Why the Merlin engine was essential to the war

The Rolls-Royce Merlin Engine powered some of the most famous aeroplanes of World War II, including the Spitfire, the Hurricane, the Mosquito, the Mustang and the Lancaster. The Merlin was also used in aeroplanes like the Fairey Battle and the Boulton Paul Defiant. Over its production life, over 50 different development types of the Merlin Engine were produced, ranging from just over 1,000 horsepower, to right at the end of the war, the two Merlins that powered the de Havilland Hornet giving 2,050 horsepower each. In this video, Graham Rodgers looks at what made the Merlin Engine so vital during the Second World War, and we hear from some pilots and mechanics who worked with the Merlin Engine during the war, including test pilot Captain Eric ’Winkle’ Brown. Book tickets to IWM Duxford now to catch the Hurricane spotlight exhibition, running 27 Dec - 19 Feb: Visit the Battle of Britain hangar at IWM Duxford: