Originally established in 1906 with a focus on automobile manufacturing, Rolls-Royce transitioned into aircraft engine design and production at the onset of World War I in 1914. Drawing from its expertise in high-output, liquid-cooled engines from the 1920s and '30s, which it played a pioneering role in developing, Rolls-Royce embarked on the creation of the renowned Merlin engine in 1933. Evolving from the successful Kestrel design, the Merlin became the powerhouse behind numerous iconic aircraft of World War II, including the Hawker Hurricane, Supermarine Spitfire, and North American P-51.
Renowned for its exceptional power-to-weight ratio, the Merlin outperformed its contemporaries, making it one of the most formidable engines of World War II. With over 58,000 units produced under license by the Packard Motor Car Company and Continental Aircraft in the United States, many Merlins were shipped to England, while others found their way into American aircraft like the Curtiss P-40 and various models of the P-51 Mustang. The Packard-built Merlin, like the one described, propelled several iterations of the North American F-6 and P-51 Mustang.
T80 1958