Packard V-1650 Merlin

The Packard V-1650 Merlin is a version of the Rolls-Royce Merlinaircraft engine, produced under license in the United States by the Packard Motor Car Company. The engine was licensed to expand production of the Rolls-Royce Merlin for British use, though it also was used in the U.S. at a time when similarly powered American-made engines were not available.

The first V-1650s, with a one-stage supercharger, equivalent to the Merlin XX, were used in the P-40F Kittyhawk fighter and in Canadian Car and FoundryHawker Hurricanes. Later versions based on the Merlin 60 series included a more advanced two-stage supercharger for improved performance at high altitudes. The V-1650 found its most notable application in the North American P-51 Mustang fighter aircraft, improving its performance and making it capable of escorting Allied heavy bombers to Germany or Japan and back.