Rolls-Royce Merlin prey, Rolls-Royce named the engine the "Merlin" after a small, Northern Hemisphere falcon ("Falco columbarius"). Two more Rolls-Royce engines developed just prior to the war were added to the company's range. The Rolls-Royce Peregrine was an updated, supercharged development of their V-12 Kestrel design, while the 42-litre (2,560 cu in) Rolls-Royce Vulture used four Kestrel-sized cylinder blocks fitted to a single crankcase and driving a common crankshaft, forming an X-24 layout. This was to be used in larger aircraft such as the Avro Manchester. Although the Peregrine appeared to be a satisfactory design, it was never allowed to mature since
Rolls-Royce Trent launched. When Boeing finally launched the 747-8 in 2005 it announced that the General Electric GEnx would be the only engine that would be available for the 747-8. On 6 April 2004 Boeing announced that it had selected two engine partners for its new 787, Rolls-Royce and General Electric. Initially, Boeing considered the idea of sole sourcing the powerplant for the 787, with GE being the most likely candidate. However, potential customers demanded choices and Boeing relented. Both engine types will have a standard interface with the aircraft, allowing any 787 to be fitted with either a GE or Rolls-Royce