensed Packard Motors to produce it as well.

Common Installations
- The Merlin engine is most commonly known for powering the Spitfire fighter planes used by the Allied forces in World War II. The Spitfire was the first aircraft to receive the Merlin engine in 1936, and it was used in the Spitfire throughout the war. The engine gained wider acceptance and was used in the production of other aircraft, including the Hawker Hurricane, Mustang, Mosquito fighter plans and four-engine Lancaster bomber plane.
Power Specifications
- The first production version of the 12-cylinder Merlin engine, used in a Spitfire airplane in 1939, generated 1,030 horsepower. By 1943, the Merlin had been reengineered to produce 1,520 horsepower at peak performance. The engine was liquid-cooled and generated 1,400 horsepower upon take-off, thanks to its two-stage supercharger. The supercharger itself combined three distinct engines, which automatically activated at altitudes between 14,500 and 19,000 feet. However, it could be manually overridden by the pilot.
Related Specifications
- The Merlin V12 engine has maximum rpm of 3,000. Its bore and stroke are reported at 137 mm and 152 mm, respectively. Overall displacement measures in at 1,650 cubic inches, with a total weight of 1,320 pounds. More than 150,000 Merlin motors were produced in total, approximately 60,000 of which were produced by Packard Motors under the Rolls Royce license.

Aviation