Rolls-Royce Meteor
Encyclopedia
The Rolls-Royce Meteor was a British tank
engine of the Second World War.
It was developed from the Rolls-Royce Merlin
aero-engine
by W. A. Robotham and his chassis design and development division at Belper
, as they were not involved in aero-engine work. With the aid of engineers from Leyland, who were engaged in tank work, he considered RR's two V12s. The Kestrel
, while having more power than the existing "Liberty
" or Meadows
engines, did not provide the desirable 20 bhp per ton required, so the Merlin III was used.
Despite his lack of experience in tank design or warfare, Robotham was made Chief Engineer of Tank Design and joined the Tank Board. He was involved in the Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger
tank. The Tank Division at Belper was involved with the overall design of four versions of the Cromwell tank
, using a standard set of components.
, reduction gear, and other equipment removed from its camshaft, greatly simplifying its construction. It had cast, rather than forged, pistons, and was de-rated to around 600 bhp (447 kW), running on lower-octane
pool petrol instead of high-octane aviation fuel
. In addition, because weight saving was not so important for a tank engine, some of the Merlin's more expensive light-alloy components were replaced with cheaper, steel
components in the Meteor X version. It was also envisaged that the Meteor would use some components rejected on quality grounds for the Merlin, i.e. Merlin scrap. In 1943 an acute shortage of blocks was met by dismantling surplus older marks of Merlins.
Unlike earlier British tank engines, such as the American Liberty L-12
of 340 bhp licence-built by Nuffield
and used in the Crusader
, the Meteor engine was very lightly stressed and reliable, and doubled the power available. Previously British tanks had been regarded as underpowered and unreliable, and the Meteor is considered to be the engine that for the first time gave British tanks ample, reliable power. Initially it was used in the Cromwell tank
, which was a further development of the cruiser line and would replace the Crusader tank.
But in 1941 Leyland, who had an order for 1,200 Meteor engines, were still advocating their own diesel tank engine, although it would deliver only 350 hp, as they were concerned with the problems of sufficient cooling. Meadows
produced some Meteors, but the small factory of 2,000 men was producing 40 different types of engine. So Meteor production was to be by Rover (Tyseley) and Morris (Coventry).
The first Merlin prepared for tank use was tried in a modified Crusader in September 1941 at Aldershot.
, telling Lord Beaverbrook
that he already had his hands full making Merlin aero engines, and Rolls-Royce would want £1 million to their credit and 'no interference' to make tank engines, Beaverbrook telegrammed back:
An order for 1,000 engines followed.
The Meteor was initially produced by Rolls-Royce
. Rolls-Royce were also aiding the development of production jet engines at Rover
, but progress there was slow, and Rover were becoming disillusioned. Hives struck a deal in December 1942 with Spencer Wilks of Rover to trade W.2B/23
production at Barnoldswick
for the Rolls-Royce tank engine factory in Nottingham
and production of the Meteor, to become officially effective on 1 April 1943.
Rover took over the Meteor in January 1944, and in 1946 the British Government made Rover responsible for research and development of large military engines. In this role Rover continued the development and production of the Meteor Mk IVb and various derivatives, including the Meteorite V8
and the M120 V12.
Rover ceased this activity in 1964, having produced approximately 9,000 engines, and Rolls-Royce
again became responsible for the manufacture of spare parts to support fielded engines. Future engines for British tanks were manufactured by the engine division Rolls-Royce Diesels of Shrewsbury, which was acquired by Perkins UK in the 1980s. Perkins was taken over by Caterpillar Inc of the USA in 1997.
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
engine of the Second World War.
It was developed from the Rolls-Royce Merlin
Rolls-Royce Merlin
The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled, V-12, piston aero engine, of 27-litre capacity. Rolls-Royce Limited designed and built the engine which was initially known as the PV-12: the PV-12 became known as the Merlin following the company convention of naming its piston aero engines after...
aero-engine
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...
by W. A. Robotham and his chassis design and development division at Belper
Belper
Belper is a town and civil parish in the local government district of Amber Valley in Derbyshire, England.-Geography:Belper is situated eight miles north of Derby and is centred in the valley of the River Derwent...
, as they were not involved in aero-engine work. With the aid of engineers from Leyland, who were engaged in tank work, he considered RR's two V12s. The Kestrel
Rolls-Royce Kestrel
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Erfurth, Helmut. Junkers Ju 87 . Bonn, Germany: Bernard & Graefe Verlag, 2004. ISBN 1-85780-186-5....
