Hi Doug: 

Now I can't find the site I read it in but the way I read it the Merlin was a private venture when developed for the Schneider Cup Seaplane races.  Now I shall do some more searching but this comes to mind.

(PV12) for Private Venture and was the engine that powered the Supermarine Spitfire Seaplane to win the Schneider Cup I believe three times running.

I will do some more searching on this as the old memory just is not what it used to be.  LOL

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

Just remember that the Spitfire as we know it was a bastardization of what should have been a proper fixed gear, inverted-gull wing fighter the Supermarine Type 224 Spitfire.

http://freespace.virgin.net/john.dell/spits.htm#T224

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Believe that if you like. http://www.eads.net/xml/content/OF00000000400005/5/67/622675.jpg

I wonder if there are many Merlin Aero Engine's around now for sale?

I am sure many were bought up and used for aircraft racing at the "Reno Air Races".

I know there is one on display at the Royal Canadian Air Force Memorial Museum at Canadian Forces Base Trenton with a complete Halifax Aircraft.

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

Now Mark what would that sell for, I am just curious and do not even go onto E-Bay.

Would that not be picked up real quick by someone involved in air racing?

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

I think any Merlins in good enough condition to be made airworthy are snapped up by warbird restorers or possibly air racers. They are also in demand by the power boat fraternity. Some have even been fitted in cars. (The Meteor is a de-rated, unsupercharged Merlin produced by Rover for use in tanks.)

PS. American-style racing (Reno etc.) flogs the guts out of any engine. I found an interesting article on racing Merlins vs the big radials here. http://www.inflightusa.com/columnists/Germain/2006/HotLapJuly/hot_lap_july2006.h...

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I never figured that one out myself as most British engines of the period rotated in the opposite direction to the Merlin. Is it the engine rotation or the reduction gearing?

I was wondering how many Merlins were actually produced & found this interesting article on the subject. https://www.stallion51.com/sightsound/sightsound-merlin.cfm?axis_v=2
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Makes you wonder where they all went. Probably a lot of them were simply scrapped at the end of WWII (Stop crying Mark.). Not sure if production continued post-WWII or if they simply used surplus military engines in aircraft like the Balliol & Argonaut. Unless there's a new source lying undiscovered somewhere it seems the availablility of Merlin engines & spare parts is becoming critical.

I guess this will fit in here as good as anywhere else. 

Gentlemen I had several beers with a Lancaster pilot today while down at the Officers Mess at RCAF Station Trenton or as the Canadian Government calls it Canadian Forces Base Trenton.

We spent time talking about the Lancaster and the Merlin engines.  What I did notice when he got up was he had a cane, a small limp from an old war wound and of course we got talking about the different missions he flew.

He had both engines shot out on a night mission, flew to the target, dropped his bombs and flew home.  What amazed me was he had to do this all the while keeping constant pressure on the rudder pedal with his wounded leg.
When you stop to think about it, those engines were not counter rotating but all turn the same way.

That is no small feat when flying an aircraft the size of a Lanc with a wounded leg and then having to land at night as well.

I suppose the cost of having counter rotating props on large four engine bombers was out of the question then but when you think about it, I believe it might have saved a lot of aircrew and battle damaged aircraft.

I am sorry I never got to speak to him for any great length of time however he did get a bar to his gong as he laughingly put it for that little episode.
Yes he did continue flying missions after that and his wound never bothered him until many many years later.

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug