From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Historical overview of the second family of aero-engines from 1919 to 1939, including the Kestrel, Buzzard, Schneider, and Merlin.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 182\M18\ img091 | |
| Date | 21th February 1913 guessed | |
| 5. 1919-1939 The second family of aero-engines - (Kestrel (F), Buzzard (H), Schneider (R) and Merlin) In the immediate post 1919 period the national economy and general policy had combined to decimate this country's overall aero-engine industry but Royce had found in this field a worthwhile challenge and a rewarding outlet for his special gifts. He was fully conscious of the experience to be quickly gained in advanced technology, and he was convinced that the aero-engine could offer to the company a sound long-term second string to the motor car, where markets, for various reasons had a distressing habit of fluctuating widely. Encouraged by small Government contracts the company continued design and development work in the aero field, concentrating mainly upon the liquid-cooled Vee 12 layout initiated by Rolls-Royce in 1914-16. In 1927 the new 'F' engine (later named Kestrel) was launched and for it production orders were forthcoming for new RAF planes. In 1928 a larger engine, the 'H', emerged and this engine, intensively developed and re-named the 'R' engine, was successful in gaining for Britain the much-prized Schneider Trophy for seaplanes in 1929 and 1931 and in raising the World's AirSpeed Record to 407 mph in 1931. The experience gained with the highly developed Schneider 'R' engine was embodied in a new engine, the "Merlin", which was chosen for the RAFs' new 8-gun monoplane interceptor fighter, the Hawker Hurricane and Vickers Supermarine Spitfire. | ||