, while having more power than the existing "Liberty
Liberty L-12
The Liberty L-12 was a 27 litre water-cooled 45° V-12 aircraft engine of 400 horsepower designed both for a high power-to-weight ratio and for ease of mass production.-History:...
" or Meadows
Henry Meadows
Henry Meadows of Wolverhampton, England were major suppliers of engines and transmissions, to the smaller companies in the British motor industry...
engines, did not provide the desirable 20 bhp per ton required, so the Merlin III was used.
Despite his lack of experience in tank design or warfare, Robotham was made Chief Engineer of Tank Design and joined the Tank Board. He was involved in the Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger
Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger
The Tank, Cruiser, Challenger was a British tank of World War II. It mounted the 17 Pounder gun on the Cromwell chassis to add heavier anti-tank firepower to the cruiser tank units....
tank. The Tank Division at Belper was involved with the overall design of four versions of the Cromwell tank
Cromwell tank
Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Cromwell ,The designation as the eighth Cruiser tank design, its name given for ease of reference and its General Staff specification number respectively and the related Centaur tank, were one of the most successful series of cruiser tanks fielded by Britain in the Second...
, using a standard set of components.
Design and development
For tank use the Merlin had its superchargerSupercharger
A supercharger is an air compressor used for forced induction of an internal combustion engine.The greater mass flow-rate provides more oxygen to support combustion than would be available in a naturally aspirated engine, which allows more fuel to be burned and more work to be done per cycle,...
, reduction gear, and other equipment removed from its camshaft, greatly simplifying its construction. It had cast, rather than forged, pistons, and was de-rated to around 600 bhp (447 kW), running on lower-octane
Octane rating
Octane rating or octane number is a standard measure of the anti-knock properties of a motor or aviation fuel. The higher the octane number, the more compression the fuel can withstand before detonating...
pool petrol instead of high-octane aviation fuel
Avgas
Avgas is an aviation fuel used to power piston-engine aircraft. Avgas is distinguished from mogas , which is the everyday gasoline used in cars and some non-commercial light aircraft...
. In addition, because weight saving was not so important for a tank engine, some of the Merlin's more expensive light-alloy components were replaced with cheaper, steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
components in the Meteor X version. It was also envisaged that the Meteor would use some components rejected on quality grounds for the Merlin, i.e. Merlin scrap. In 1943 an acute shortage of blocks was met by dismantling surplus older marks of Merlins.
Unlike earlier British tank engines, such as the American Liberty L-12
Liberty L-12
The Liberty L-12 was a 27 litre water-cooled 45° V-12 aircraft engine of 400 horsepower designed both for a high power-to-weight ratio and for ease of mass production.-History:...
of 340 bhp licence-built by Nuffield
Nuffield Organisation
The Nuffield Organisation was a vehicle manufacturing company in the United Kingdom. Named after its founder, William Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield, it was formed in 1938 as the merger of Nuffield's Morris Motor Company , another of Nuffield's companies the MG Car Company and Riley.Morris Motors...
and used in the Crusader
Crusader tank
The Tank, Cruiser, Mk VI or A15 Crusader was one of the primary British cruiser tanks of the early part Second World War and perhaps the most important British tank of the North African Campaign...
, the Meteor engine was very lightly stressed and reliable, and doubled the power available. Previously British tanks had been regarded as underpowered and unreliable, and the Meteor is considered to be the engine that for the first time gave British tanks ample, reliable power. Initially it was used in the Cromwell tank
Cromwell tank
Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Cromwell ,The designation as the eighth Cruiser tank design, its name given for ease of reference and its General Staff specification number respectively and the related Centaur tank, were one of the most successful series of cruiser tanks fielded by Britain in the Second...
, which was a further development of the cruiser line and would replace the Crusader tank.
But in 1941 Leyland, who had an order for 1,200 Meteor engines, were still advocating their own diesel tank engine, although it would deliver only 350 hp, as they were concerned with the problems of sufficient cooling. Meadows
Henry Meadows
Henry Meadows of Wolverhampton, England were major suppliers of engines and transmissions, to the smaller companies in the British motor industry...
produced some Meteors, but the small factory of 2,000 men was producing 40 different types of engine. So Meteor production was to be by Rover (Tyseley) and Morris (Coventry).
The first Merlin prepared for tank use was tried in a modified Crusader in September 1941 at Aldershot.
