84 years ago - Merlin Roared
03-05-2020 | 09:20 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Intermediate
84 years ago - Merlin Roared
Some Merlin magic with Spitfires on the Spitfire's birthday: 5th March 1936.
Dedicated to Mr Merlin on this site, who has unknowingly helped me and countless others with his vast experience and generous, good-natured wisdom.
You've probably already seen this one, but it is an awesome machine and a worthy moniker.
Thanks, MrMerlin and all the other contributors on Rennlist who make this a great place to visit, more than you realize.
Dedicated to Mr Merlin on this site, who has unknowingly helped me and countless others with his vast experience and generous, good-natured wisdom.
You've probably already seen this one, but it is an awesome machine and a worthy moniker.
Thanks, MrMerlin and all the other contributors on Rennlist who make this a great place to visit, more than you realize.
The following 8 users liked this post by 928 kiln:
Bertrand Daoust (03-05-2020),
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Rod Handsfield (03-06-2020),
and 3 others liked this post.
03-05-2020 | 09:36 AM
#4
Rennlist Member
Also, it was the switch from the original Allison to the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine which transformed the P51 into the plane that we all know and love, and helped secure the skies over Europe during WW 2.
03-05-2020 | 10:14 AM
#6
03-05-2020 | 06:45 PM
#7
Team Owner
Well thanks if you want to get some goosebumps for the next 2 mins watch this.
Yes headphones and loud will make things better
Yes headphones and loud will make things better
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03-05-2020 | 07:03 PM
#8
Rennlist Member
Them's fightin' words, good sir...
03-06-2020 | 02:29 AM
#9
Indeed they are!
The words "Merlin" and "Spitfire" are very emotive in British folklore and whereas I abhore violence and warfare, I very much admire military engineering for what it is not what it does. Make no mistake, the German military engineering was also absolutely superb. When you look at the detailing of their kit the finish was something to behold especially BMW aero engines. The German Luftwaffe had a distinct advantage in that their ME-109's were kitted with fuel injection that meant they could do a negative G pushover, try that in a Spitfire and the fuel cuts out immediately thus why they quickly worked out they had to do an inverted dive in combat.. Interestingly Rolls Royce quite deliberately did not develop the Merlin with fuel injection on the basis that they figured it would cost in terms of developed power- they figured that a supercharged motor worked better with carbs, how they concluded that I have no idea- maybe design limitations of the time. The wing design made the Spitfire the machine it was- ironically German engineers had such a design but did not use it on their fighters- plenty of heated historical debate as to the roots of the Spitfire's design! Ironically the biggest problem they had building them during WW2 was keeping up the supply chain for the Browning machine guns!
The picture of the sectioned Merlin I took [with Stan in mind], I simply forgot to post it until seeing your thread- this sectionalised engine is located in the Imperial War Museum in South London and permits one to see deep into the motor- a true work of art. The Air Force Museum in Hendon, North London is the place to visit if one wants to see WW2 aircraft- that and Duxford just outside Cambridge. Hearing these things on a video is one thing, but seeing them in action is something else. Seeing a Lancaster taking off with its 4 Merlins in harmony is something, but trying to imagine what 500 or more of the things flying overhead must have been like is something else.
The first flight of the Spitfire actually took place at Eastleigh aerodrome in Hampshire, just down the road from where I used to live [long after the Supermarine main factory closed]. I have seen English Electric Lightnings, F-15's, Vulcans, etc etc flying and superb machines that they are, nothing quite gives me the goosebumps like the Merlin engines.
The words "Merlin" and "Spitfire" are very emotive in British folklore and whereas I abhore violence and warfare, I very much admire military engineering for what it is not what it does. Make no mistake, the German military engineering was also absolutely superb. When you look at the detailing of their kit the finish was something to behold especially BMW aero engines. The German Luftwaffe had a distinct advantage in that their ME-109's were kitted with fuel injection that meant they could do a negative G pushover, try that in a Spitfire and the fuel cuts out immediately thus why they quickly worked out they had to do an inverted dive in combat.. Interestingly Rolls Royce quite deliberately did not develop the Merlin with fuel injection on the basis that they figured it would cost in terms of developed power- they figured that a supercharged motor worked better with carbs, how they concluded that I have no idea- maybe design limitations of the time. The wing design made the Spitfire the machine it was- ironically German engineers had such a design but did not use it on their fighters- plenty of heated historical debate as to the roots of the Spitfire's design! Ironically the biggest problem they had building them during WW2 was keeping up the supply chain for the Browning machine guns!
The picture of the sectioned Merlin I took [with Stan in mind], I simply forgot to post it until seeing your thread- this sectionalised engine is located in the Imperial War Museum in South London and permits one to see deep into the motor- a true work of art. The Air Force Museum in Hendon, North London is the place to visit if one wants to see WW2 aircraft- that and Duxford just outside Cambridge. Hearing these things on a video is one thing, but seeing them in action is something else. Seeing a Lancaster taking off with its 4 Merlins in harmony is something, but trying to imagine what 500 or more of the things flying overhead must have been like is something else.
