Spitfire

[Barry Ashcroft]

Yes they were, the Merlin eventually replaced the Allison engine they are both 27ltr V12 BUT the Merlin used in the Mustang was production line built by Packard in the states as opposed to the hand built Merlin built here by Rolls Royce.

BUT I still say you cannot beat the sound of the bigger more powerfull 36ltr Griffon later fitted in the spitfire    

[SteveF]

The Griffon engine had four valves per cylinder all those years ago, and it had fuel injection, and a supercharger, (a turbo is only an exhaust powered supercharger after all.) Do today’s modern car drivers ever consider that their engine shares so much with the Griffon, in that both have cast aluminium heads/blocks/sumps, four valves per cylinder, fuel injection, nimonic exhaust valve seats and valve head, exhaust valve stems filled with sodium to aid cooling, stellited valve tips to reduce wear, the twin overhead camshafts, engine sections held together with long through bolts, an engine management system, (though the Griffons was mechanical not solid-state,) sealed cooling systems with special anti-corrosive/anti-freeze coolant mixture, anti-interference ignition leads; infact there is only the extra cylinders, the propeller and magneto missing

shamelessly stolen from here

[chazpowerslide]

I think you'll find thet the Merlin has 4 valves per cylinder also

Specs Here

Chaz

[Paul Ranson]

the twin overhead camshafts

I'm pretty sure there's only one per cylinder bank.

Paul

[Howard]

The Merlin/Griffon does sound wonderful but for me there is another challenger for the "best sound" crown.  At the Lowestoft Air Festival last year there was a Hawker Sea Fury. I had no idea at the time what engine it had but I fell in love with its basso profondo sound and the clean lines. Not as pretty as a Spitfire but somehow better for it.

The engine, I found out later, is a Bristol Centaurus: 54 litres, 18 cylinder twin-row radial boasting 2500hp.  And not a poppet valve in sight. Sleeve valves! Ok, maybe not as technologically advanced as the Rolls Royce but the sound was totally unique - unlike any other clanking farty radial I've heard.

The nearest comparison I can make is to liken it to a Subaru or a Ducati and it made a Merlin sound like an overstretched Granada V6.

(Runs for cover)    

[KerryS]

A few things I have often wondered about on aero piston engines, fuelling and lubrication.

After my wander round the RR Heritage place here in Derby, I was surprised to see fuel injection, I thought they were still on carbs in the 40's    but lubrication? How did that work if the plane was upside down or seeing negative G? They didn't appear to be dry sumped but may have been.

Kerry

[nikpro]

A few things I have often wondered about on aero piston engines, fuelling and lubrication.

After my wander round the RR Heritage place here in Derby, I was surprised to see fuel injection, I thought they were still on carbs in the 40's  

This was the advantage the ME109 had in 1938/39; it was fuel injected and had a better dive/climb rate that the Spitfire - the RAF pilots found that spiralling would keep fuel in the carbs and stop the engine dying - they went to fuel injection in the early 40's i believe like the ME 109

[barney]

many years ago,when i worked at british aerospace in chester ,there was a yearly open day and flying display,the best thing i ever saw and heard was a Vulcan bomber flypast then go vertical......ever car alarm in north wales went off and every baby for several miles was in tears..a truely awesome sound/rumble..          

[cast iron]

was lying in one Sunday morning when I heard the wonderful sound of Merlins - looked out of the curtains and 3 Lancasters were flying over, which baffled me as i though only one in the UK was air worthy, this was about 7 years ago.

[KerryS]

many years ago,when i worked at british aerospace in chester ,there was a yearly open day and flying display,the best thing i ever saw and heard was a Vulcan bomber flypast then go vertical......ever car alarm in north wales went off and every baby for several miles was in tears..a truely awesome sound/rumble..          

Know what you mean Barney. In the days when Gaydon was an operative RAF site, I went to a Battle of Britain open day that they used to do. I think it was a V-bomber base, but whatever, there was a Vulcan, Valiant and the other one whose name I forget. LOUD or what!!! This was before everyone could buy ear defenders, so we all stuck our fingers in our ears

Kerry

[Liam]

The Merlin/Griffon does sound wonderful but for me there is another challenger for the "best sound" crown.  At the Lowestoft Air Festival last year there was a Hawker Sea Fury.

Yep, with you here. Merlins are very evocotive and I can't resist nipping outside when the Battle of Britain threesome fly over, as they do regularly in the summer, but a Sea Fury, now that's something else and a degree rarer.

[PeterOz]

there was a Vulcan, Valiant and the other one whose name I forget.

Kerry

Victor

[KerryS]

there was a Vulcan, Valiant and the other one whose name I forget.

Kerry

Victor

Kerry

[Chris.B]

When we came back from a RAF overseas tour late 60's Dad (who was on Lightnings) was very briefly seconded to BAe Warton.  Whilst there the TSR2 was being tested - what a plane - what a noise.  Well done Labour for screwing yet another piece of ace British Defence techology

[Peter Cox]

My 2p at bottom of page 1