Originally Posted by
tdracer
This thread got me thinking - I was aware of the 'dispersed' manufacture of Spits during the early part of the war thanks to the (previously mentioned) TV program I watched a while back. However, at least now days, Rolls is centered in Derby. Was Rolls engine building significantly impacted by the Battle of Britain and the air war that followed? Or was Derby far enough north to be out of ready range of the German bombers?
I consider Hookers book (Not much of an engineer) a 'must read' for several reasons, and covers a fair slice of the Derby production plus the shadow and American input.
The BoB versions would have been Derby built. Another cracking inside info source is a series of Tech based book series by the Rolls Royce Heritage Trust.
Merlins are covered in No2 The Merlin in perspective by AHB, No 9 Rolls Royce and the Mustang, There are several publications in the series covering Rolls history. Well worth the effort in tracking them down.