Rolls-Royce Griffon

The Rolls -Royce Griffon was a V-12 aircraft engine from Rolls -Royce. The serial production began in 1942 and lasted until 1955. During this time 8108 engines were manufactured in factories in Derby, Crewe and Glasgow.

The name of the engine comes under former Rolls- Royce tradition of the bird world: (English: Griffon Vulture ) the griffon vulture.

Development

The first Rolls- Royce Griffon was in the performance of reduced Rolls- Royce R, which ran for the first time to the test in 1933. Given the supremacy to make the Rolls- Royce Merlin reliable, the work was stopped without this version was ever installed in an aircraft. When it became clear that the need for an aircraft engine existed with a capacity above the Merlin, the development in 1939 was resumed. The engine was redesigned according to the knowledge gained in the meantime. This version was designated Griffon II and ran in November 1939 for the first time to the test. It had a considerable effort to make this an engine swept volume so compact that it could be incorporated into the cell in the meantime created fighter Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane. As traveled about the drive of the camshaft to the front of the engine. Another installation space could be saved by the production stage of a double - magneto.

Use versions

The first engines of series production in 1942 comes with a single-stage two -speed supercharger and drove the prototype of the Fairey Firefly and the first three school variants of this aircraft type on. The changeover took place by means of a loader loaded with oil pressure piston. A derivation - the Griffon IIB - was used in the Spitfire, the Bristol Beaufighter II, the Hawker Henley, the Hawker Tempest III and the use version of Firefly I. The first Spitfire Mk.IV DP845, a shorter wing modified Mk.III, which was equipped with this also Griffon RG.2SM said engine, flew on 27 November first time in 1941. A total of 767 specimens of this design were built until 1945 in Derby. The execution Griffon III had a modified crankshaft receiving and was only used in the Spitfire XII, as well as the otherwise identical Griffon IV, which differed only by a change in propeller reduction. The Griffon VI was tuned up and had a position-independent injection carburetor, it was installed in the Seafire XV, XVII and XVIII and the Spitfire XII. The identical to a fuel injection Griffon VIII was used as the Fairey Barracuda V drive. DC power was also the Griffon XII, who, however, had a stronger loader gearbox and a different propeller reduction.

For the Supermarine Seagull ASR 1 of the Griffon 29 was manufactured, possessed the first time through a gearbox to drive counter-rotating propellers.

The Series 60 was a high motor with a two -stage supercharger blower and two grades, as well as the series 70, 80 and 90 The 100 series then took a two-stage supercharger blower with three speeds and up to 2440 hp. These engines were Seafire 46 and Seafang XVI used in the Supermarine Spiteful, Spitfire 21.

The Seafire FR.47 and temporarily the Spitfire 21 and 24 had counter-rotating propellers to minimize the lateral skidding by the strong torques caused by large propellers with a correspondingly high inertia.

After the war, nor the Griffon 57 was developed, which with 2,500 hp, the most powerful Griffon was. He had a water-methanol injection, but only a single stage compressor and was prepared for the Avro Shackleton in 1947 with counter-rotating propellers. He remained as the last Griffon to 1955 in production. A version without water-methanol injection, the Griffon 56, came into the Blackburn B-54 is used. The last new version, however, was the Griffon 59, which was introduced in 1951 and still in the Fairey Firefly VII was used.

Today, the Griffon is still regularly used in tractor pulling events.

Structural design

The crankcase of the Griffon made ​​of aluminum alloy and has two parts. To the upper half, the cylinder banks, the angle is 60 ° to each other, screwed and carries seven crankshaft bearings, which consist of a lead-bronze alloy. The front portion of this housing part is designed as a bottom part of the reduction gear, wherein the gear wheels also for the starter and the cam shaft are located. The lower part of the crankcase forming the engine sump with oil pump and water pump. In the cylinder banks aluminum wet cylinder liners made ​​of steel are used. On the cylinders sit also made of aluminum cylinder heads. Cylinder heads and cylinder banks are anchored with 14 studs on the crankcase, also the heads and cylinders are again interconnected separately. The valve seats are made of a wear-resistant steel alloy. The valve guides of the intake valves are made of cast iron, the. The exhaust valves made ​​of phosphor bronze In each cylinder is provided by two inlet and two exhaust valves for gas exchange.

Series

  • Griffon II - 1,730 hp ( 1,290 kW) at 230 m and 1,490 hp ( 1,110 kW) at 4,270 m; incorporated into the Firefly MK.I
  • Griffon VI - increased boost pressure, 1,850 hp ( 1,380 kW) at 610 m; incorporated into the Seafire Mk.XV and Mk.XVII
  • Griffon 57-1960 hp ( 1,460 kW); incorporated into the Avro Shackleton
  • Griffon 61 - Introduction of the two-stage switchable in two courses charger with charge air cooling system analogous to that of the Merlin 61; 2,035 hp ( 1,520 kW) at 2,135 m and 1,820 hp ( 1,360 kW) at 6,400 m; incorporated into the Spitfire Mk.21
  • Griffon 65 - analog Griffon 61 with a modified transmission gear; incorporated into the Spitfire Mk.XIV
  • Griffon 72 - be able to use increased boost pressure to 150 - octane fuel; 2,245 hp ( 1,675 kW) at 2,820 m
  • Griffon 74 - fuel injection variant of the Griffon 72; incorporated into the Firefly Mk.IV
  • Griffon 83 - modified to use counter-rotating propellers can; 2,340 hp ( 1,745 kW) at 230 m and 2,100 hp ( 1,565 kW) at 3,740 m
  • Griffon 85-2375 hp ( 1,770 kW); incorporated into the Spiteful Mk.XIV
  • Griffon 89-2350 hp ( 1,755 kW); incorporated into the Spiteful Mk.XV
  • Griffon 101-2420 hp ( 1,805 kW); incorporated into the Spiteful Mk.XVI

Specifications

Griffon 65

  • Type: water-cooled supercharged 60 ° V -12 aircraft engine
  • Bore: 152.4mm
  • Stroke: 167.6 mm
  • Displacement: 36.7 l
  • Weight: 900 kg
  • Valves: two intake, two exhaust valves per cylinder, sodium-cooled exhaust valves, each driven by valve push rod
  • Loader: two-stage switchable in two courses Zentrifugallader, automatic boost pressure control via throttle, water-cooled intercooler between the second stage and the engine
  • Mixture formation: carburetor with automatic mixture adjustment
  • Oil Lubrication: Dry sump with one pressure pump and two suction pumps
  • Cooling system: liquid consisting of 70 % water and 30% ethylene glycol
  • Power: 2,035 hp ( 1,520 kW) at 2,135 m
  • 1,820 hp ( 1,360 kW) at 6,400 m
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