Merlin Engine: Boat Power Or Myth?

The Rolls-Royce Merlin engine was designed as an aero engine and was used to power some of the most famous aeroplanes of World War II, including the Spitfire, the Hurricane, the Mosquito, the Mustang, and the Lancaster. However, its use was not limited to aeroplanes, and it also found its way into alternative applications on land and at sea. One such alternative use was in speed boats, with boat racers experimenting with the engine as early as the late 1940s. The first boat to show up at a race with a Merlin engine was the MISS WINDSOR, which attended the 1946 Gold Cup in Detroit but failed to start the race. The first boat to win a race with a Merlin engine was the MISS CANADA III, which captured the 1948 Silver Cup in Detroit.

The Rolls-Royce Merlin engine was used in the Spitfire, Hurricane, Mustang, and Lancaster planes during World War II

The Rolls-Royce Merlin engine was used in several planes during World War II, including the Spitfire, Hurricane, Mustang, and Lancaster.

The Merlin engine was first run in 1933 and entered service in 1936 with the Fairey Battle, Hawker Hurricane, and Supermarine Spitfire. It was a liquid-cooled V-12 piston aero engine with a capacity of 27 litres (1,650 cu in). The engine was initially known as the PV-12 but was later renamed the Merlin, following Rolls-Royce's convention of naming its four-stroke piston aero engines after birds of prey.

The Merlin engine was most closely associated with the Spitfire and Hurricane, but the majority of its production run was for the four-engined Avro Lancaster heavy bomber. It was also used in the Mustang, which was originally fitted with an Allison engine but was later upgraded to the Merlin engine, greatly increasing its power.

The Merlin engine underwent constant improvements throughout its production life, with over 50 different development types produced. Early production Merlins suffered from reliability issues such as coolant leaks and cylinder head cracking, but these problems were eventually resolved. By the start of World War II, the engine had gained a reputation for its reliability.

The Merlin engine was manufactured at factories in Crewe, Derby, and Glasgow in the UK, as well as by the Packard Motor Company in the US. By the end of its production run in 1950, nearly 150,000 Merlin engines had been built. Today, the Merlin engine remains in use with the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and powers many restored aircraft worldwide.

The Merlin engine was also used in speed boats and hydroplanes for racing

The Rolls-Royce Merlin engine was used in some of the most famous aeroplanes of World War II, including the Spitfire, the Hurricane, the Mosquito, the Mustang, and the Lancaster. However, it was also used in speed boats and hydroplanes for racing.

In the mid-1940s to early 1950s, aviation engines became popular as power plants of choice for unlimited hydroplane racing, given their relatively high power-to-weight ratio, reliability, and availability. The first boat to show up at a race with a Merlin engine was the Miss Windsor, a home-built step hydroplane that attended the 1946 Gold Cup in Detroit but failed to start. The first boat to win a race with a Merlin engine was Miss Canada III, which captured the 1948 Silver Cup in Detroit with Harold Wilson driving.

The first team to obtain consistent results with a Merlin engine was Slo-mo-shun V, which won all three 30-mile heats of the 1954 Gold Cup in Seattle with Lou Fageol driving. From 1960 to 1979, the Merlin engine won 19 of 20 National Championships and 17 of 20 Gold Cups. Some of the most significant Merlin-powered hydroplanes include Slo-mo-shun V, Miss Thriftway, Hawaii Kai III, Miss Bardahl, Miss Budweiser, Atlas Van Lines, and Pay 'n Pak.

The Merlin engine was generally more temperamental and less reliable than the Allison engine, which was the established Unlimited powerplant in the late 1940s and early 1950s. However, the Merlin engine produced more power, making it the preferred choice for better-financed teams. The adoption of the Merlin engine by the top teams was a significant factor in its success.

The Merlin engine was adapted for use in tanks under the name Rolls-Royce Meteor

The Rolls-Royce Meteor, later renamed the Rover Meteor, is a British tank engine that was developed during World War II. It was a de-rated version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin aero-engine, which was used in the Fairey Battle, Hawker Hurricane, and Supermarine Spitfire aircraft.

