Rolls-Royce Griffon

The Rolls-Royce Griffon is a British 37-litre (2,240 cu in) capacity, 60-degree V12, liquid-cooled aero engine designed and built by Rolls-Royce Limited. In keeping with company convention, the Griffon was named after a bird of prey, in this case the griffon vulture.

Design work on the Griffon started in 1938 at the request of the Fleet Air Arm, for use in new aircraft designs such as the Fairey Firefly. In 1939 it was also decided that the engine could be adapted for use in the Spitfire. Development was stopped temporarily to concentrate efforts on the smaller Merlin and the 24-cylinder Vulture; the engine did not go into production until the early 1940s.

The Griffon was the last in the line of V12 aero engines to be produced by Rolls-Royce with production ceasing in 1955. Griffon engines remain in Royal Air Force service today with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Design and development

Origins

thumb|right|The first Griffon-powered Spitfire IV, DP845

According to Arthur Rubbra's memoirs, a de-rated version of the "R" engine, known by the name Griffon at that time, was tested in 1933. This engine, R11, which was never flown, was used for "Moderately Supercharged Buzzard development" (which was not proceeded with until much later), and bore no direct relationship to the volume-produced Griffon of the 1940s.

In 1938, the Fleet Air Arm approached Rolls-Royce and asked whether a larger version of the Merlin could be designed. The requirements were that the new engine have good power at low altitude and that it be reliable and easy to service. Work began on the design of the engine soon afterwards.

Avro Shackleton
Blackburn B-54
Bristol Beaufighter
CAC CA-15
Fairey Barracuda
Fairey Firefly
Folland Fo.108
Hawker Fury
Hawker Henley
Hawker Tempest Mk III/IV
Martin-Baker MB 5
Supermarine Seafang
Supermarine Seafire
Supermarine Seagull
Supermarine Spiteful
Supermarine Spitfire

Racing aircraft

Several North American Mustangs raced in the Unlimited Class races at the Reno Air Races have been fitted with Griffons. These include Red Baron (NL7715C), as well as the custom-built P-51XR Precious Metal (N6WJ) and Mustang/Learjet hybrid Miss Ashley II (N57LR). In all cases, Griffons with contra-rotating propellers, taken from Avro Shackleton patrol bombers were used in these aircraft. The RB51 Red Baron is noteworthy for holding the FAI piston-engine 3-kilometre world speed record from 1979 to 1989 .

Non-aircraft usage

The 1980 Miss Budweiser Unlimited Hydroplane dominated the race circuit with a Rolls-Royce Griffon engine. It was the last of the competitive piston-engined boats, before turboshaft powerplants took over.

In modern-day tractor pulling, Griffon engines are also in use, a single or double, rated each at 3,500 hp (2,600 kW).

Survivors

thumb|Avro Shackleton Mk 3 at Ysterplaat AFB in South Africa, serial 1722, a.k.a. Pelican 22. Taken 27 May 2017 at engine run-up. No longer flying but considered mostly airworthy.

The Griffon engine continues to be used in restored Fireflies and later mark Spitfires worldwide. The Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is a notable current operator of the Griffon.

The sole remaining technically airworthy Avro Shackleton is based at the Air Force Base Ysterplaat. However, at least one further airframe is in running condition at the Gatwick Aviation Museum and another is being reassembled to ground running condition at Yorkshire Air Museum.

Engines on display

Preserved Griffon engines are on public display at the:

Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum
Birmingham Museum Collection Centre
Bournemouth Aviation Museum
Kissimmee Air Museum
Midland Air Museum
Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust, Derby
Royal Air Force Museum London
Shuttleworth Collection
South African Air Force Museum, AFB Ysterplaat
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Stonehenge Air Museum, Fortine, Montana
Tangmere Military Aviation Museum

Specifications (Griffon 65)

thumb|right|Side view showing supercharger and carburettor detail

Media

| thumb|Griffon Mk 58

References

Footnotes

Citations

Bibliography

Air Ministry. Pilot's Notes For Spitfire XIV & XIX; Griffon 65 or 66 Engine. London: Air Ministry, 1946.
Bridgman, L, (ed.) (1989) Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. Crescent.
Carvell, Roger. "Aeroplane Examines the Avro Shackleton." Aeroplane No. 2, Vol. 38, Issue 442, February 2010.
Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines: From the Pioneers to the Present Day. 5th edition, Stroud, UK: Sutton, 2006.
Lovesey, Cyril. "Development of the Rolls-Royce Merlin from 1939 to 1945". Aircraft Engineering magazine. London: July 1946
Lumsden, Alec. British Piston Engines and Their Aircraft. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Airlife Publishing, 2003. .
Price, Alfred. The Spitfire Story. Second edition, London: Arms and Armour Press, 1986. .
Rubbra, A.A. Rolls-Royce Piston Aero Engines: A Designer Remembers: Historical Series no 16 : Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust, 1990.
White, Graham. Allied Aircraft Piston Engines of World War II: History and Development of Frontline Aircraft Piston Engines Produced by Great Britain and the United States During World War II. Warrendale, Pennsylvania: SAE International, 1995.
"A Classic Design; The Rolls-Royce Two-Stage Griffon (article and images)." The Aeroplane, 21 September 1945.
"Rolls-Royce Griffon (65) (article and images)." Flight and the Aircraft Engineer No. 1917, Vol. XLVIII, 20 September 1945.
"Rolls-Royce Griffon 130 (article and images)." Flight and the Aircraft Engineer No. 1933, Vol. XLIX, 10 January 1946.
British Aero Engines (article and images)." Flight and the Aircraft Engineer No. 2468, Vol. 69, 11 May 1956.
"1980 U-1 Miss Budweiser (article)." Skid Fin Magazine, 2003, Volume 1 Number 2.

External links

Griffon 58 on YouTube
"Rolls-Royce Griffon (65)" a 1945 Flight article on the Griffon 65
"Rolls-Royce Griffon (65)" a 1945 Flight article on the Griffon 65
"Rolls-Royce Griffon 130" a 1946 Flight article