Supermarine Spitfire several roles, including interceptor, photo-reconnaissance, fighter-bomber, and trainer, and it continued to serve in these roles until the 1950s. The Seafire was a carrier-based adaptation of the Spitfire that served in the Fleet Air Arm from 1942 through to the mid-1950s. Although the original airframe was designed to be powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine producing 1,030 hp (768 kW), it was strong enough and adaptable enough to use increasingly powerful Merlins and, in later marks, Rolls-Royce Griffon engines producing up to 2,340 hp (1,745 kW). As a result, the Spitfire's performance and capabilities improved over the course of its
Rolls-Royce V8 engine new V8 engine began in 1952, bearing no relation to the 1905 version apart from its V8 configuration. Rolls-Royce purchased Bentley in 1931 and the new engine was intended for use in both Rolls-Royce and Bentley automobiles. The result was a series of V8 engines known internally as the "L410", the name relating to its bore size of 4.10 inches, in accordance with the company practice. Despite some attempts at changing the naming convention, the engine has kept both the 4.10 inch bore and the name L410 throughout its life, with the exception of the odd prototype. Continuous improvement saw