Use
The Meteor was used in the following vehicles:- CromwellCromwell tankTank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Cromwell ,The designation as the eighth Cruiser tank design, its name given for ease of reference and its General Staff specification number respectively and the related Centaur tank, were one of the most successful series of cruiser tanks fielded by Britain in the Second...
- CometComet tankThe Tank, Cruiser, Comet I was a British cruiser tank that first saw use near the end of World War II. It was designed to provide greater anti-tank capability to Cromwell tank squadrons. It was armed with a 77mm HV, a derivative of the 17 pounder, with the result it was one of the few British...
- CenturionCenturion tankThe Centurion, introduced in 1945, was the primary British main battle tank of the post-World War II period. It was a successful tank design, with upgrades, for many decades...
- Tortoise experimental assault tank.
- ConquerorConqueror tankThe FV 214 Conqueror, also known as "Tank, Heavy No. 1, 120 mm Gun, Conqueror" was a British heavy tank of the post-war era. It was developed as a response to the Soviet Joseph Stalin IS-3 heavy tanks and carried a larger 120 mm gun compared to the 20-pounder gun carried by its peer the...
post war heavy tank
- A Mk II version of the Valiant tankValiant tankThe Tank, Infantry, Valiant was a British tank design of the Second World War that only reached the prototype stage. The design was so infamously bad that the sole example was retained by the School of Tank Technology post-war as a dire lesson to its students.- Origins :The A38 Valiant began as a...
, to use a two-thirds-size (V8) version of the engine called the "MeteoriteRolls-Royce MeteoriteThe Rolls-Royce Meteorite, also known as the Rover Meteorite was a V8 petrol or diesel engine of capacity, and was derived from the Rolls-Royce Meteor. In essence it was two-thirds of a V12 Meteor, and it shared the Meteor's 60° vee angle...
" was suggested but not proceeded with.
Production
When Leyland withdrew their support, Robotham took the problem to Ernest Hives. Hives took the problem to the Ministry of SupplyMinistry of Supply
The Ministry of Supply was a department of the UK Government formed in 1939 to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to all three British armed forces, headed by the Minister of Supply. There was, however, a separate ministry responsible for aircraft production and the Admiralty retained...
, telling Lord Beaverbrook
Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook
William Maxwell "Max" Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook, Bt, PC, was a Canadian-British business tycoon, politician, and writer.-Early career in Canada:...
that he already had his hands full making Merlin aero engines, and Rolls-Royce would want £1 million to their credit and 'no interference' to make tank engines, Beaverbrook telegrammed back:
An order for 1,000 engines followed.
The Meteor was initially produced by Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
. Rolls-Royce were also aiding the development of production jet engines at Rover
Rover (car)
The Rover Company is a former British car manufacturing company founded as Starley & Sutton Co. of Coventry in 1878. After developing the template for the modern bicycle with its Rover Safety Bicycle of 1885, the company moved into the automotive industry...
, but progress there was slow, and Rover were becoming disillusioned. Hives struck a deal in December 1942 with Spencer Wilks of Rover to trade W.2B/23
Rolls-Royce Welland
-Bibliography:* Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0-517-67964-7-External links:*...
production at Barnoldswick
Barnoldswick
Barnoldswick is a town and civil parish within the West Craven area of the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England just outside the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The town is built in the shadow of Weets Hill, and Stock Beck, a...
for the Rolls-Royce tank engine factory in Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
and production of the Meteor, to become officially effective on 1 April 1943.
Rover took over the Meteor in January 1944, and in 1946 the British Government made Rover responsible for research and development of large military engines. In this role Rover continued the development and production of the Meteor Mk IVb and various derivatives, including the Meteorite V8
Rolls-Royce Meteorite
The Rolls-Royce Meteorite, also known as the Rover Meteorite was a V8 petrol or diesel engine of capacity, and was derived from the Rolls-Royce Meteor. In essence it was two-thirds of a V12 Meteor, and it shared the Meteor's 60° vee angle...
and the M120 V12.
Rover ceased this activity in 1964, having produced approximately 9,000 engines, and Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
again became responsible for the manufacture of spare parts to support fielded engines. Future engines for British tanks were manufactured by the engine division Rolls-Royce Diesels of Shrewsbury, which was acquired by Perkins UK in the 1980s. Perkins was taken over by Caterpillar Inc of the USA in 1997.
External links
- http://www.rrec.org.uk/History/Clan_Foundry_Belper.php