The Rolls-Royce Merlin was a British liquid-cooled V-12 piston aero engine that powered many World War II-era fighter and bomber aircraft for the Royal Air Force and other Allied air forces. Some key details:
- It was developed in the early 1930s and first flew in 1935.
- Variants produced power between 880 and 2,070 horsepower.
- It powered many iconic RAF aircraft like the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane fighters as well as bombers like the Avro Lancaster.
- Over 160,000 Merlin engines were produced between 1936-1950 making it one of the most produced piston aero engines in history.