What engine did the Supermarine Spitfire have?
So far we’ve learned about the Spitfire’s thin, curved wings and it’s strong, streamlined metal body. But the aeroplane needed a good engine to match. Spitfires were powered by Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, and later Rolls-Royce Griffon engines. Close in dogfighting, the Spit was better than the Mustang. But if you wanted to get where the fight was, you flew the Mustang. Comparing apples with oranges. Spitfire was a short range interceptor, even with droptanks, Mustang a long range escort.What did American pilots think of the British Spitfire when they encountered it for the first time in WWII? They loved it. Light, lavish, agile, it could hold its own with the Bf 109, it was a 1300 hp dream after the 600 hp T-6 trainer. They initially had a hard time giving it up for the huge American P-38s and P-47s.Both the Spitfire and the P-51 Mustang, two of the best fighters of World War II, were powered by the iconic Merlin engine.Mustang was faster, Spitfire climbed better. Mustang had much better range. Mustang was cleaner aerodynamically for better speed. Spitfire was 2500# lighter for better climb.
Did the Spitfire have a V12 engine?
After adoption for the prototype Spitfire, the engine, now named ‘Merlin’ was a 27-litre, liquid-cooled V12, producing an initial power output of 1000 horsepower, which was to all but double during the course of 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.Rolls-Royce developed the engine from 1933 from an engine called the PV12. Initially of about 900 to 990 horsepower on the bench, then in full production, once made reliable, in the Mk I Spitfire and the Hurricane with over 1100 horsepower. The Merlin engine is a small engine.
What made the Spitfire engine so special?
The engine’s reliability and power allowed the Spitfire to reach the full potential of its iconic elliptical wing design, which contributed to its exceptional manoeuvrability and speed. The Rolls-Royce Griffon was another significant engine used in later variants of the Spitfire. Mitchell modified the Spitfire’s distinctive elliptical wing (designed by Beverley Shenstone) with innovative sunken rivets to have the thinnest possible cross-section, achieving a potential top speed greater than that of several contemporary fighter aircraft, including the Hawker Hurricane.