The Meteor was developed by W.A. Robotham and his chassis design and development division at Clan Foundry, Belper, with the aid of engineers from Leyland Motors. The Meteor was designed to address the need for a more powerful and reliable engine for British tanks, which had previously been regarded as underpowered and unreliable.

The Meteor engine was based on the Rolls-Royce Merlin III, which produced 1,030 bhp (770 kW). For tank use, the engine's direction of rotation was reversed, the supercharger and reduction gear were removed, and it was modified to run on lower-octane pool petrol instead of high-octane avgas. These changes reduced the engine's power output to around 600 bhp (447 kW).

The Meteor was first tested in a modified Crusader tank in 1941, where it reached an estimated speed of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). This impressive performance led to an order for the engine, which was initially produced by Rolls-Royce but later manufactured by Rover.

The Meteor engine was first used in the Cromwell tank, which entered service in 1944. It provided exceptional mobility and speed, with a boost to 550 horsepower (410 kW) while maintaining the same 1,650-cubic-inch (27.0 L) displacement as the previous Liberty engine. The Meteor engine also allowed for greater armour integration in subsequent tank designs.

The Meteor engine was later used in other tanks, including the Comet, Centurion, Conqueror, Charioteer, and Tortoise. It was produced until 1964, eight years longer than the Merlin engine, and was considered a world-class tank engine that gave British tanks ample, reliable power.

The Meteor engine was also used in cars, including The Beast, a UK-registered vehicle

The Meteor engine was used in cars, including The Beast, a UK-registered vehicle. In the 1960s, engineer Paul Jameson put a Meteor engine into a chassis he built himself. He did not get around to building a body, and sold the car to Epsom-based automatic transmission specialist John Dodd, who had supplied the automatic gearbox. Fibre Glass Repairs in Bromley, Kent, fitted a fibreglass body, and the finished car was named The Beast. The Beast was extremely popular at car shows all over Europe, featuring in numerous custom car publications in the 1970s and 1980s. It was once listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's most powerful road car.

The Beast has used two different fibreglass bodies during its life. The first was the Ford Capri-inspired shape in dark red, and the second and current body is a 2-door estate car in beige. The engine used in the first Beast was a Meteor tank engine, but upon rebuilding the car after a fire, Dodd sourced a Merlin engine from a Boulton Paul Balliol training aircraft. The engine drives a General Motors TH400 automatic transmission, via the step-up gearbox devised by Dodd to allow the low-revving Merlin engine to work properly with the conventional GM transmission. The Merlin used in the Beast is non-supercharged, with power estimated at around 950 bhp. Dodd claimed that the highest speed he achieved in the Beast was in the region of 185 mph (around 300 km/h), although the theoretical top speed is higher.

In both incarnations, the car used Rolls-Royce grilles, badges, and hood ornaments, none of which were authorised by the company. Rolls-Royce took Dodd to court after he refused to remove their trademarked features, and Dodd lost the case. The grille was replaced with one bearing Dodd's "JD" initials. In March 2023, the Beast was listed for sale by auction in the UK, for the first time since it was registered in 1972. The car is MOT exempt and ULEZ compliant, and is still registered as a Rolls-Royce according to its V5C logbook.

The Merlin engine was first tested in 1933 and was initially known as the PV-12

The Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, initially known as the PV-12, was first tested in 1933. It was designed and first run by Rolls-Royce as a private venture. The PV-12 was first flown in a Hawker Hart biplane in 1935. The name was changed to Merlin following the Rolls-Royce company convention of naming its four-stroke piston aero engines after birds of prey. The Merlin was named after a small, northern hemisphere falcon (Falco columbarius).

The Merlin was a British liquid-cooled V-12 piston aero engine with a 27-litre (1,650 cu in) capacity. It was one of the most successful aircraft engines of the Second World War era, powering famous planes such as the Spitfire, the Hurricane, the Mosquito, the Mustang, and the Lancaster. Over 50 different development types of the Merlin engine were produced, ranging from just over 1,000 horsepower to 2,050 horsepower each in the de Havilland Hornet at the end of the war.

The Merlin engine was also used in boats for unlimited hydroplane racing in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The first boat to show up at a race with a Merlin was the Miss Windsor in 1946. The first boat to win a race with a Merlin was the Miss Canada III, which captured the 1948 Silver Cup at Detroit.

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