The first flight of the Spitfire actually took place at Eastleigh aerodrome in Hampshire, just down the road from where I used to live [long after the Supermarine main factory closed]. I have seen English Electric Lightnings, F-15's, Vulcans, etc etc flying and superb machines that they are, nothing quite gives me the goosebumps like the Merlin engines.
03-06-2020 | 12:20 PM
#12
Rennlist Member
Indeed they are!
The words "Merlin" and "Spitfire" are very emotive in British folklore and whereas I abhore violence and warfare, I very much admire military engineering for what it is not what it does. Make no mistake, the German military engineering was also absolutely superb. When you look at the detailing of their kit the finish was something to behold especially BMW aero engines. The German Luftwaffe had a distinct advantage in that their ME-109's were kitted with fuel injection that meant they could do a negative G pushover, try that in a Spitfire and the fuel cuts out immediately thus why they quickly worked out they had to do an inverted dive in combat.. Interestingly Rolls Royce quite deliberately did not develop the Merlin with fuel injection on the basis that they figured it would cost in terms of developed power- they figured that a supercharged motor worked better with carbs, how they concluded that I have no idea- maybe design limitations of the time. The wing design made the Spitfire the machine it was- ironically German engineers had such a design but did not use it on their fighters- plenty of heated historical debate as to the roots of the Spitfire's design! Ironically the biggest problem they had building them during WW2 was keeping up the supply chain for the Browning machine guns!
The picture of the sectioned Merlin I took [with Stan in mind], I simply forgot to post it until seeing your thread- this sectionalised engine is located in the Imperial War Museum in South London and permits one to see deep into the motor- a true work of art. The Air Force Museum in Hendon, North London is the place to visit if one wants to see WW2 aircraft- that and Duxford just outside Cambridge. Hearing these things on a video is one thing, but seeing them in action is something else. Seeing a Lancaster taking off with its 4 Merlins in harmony is something, but trying to imagine what 500 or more of the things flying overhead must have been like is something else.
The first flight of the Spitfire actually took place at Eastleigh aerodrome in Hampshire, just down the road from where I used to live [long after the Supermarine main factory closed]. I have seen English Electric Lightnings, F-15's, Vulcans, etc etc flying and superb machines that they are, nothing quite gives me the goosebumps like the Merlin engines.
The words "Merlin" and "Spitfire" are very emotive in British folklore and whereas I abhore violence and warfare, I very much admire military engineering for what it is not what it does. Make no mistake, the German military engineering was also absolutely superb. When you look at the detailing of their kit the finish was something to behold especially BMW aero engines. The German Luftwaffe had a distinct advantage in that their ME-109's were kitted with fuel injection that meant they could do a negative G pushover, try that in a Spitfire and the fuel cuts out immediately thus why they quickly worked out they had to do an inverted dive in combat.. Interestingly Rolls Royce quite deliberately did not develop the Merlin with fuel injection on the basis that they figured it would cost in terms of developed power- they figured that a supercharged motor worked better with carbs, how they concluded that I have no idea- maybe design limitations of the time. The wing design made the Spitfire the machine it was- ironically German engineers had such a design but did not use it on their fighters- plenty of heated historical debate as to the roots of the Spitfire's design! Ironically the biggest problem they had building them during WW2 was keeping up the supply chain for the Browning machine guns!
The picture of the sectioned Merlin I took [with Stan in mind], I simply forgot to post it until seeing your thread- this sectionalised engine is located in the Imperial War Museum in South London and permits one to see deep into the motor- a true work of art. The Air Force Museum in Hendon, North London is the place to visit if one wants to see WW2 aircraft- that and Duxford just outside Cambridge. Hearing these things on a video is one thing, but seeing them in action is something else. Seeing a Lancaster taking off with its 4 Merlins in harmony is something, but trying to imagine what 500 or more of the things flying overhead must have been like is something else.
The first flight of the Spitfire actually took place at Eastleigh aerodrome in Hampshire, just down the road from where I used to live [long after the Supermarine main factory closed]. I have seen English Electric Lightnings, F-15's, Vulcans, etc etc flying and superb machines that they are, nothing quite gives me the goosebumps like the Merlin engines.
Well said, FredR! I will not derail this thread by rambling on about my own passions of WWII era aircraft, but I agree with you in most. My point was that the Allison V-1710 was a superb engine that lacked a good on board super charger.
I will say this, I have been thrown out of the USAF Museum more times than most people will ever go.
Cheers!
03-06-2020 | 01:04 PM
#13
Well thanks if you want to get some goosebumps for the next 2 mins watch this.
Yes headphones and loud will make things better
https://youtu.be/Gsh8ZJ0kKUE
Yes headphones and loud will make things better
https://youtu.be/Gsh8ZJ0kKUE
03-06-2020 | 06:43 PM
#14
Edit: my mistake. Was thinking of the P-40....
