Merlin V12 part 2 shut down

A Merlin engine built out of two wrecks. It originally powered a twin engine Mosquito. Just the thing to have in your shed!

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Aeroplane
• Merlin
• V12
• Mosquito
• engine
• aero
• airplane
• supercharge
• flames
• open
• exhaust

[kirkconway]

you know when an aircraft engine has a prop on it and it shuts down,

well, the enertia of the prop keeps it spinning at least two or 4 blades till it stop's,

But your rolls dont have a prop on it so i guess it'll stop a little quicker as it not having a prop on it ,

[flyingscrapyard]

Quite true. There is a fair amount of compression ready to pull it up as soon as it stops firing. To some degree, the gear reduction on the front of the engine would have some flywheel effect to it, as well as the supercharger, so I suppose there is no reason why it couldn't run without a prop anyway. By the way, do you like the wisps of smoke that come out of the exhaust tips after the engine has stopped? I know I do.

[merlin905]

how coul it?temperature will break

[flyingscrapyard]

Not so. The coolant is in the large tank that forms the engine base. It is not running "dry". You wouldn't spend months and months getting it to where it is shown here only to throw it all away for lack of coolant. So don't panic. It will go for a while yet.

[kirkconway]

Sounds like something stuck or siezed up all at one when it tried to shut down,

I could hear a ripping sound in the block in its internals and it didnt sound good at all,

[flyingscrapyard]

Despite it not sounding good at all, the engine continues to perform well for those fortunate to see it in real life. This also despite many experts saying it wouldn't run at all without at least a dummy prop on it. It was going to have one fitted, but started quite happily without it while the owner was winding it over to check oil pressure etc. So, no, it is still alive and well, waiting to run again next time. Good eh?

[gm16v149]

These would have to be one of the greatest piston engines of all time.

I went for a trip in the P51 Mustang at Pt Cook about 10 years ago which is powered by one of these engines and the sound of that V12 was just beautiful.

[MrZambology]

@1700iDiGuy Really simple technology easy to service. If you think about it that carb design was used from the 1930's till the1990's that's some production run. And your absolutely right, the diameter of the throat must have been massive, there was a big supercharger blowing through them as well. What an amazing engine, the greatest piston engine ever built? Certainly in the top ten, "whatever is rightly done however humble is noble." Henry Royce's legacy is still felt to this day. RIP

[1700iDiGuy]

@MrZambology oh well, i'm surprised! 2 SU's? 1 per bank of six cylinders.. 12 liters either side, i'd imagine those carbs they'd have a pretty massive set of jets and an equally large Carb throats!

[MrZambology]

@1700iDiGuy Checked it on wiki, initially a pair of SU's which were later replaced with pressurised Bendix Stromberg carbs. Amazing really everything from the old mini to Rolls Royce's were fitted with SU carburetors, really simple design I used to see them everywhere.

[MrZambology]

@1700iDiGuy They were definitely fitted with carbs, the Spitfire engines could stall in positive G dives, to avoid this the planes had to roll as they dived, The ME109 was fuel injected and didn't have the same problems regards.

[1700iDiGuy]

@MrZambology 2 SU's? Nah! I heard that these things were infact fuel injected, as they could go into steep dives and sharp climbs without stalling or suffering from fuel starvation...i've had a look into these incredible engines a little more, Lack of fuel starvation was the reason we could out manouvre german aircraft!

[MrZambology]

@1700iDiGuy A pair of SU carb's I believe?

[NesteHukka2]

You idiots seized the engine!! Now sell it to me. I will pay sixpack of beer of the wreck :(

[hannas1234]

I wish I had a Merlin powered shed!

[epiplayer3]

exactly kirk even tho the prop weighs a few hundred pounds or so the force of it spinning even at 800 - 1000 rpms is astounding and even the might merlin takes a minute to settle it down

[suzukiholdenman]

the only engine that would make a monster truck shit it self!