Rolls-Royce Merlin Rolls-Royce Merlin The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled V-12 piston aero engine of 27-litres (1,650 cu in) capacity. Rolls-Royce designed the engine and first ran it in 1933 as a private venture. Initially known as the PV-12, it was later called "Merlin" following the company convention of naming its piston aero engines after birds of prey. After several modifications, the first production variants of the PV-12 were completed in 1936. The first operational aircraft to enter service using the Merlin were the Fairey Battle, Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire. The Merlin remains most closely associated with the Spitfire and
Rolls-Royce V8 engine the L410I, denoting fuel injection, the L410IT (for Injection Turbo) and the L410ITI (for Injection Turbo Intercooler). 94MY (model year) saw the introduction of a serpentine drive belt front-end, revised combustion system and an integrated engine cover. Developments of the L410 continued in production to power Rolls-Royces and Bentleys until the adoption of BMW V12 power by Rolls-Royce in the Silver Seraph and, subsequently, after BMW was granted a license to use the Rolls-Royce brand (for automobiles) in the Goodwood-produced Phantom. The L410 engine is still used by Bentley well into the 21st century, having been brought back into production