Jay Leno-Authentic Gearhead

[SchlongConery]

Just wow....

Among his hundreds of cars he has also restored a (Packard-built) Rolls Royce Merlin V12 engine. Check out this video. I know and have flown behind this engine and I am incredibly impressed with his knowledge of the fine details of this magnificent engine.

And he gives high praise to the volunteers down in Hamilton at the Canadian Warplane Heritage.

(BTW, bonus points to any pilots -or anyone- that catches why he wasn't able to keep the engine running the first few times.)

 

[managee]

Just wow....

Among his hundreds of cars he has also restored a (Packard-built) Rolls Royce Merlin V12 engine. Check out this video. I know and have flown behind this engine and I am incredibly impressed with his knowledge of the fine details of this magnificent engine.

And he gives high praise to the volunteers down in Hamilton at the Canadian Warplane Heritage.

(BTW, bonus points to any pilots -or anyone- that catches why he wasn't able to keep the engine running the first few times.)

He's definitely a gear head. Always great to see his garage.

But waaaay more importantly - you've flown a P-51? (I assume).

I count myself lucky to have seen a working Mustang.

Props in the highest regard..

 

[poorboy]

Yes I noticed the mixture was full lean. I was thinking to myself that's a pretty good starter he's got on there to keep it cranking like that.

 

[james t kirk]

Thanks for that.

I agree with him that the merlin was the finest aviation reciprocating engine ever built.

Such a thing of beauty.

I love when the Canadian warplane Heritage Lancaster gets up in the air. I've seen it several times over the years, including when it was first being restored in Mount Hope. (Jay says "Toronto" in the video. Hamilton would be more correct, Mount Hope even more so. But most Americans don't even know where Toronto is.)

The thing to remember about the Merlin is that in World War 2, it was cutting edge technology. Top secret. The British, however, could not build enough of them fast enough. The needed help from the Americans who had the industrial capacity but lacked the engineering know how (as evidenced by the terrible performance of the P51 when it was equipped with an American designed Allison engine).

So the British GAVE the Americans their technology.

One hand washes the other as they say.

The USAF dumped the American Allison engines in favour of the Merlin and the rest is history.

 

[malata]

I can appreciate that Leno appreciates the raw power of an engine with awesome horsepower and the history that goes with it. The feeling of torque of an F40 is probably nothing compared to one of these babies.

 

[james t kirk]

In 2014 the Canadian Warplane Heritage's Lancaster flew over to England and met up with the only other air worthy Lancaster in the world for an exhibition. Man, I'm sad I didn't know about that. Would have been worth the trip just to see it.

If you're into Merlins, here's 12 of them running at the same time. (I guess the Brits are restoring a third Lanc which is not yet certified.)

Turn up the volume.

 

[james t kirk]

Here's another good one. Watch as this news reporter almost gets his head taken off.

Turn up the volume