Originally Posted by
kenparry
FP:
The Merlin had been running for some years before Hooker arrived at R-R in Derby, so the initial impeller design was not his. What he did was initially to improve the airflow through it, as in the Merlin XX and 45, then later introduced the 2-stage supercharger that raised engine power further. There's no need to take umbrage - but I do think it's worth being accurate. It's all in his book, in front of me now.
Regards,
KP
You know, I was just going to let this go, but then I thought: this is the internet.
First, if you're going to be a stickler for accuracy, be accurate in quoting the post in front of you. You corrected me for saying that Hooker designed the supercharger, but clearly I did not say that. So you lose one pedant point.
Second. The impeller Hooker found was not the impeller with which the Merlin went on to be a success. The Merlin impeller that led to the engine's great success was Hooker's impeller. When we say "Merlin" we do not think of trials and development engines, but the long series of production engines: the engines with Hooker's impeller. Hooker did not design the initial impeller of the Merlin, but he did design the impeller in its final form.
This is entirely trivial and just what you find on internet forums (you're probably going to tell me I should say "fora"), but I am actually seriously interested in Whittle and Griffith and I don't want this think hi-jacked. But of course I'm hijacking it myself because I'm rising to your trolling.
Have a lovely day.