Thread: Merlins

Originally Posted by one_iota

and what music it makes:

YouTube - Merlin engine Sounds

I've seen a lot of war movies and footage of air shows but this clip captures the "spiritual" sound of a roaring merlin better than I've ever heard before.

I pity the poor soul that has never had his knees turned to jelly by that incredible noise.

This thread has set me to rereading L.J.K. Setright's "The Power to Fly (ISBN 0 04 338041, London, 1971) and Herschel Smith's "A history of Aircraft Piston Engines" (Kansas, ND, no ISBN, about 1990).

The first of these is particularly recommended, but both are quite rare. (A quick search found just one copy for sale of Setright - US$559, Smith, still in print plenty for US$29.99)

John

Found the following reference. Stanley Hooker wrote in "Not much of an Engineer", "a number of Ford engineers came to Derby to familiarise themselves with the drawings and methods of manufacture. One day their Chief Engineer appeared in Lovesey's office, which I was then sharing,and said 'you know we can't make the Merlin to these drawings'. I replied loftily 'I suppose the drawing tolerances are too difficult for you and you can't achieve the accuracy?' 'On the contrary,' he replied, the tolerances are far too wide for us. We make motor cars far more accurately than this. Every part on our car engines has to be interchangeable wqith the same part on any other engine, and hence all parts have to be made with extreme accuracy, far closer than you use. That is the only way we can achieve mass production.'

Lovesy joined in "Well, what do you propose now?" The reply was that Ford would have to redraw all the Merlin drawings to their own standards, and this they did."

A. Cyril Lovesey was Flight Development Engineer and in charge of Merlin development. Eventually he became Chief Engineer (Aero Engines), Deputy Director of Engineering, and a board member.

look what i came across today, a merlin in bits

Did you find some photos or actually see that one in bits somewhere? Caboolture Airport? Brings back memories, not necessarily good ones. If you took the photos, is it possible for me to go and have a look?