Making a Merlin

"RacinBob" (racinbob) 11/25/2018 at 17:15 • Filed to: None

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Not a computer in sight. Our grandparents weren’t dummy’s. It’s a reminder that the design is just the start. The real trick is the manufacturing.

For Sweden > RacinBob 11/25/2018 at 17:25

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I think all the computers were working on nuking the fascists

DipodomysDeserti > For Sweden 11/25/2018 at 17:29

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Thank god Twitter didn’t exost then.

jimz > RacinBob 11/25/2018 at 17:47

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an interesting side note is how extensively Packard had to re-design the Merlin   before they could mass produce them.

Engineers at Packard soon discovered that Rolls-Royce did not design the Merlin for mass-production. The manufacturing tolerances were much looser than Packard’s standards. This was because Rolls-Royce had never implemented mass-production techniques to their assembly lines. Rather, they employed highly-trained “fitters” to assemble the engines. The fitters filed or otherwise massaged individual parts to achieve a precise fit. They even tightened critical bolts by trained feel, rather than with calibrated torque wrenches. In effect, each Rolls-Royce-manufactured Merlin was a hand-built engine that reflected the company’s traditions of premium quality and craftsmanship.

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In his book “Not Much of An Engineer”, Rolls-Royce engineer Sir Stanley Hooker recalls his introduction to the matter with Ford:

“One day their Chief Engineer appeared in Lovesey’s office, which I was then sharing, and said, ‘You know, we can’t make the Merlin to these drawings.’

I replied loftily, ‘I suppose that is because the drawing tolerances are too difficult for you, and you can’t achieve the accuracy.’

‘On the contrary’ he replied, ‘the tolerances are far too wide for us.’ We make motor cars far more accurately than this. Every part on our car engines has to be interchangeable with the same part on any other engine, and hence all parts have to be made with extreme accuracy, far closer than you use. That is the only way we can achieve mass-production.’”

f86sabre > RacinBob 11/25/2018 at 19:53

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Watched this episode from Leno this weekend. Just wanted to hear it run.

here is a fun fact: Jack Rousch of NASCAR fame  owns a company that makes aftermarket Merlin parts (FAA PMA). He got into when working on his own aircraft and realized that there was a market.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > For Sweden 11/25/2018 at 21:17

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and breaking th ei r codes

ttyymmnn > RacinBob 11/26/2018 at 14:23

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That was great. Thanks for posting.