The Packard V-1650 Merlin is a version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin aircraft engine, produced under license in the United States by the Packard Motor Car Company. [1]

The V-1650 liquid-cooled engine was the U.S. version of the famous British Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, which powered the Spitfire and Hurricane fighters during the Battle of Britain in 1940.

Mar 13, 2025 · The Packard (Rolls-Royce) Merlin V-1650-7 was more than an engine—it was a game-changer in aviation history. Powering legendary aircraft like the P-51 Mustang, Spitfire, …

Packard’s licensing agreement prevented them from implementing any changes to the design of the Merlin without approval from Rolls-Royce. There was an understandable need to maintain …

Packard, by contrast, built one that was ultimately easier to construct consistently and overhaul at specified intervals—and that one of the ways Packard accomplished this was by building...

May 31, 2021 · Read the story of how two famous luxury automakers worked together to produce one of the most important aircraft engines in history.

Apr 20, 2025 · To increase engine production, Packard was selected to build the Merlin under license. The Merlin was fitted with an injection-type carburetor and a two-stage supercharger.

As the Merlin 28, it was used for the Lancaster bomber. The USAAF version of this engine was used in the P-40Fs. The initial Packard modifications were done on this engine by changing …

Journey with us inside the massive Detroit factories to witness how Packard took a masterpiece of British hand-craftsmanship and completely re-engineered it for American mass production.

Dec 13, 2023 · The first “production” version of the engine was the Merlin I, which arrived in 1936, but fewer than 200 examples were built. The Merlin II was developed about a year later, and …