ROLLS-ROYCE - Legendary Airplane Engine Pioneer

On March 15th 1906, after meeting two years earlier, C.S. Rolls and Henry Royce formed Rolls-Royce Limited. The duo originally produced engines for motor cars becoming well-respected and innovative in their trade while establishing a great early reputation. Four years later, Rolls died in a flying accident and Royce continued to move the company forward into other fields. The start of World War One in 1914 saw a change in the company’s direction with Royce designing his first aircraft engine called The Eagle, in response to the nation’s needs. The engine was a great success and provided half of the total horsepower used in the air war by the Allies. In recognition of his services, Royce was awarded an OBE.

After the war had ended, Royce reverted back to manufacturing cars but his interest in aviation remained and by the late 1920’s, aircraft engines constituted the majority of Rolls-Royce’s business. He developed the ‘R’ engine for Britain’s entry in the international Schneider Trophy Seaplane contest and it established a new world air speed record of over 400mph before going onto set new world records on land and water.

More importantly, its success gave Rolls-Royce the financial and technological base to develop the Merlin engine. In 1931, Royce was further honoured for his services to British Aviation by being created a Baronet, but died just two years later aged 70 before he had the opportunity to see his Merlin engine in action.

The Second World War prompted the Merlin engine to make its debut and it was influential, powering many of the notable planes. Such was the demand that it transformed Rolls-Royce from a small company into a major contender in the aircraft industry. In 1944 the company embarked on a mission to become the leaders in their field with the development of The Dart and Tyne turboprop engines.

These engines played an important part in aviation because they enabled airlines to cut journey times within several continents. Therefore the jet airliners were introduced on longer services. Nine years later, Rolls-Royce entered the civil aviation market with The Dart and it became the cornerstone of universal acceptance of the gas-turbine by the airline industry. By this stage, the company was still producing motor cars, while earning an excellent reputation for reliability in the air and motor industries.

A further decade later, the British aircraft engine industry was consolidated with Rolls-Royce merging with its main competitor Bristol Siddeley. This period also saw the emergence of wide-body airliners with Rolls-Royce launching the new RB211 engine but this went onto cause major financial problems for the company in 1971 and eventually forced it into receivership.

In 1987, the company returned to the private sector as Rolls-Royce PLC and was the only company in Britain capable of delivering power for use in the air, at sea and on land. At the start of the next decade, Rolls-Royce formed an aircraft engine joint venture with BMW and continued to provide engines for many of the world’s leading airliners.

Over the last 100 years, Rolls-Royce has produced many of the engines used by aircraft in a host of situations and has played an instrumental role in both World Wars.

The Eagle Engine was used by half of the Allied aircraft in World War One, including the Vickers Vimy. The British heavy bomber aircraft was capable of attacking targets in Germany and made pioneering flights as well, including the first non-stop west to east crossing of the Atlantic plus the first England to Australia flight.
The Merlin Engine was used by World War Two aircraft. The Hawker Hurricane fighter was used extensively during the Battle of Britain due to its reliability. The single-seat Submarine Spitfire fighter had a distinctive look, reaching a top speed of 374 mph and was the champion of ‘dog fights’. This and the Hawker Hind were also used by the South African Air Force.

The Dart Engine powered many airliners and was the longest-lived turboprop. The very successful Vickers Viscount was a medium range airliner and the first such aircraft to enter service in the world and is still in use in South Africa today.

The RB211 Engine powered the Lockheed L-1011 Tri-Star which was the third wide-body passenger jet to reach the marketplace. A technological marvel of its day, it was rated as one of the safest airplanes in the world.
The Avon powered Comet was the first turbojet to enter transatlantic service and powered the world’s first commercial jet airliner which could reach speeds twice as fast as contemporary craft.

The Conway Engine was the first turbofan to enter airline service and was used on the most popular jetliner of all-time – the Boeing 707, which was the first to become commercially successful.

Today, Rolls-Royce engines are used by many airplanes including those on civil and defence duties. Continuing its links with South Africa, Rolls-Royce agreed to supply South African Airways with its Trent 500 engines in 2003. In doing this, the airline became the first in the southern hemisphere and in Africa to operate the ultra-long range high capacity Airbus A340-600.

With 144 different makes of Rolls-Royce powered planes taking off and landing every hour of each day, the great British aircraft engine manufacturer’s presence is still felt today, 100 years on.