Page 12 - HeritageEbooklet

Hawks, Falcons, Condors and Merlins

By the end of the First World War Rolls-Royce had developed three other
engines. The smaller six-cylinder Hawk engine was used to power airships
and training aircraft; the 190hp (140kw) Falcon was used with the Bristol
Fighter plane; and, just before the end of the war, the larger Condor
was developed, which produced up to 675hp (503kw). The Condor had
originally been developed for bombers, but when the war ended the engine
was used on both military and civilian aircraft.

The successful development of the Eagle engine contributed to Britain’s
victory in the First World War. Growing demand for the engines led to
Rolls-Royce extending its Derby factory in order to increase production. By
the late 1920s, aero engines made up most of the company’s business.

Sadly, Charles Rolls did not live to see the production of aero engines at
the Rolls-Royce factory. The pioneer of aviation died on 12 July 1910, aged
32, following an accident in Southbourne, Bournemouth when the tail of his
Wright Flyer broke off during a flying display. Rolls was the first Briton to be
killed in an aeronautical accident in a powered aircraft.

Henry Royce died in 1933, aged 70.
His final work was the development A life-sized statue
of the “PV12” engine (PV standing for of Henry Royce,
stands outside the
Private Venture), which he launched company’s offices at
in October 1932. Regrettably, Royce Moor Lane, Derby.
did not live long enough to see the He lived by the
motto “Whatever is
engine brought into service. After rightly done, however
completing its first test in 1934, the humble, is noble.”
powerful, supercharged engine was
further developed as the Merlin, Photo: Derby Evening T elegraph and picturethepast.org.uk
which powered World War II aircraft
such as the Hurricane, the Spitfire, the
Mosquito, Lancaster and the Manchester.
Henry Royce would never know the
important part this engine would play in
securing victory in World War II.
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