Packard V-1650 Merlin
| V-1650 Merlin | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Packard V-1650-7 Merlin | |
| Type | Liquid-cooled V-12 piston engine |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Packard |
| First run | August 1941 |
| Major applications |
Avro Lancaster Curtiss P-40 Warhawk de Havilland Mosquito North American P-51 Mustang |
| Number built | 55,523 |
| Developed from | Rolls-Royce Merlin |
The Packard V-1650 Merlin was a version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin aircraft engine, produced under licence in the United States by the Packard Motor Car Company. The engine was licensed in order to expand production of the Rolls-Royce 1,500 hp (1,100 kW; 1,500 PS) Merlin for British use. The engine also filled a gap in the U.S. at a time when similarly powered U.S. made engines were not available.
The first V-1650s, with a one-stage supercharger, equivalent to the Merlin XX, were used in the P-40F Kittyhawk fighter and in Canadian-built Hawker Hurricanes. Later versions based on the Merlin 60-series included a more advanced two-stage supercharger for improved performance at high altitudes. It found its most famous application in the North American P-51 Mustang fighter, improving the aircraft's performance so that it could escort Allied heavy bombers from Britain to Germany and back.
At the outbreak of World War Two, the British aviation industry expanded greatly. There was great need for the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine with shadow factories being established in Crewe, Manchester and Glasgow. This was not enough to meet increasing demand with the British government looking to expand production using U.S. manufacturers. An agreement was reached between Rolls-Royce and the Packard Motor Car Company in September 1940 to manufacture the Merlin under license, with a $130,000,000 order being placed. The first Packard-built engine, designated V-1650-1, ran in August 1941.
The first American version of the Merlin was the Packard Merlin 28 (Mark XX), designated the V-1650-1 by the American military. This engine used a single-stage, two-speed supercharger. The two-speed gearing was - as well as for the "R-R" Merlins - from a French Farman patent license. As the Merlin 28, it was used for the Avro Lancaster bomber. The USAAF V-1650-1 version of this engine was used in the Curtiss P-40Fs. The initial Packard modifications to this engine changed the main crankshaft bearings from a copper lead alloy to a silver lead combination and featured indium plating. This had been developed by General Motors' Pontiac Division to prevent corrosion which was possible with lubricating oils that were used at that time. The bearing coating also improved break-in and load-carrying ability of the surface.
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