Model Forum / General / Models / November 2007

More likely being sold by someone who wouldn't know a RR Merlin from a
Mazda 12A. First, the RR Merlin is an inline V12 engine. Second, the Raiden
used a 14 cyl RADIAL engine, the Mitsubishi Kesei series.(He did get the
radial bit right). Third, by the time the Raiden hit the air, the Brits and
Japs had been at war for around 12 months (Raiden delivered in Dec 42), so
it's highly unlikely that there was any sort of sales deal...

Unless Revell got it VERY wrong on the box (not unknown), I'd say he just
heard some interesting-sounding words on History Channel (or maybe he
watched 'Pearl Harbour', the poor deluded prune) and thought they'd sound
cool on his 'toy' auction. But I could be wrong. It does happen.

RobG
(The Aussie one)
who shouldn't be online - he's grumpy.

On Nov 10, 8:21 pm, "cr...@earthlink.net" <cr...@earthlink.net> wrote:

No, Merlin is NOT a generic name. It was the name for one specific
engine design.  Others were Kestrel, Sabre, etc.  Britain was one of
few countries to name their engine.  US engines were designated by
type and displacement, like V-1710 and R-1820.  The Packard Merlin is
only called that since the Brits called it that first.

"Kasei" translates as "Mars" so I suppose you could say it was a "Martian"
engine? :o)

(kim)