1949 Rolls-Royce Merlin Mark 724-1C #3105531

This beautifully detailed Rolls-Royce Merlin engine left the Hillingdon factory near Glasgow in 1949. These post-war Merlin engines found their way into nearly 40 aircraft applications and this particular engine was destined probably for the Canadair Northstar and the Argonaut. The engine was purchased in 2017 as a museum display item and had come from a company called Flying Enterprise owned by a Danish millionaire.

The engine was rebuilt over a two year period by Flight Engineering of Leeds who specialise in these engines. Its thought that the engine had been ‘inhibited’ after an inspection which involved being totally covered with inhibiter (grease-like fluid) preventing any corrosion which had totally preserved it for nearly 50 years. The result today is an almost factory-fresh engine albeit nearly 75 years old.

This 'ground-runner' Merlin engine sits on its bespoke Brian James trailer specially adapted with a control panel to fire up and run this masterpiece of Rolls-Royce engineering. It's so designed that it can be removed from the trailer as a stand-alone display with its integral frame. It has a Hamilton propeller fitted and comes with a ‘suitcase’ of manuals from Rolls-Royce Derby, information from Flight Engineering, starting and running instructions, and even a Haynes manual.

Engineering at its finest matched with an indulgence of trailer engineering to make this engine very transportable to any event or to just look at and marvel. Don’t forget, a conservative 1,660bhp quoted at 17,500 feet, so at ground level a spectacle to behold when running.