Page 75 - History of War - Issue 18-15
P. 75
SPITFIRE SM520
The engine was a good
all-rounder and was also THE MERLIN ENGINE
used in Lancaster bombers,
Hurricanes and the USAAF THE POWERHOUSE BEHIND THE SPITFIRE’S ICONIC SOUND
P51 Mustang
Despite being used in more than 40 aircraft engines of German Messerschmitts, the Merlin
during World War II, the Merlin is most wasn’t fuel-injected, so there was a danger of
commonly associated with the Spitfi re. Named it cutting out in steep dives.
after the bird of prey, the engine fi rst took to However, this was mostly fixed in 1941 by
the skies in February 1935 and was a marked the addition of a new diaphragm in the engine’s
improvement on the previous Rolls Royce fl oat chamber. This was affectionately known
instalment, the Kestrel. as the ‘Miss Shilling’s Orifice’ after its designer
The engine was so good that both the Tilly Shilling. Even after World War II the Merlin
Spitfi re and the Hurricane were built to was still in assembly, and production only
accommodate it. As effi cient as it was, the ceased in 1950 after 150,000 had been made
Merlin wasn’t without its faults. Unlike the to help Britain win the war.
“THE CONSTANTLY UPDATED MESSERSCHMITTS ACTUALLY
BEGAN TO OUTPERFORM THE SPITFIRE BY 1941, BUT THE
BRITISH CLAWED BACK THE ADVANTAGE”
The Spitfi re was very nearly called the ‘Shrew’,
whichwouldn’thavebeenquiteasintimidating
SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE HAWKER HURRICANE
547KM/H (340MPH) MAXIMUMSPEED
847M (2,780FT) PER MINRATEOFCLIMB2
10,972M (36,000FT) CEILING2 Images: Alamy, Boultbee Flight Academy, Getty
4 X 20MM HISPANO MK IICANNONSARMAMENT
2 X 250LB BOMBS OR
1 X 500LB BOMB
1937-44 (14,583 MADE)LONGEVITY
TheHawkerHurricane
served in all major
theatres of World War II
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