If you get the chance to see/hear the 1930 Rolls-Royce Handlye Special, it uses a genuine Merlin from a Hurricane, down-rated to Rover Meteor spec, and installed in a 1930 R-R Phantom II chassis - road-legal registered GH8803.
I had the pleasure last year of hearing 12 Merlins together, the last two flying Lancasters did a nationwide tour and flew over the non-flying Lancaster "Just Jane" doing a fast taxi-run at East Kirkby - although strictly speaking it was 8 Merlins and 4 Packards as the Canadian Lancaster was fitted with US-built versions of the Merlin.
SWMBO and I live in Kent and we are regularly treated to a guy out exercising his Spitfire. Quite a few other small planes from the local aerodrome too. One guy is a whizz at aerobatics. He likes an audience too, when swmbo waves at him he flies over and waggles the wings. Makes her go all girlie!! Fantastic sound that RR engine. If you see and compere the RR engines to the Daimlers that powered the Luftwaffer( Headcorn Aerodrome Museum) you can see why our planes were superior. Great stuff.
Concrete
|