I am nearly 82 now, but to hear a spitfire takes me back to when I was 5 years old or so and would escape from the air raid shelter to watch our spitfires doing battle with the enemy. It was so exciting because I had no idea of the danger. Then after the battle we would try and pick up bits and pieces of metal that fell down. I kept those bits for years. Forget what happened to them, but have never forgotten the sound of those merlin engines.
Even as an aussie i think this is probably the best sound by a combustion engine EVER. Im an airtraffic controller of the modern day, and no jet engine ever sounds this awesome. Much respect to our ww2 guys and gals.
I always thought the Eurofighter Typhoon sounded unique to other jets. Other jets would just screech past like an Hawk T2 or a F15 but the Typhoon just rumbles and crackles the air
was just thinking to myself, airplanes will never sound this good. everything is going to jets and i bet in 10-20 years probably to electric if battery power can advance enough
They should make kids guess what the sound is..........and then tell them "That's the sound of freedom" 😍👍. That sound is precious, and so were the men & women who helped make that noise back when it counted..... big cheer to all those keeping that noise purring through the skies today👏👏👏👏👏
The only music sweeter than that 12-cylinder symphony is the 192-cylinder symphony of the formation (1:38). That's the sound of "There's no way you're conquering Britain." Potent as hell!
Agreed, the pilots that flew these and all the other aircraft during the war were heroes of the highest calibre this world has even seen and will likely never see again. they must be remembered and cherished and honoured now and always. nothing, and I mean nothing can ever repay the debt we owe all those brave souls.
But Politicians today HAVE FORGOTTEN. He’ll bent on corruption and gradually eroding our Rights, Freedoms and Liberties their other interests are all self serving
As long as we have historians and people like us, no one will ever and I mean *EVER* forget!! God Bless The Greatest Generation to have ever walked the Earth!! 🇺🇸🇬🇧
I was walking on Blouberg Beach with my dog, just North of Cape Town, in the Spring of 1976. That old, familiar, and heart stirring sound suddenly arrived, approaching from the South. And this Spitfire came past, slow and easy, probably at 300', with the canopy run back. The pilot, in clear sight, exchanged waves with me, and then continued flying North. Quite wonderful, and a magnificent setting with Table Mountain in the background. Even my dog stopped and stared.
Imagine a national defense by civilians, even in the modern day, that employed tens of thousands of them, with modern avionics. What army could take over a country when they were being harrassed by swarms of Spitfires, daily? They are far cheaper and more serviceable than modern top-tier warplanes. How many could be added to the home defense for the cost of one F-35, in addition to the front-line super-duper fighters? That enemy army has to get in the country somehow. What if they were beleaguered by literally, thousands of Spitfires? How could they defend against this? If all they did was drop a precision trio of bombs, each, then scamper off at high altitude, what would the Nameless Invading Force do about it? Just a thought. Not all battles are won with superior technology. Some are won, (like all the ones the USA has lost) by a tenacious enemy who just won't give up.
ooodgi Similar....But NOT the "same" engine !!!! Packard made many changes !!! Especially in the induction system, different supercharger, carb, controls, intercooler, and all ancillary parts !!!!
Thank the Brits ????? WTF ???? North American did ALL the design work on the plane and the engine conversion !!! ALL 14,000 of them !!! How many Mustangs did the Brits build ???? HUUUHHH "O"....Nada.....zilch..!!!!! They hashed up 4 and never really finished them !!! They did NOT understand the cooling system and added an abortion attempt of a radiator under the nose !!!! The Brits did NOT "LET" the USA use the Merlin !!! They BEGGED Packard to build the engine for them !!! Just the truth and none of the BULLSHIT you hapless Limeys try to spew !!!!
The Shitfire Mk VB was NOT faster than a Shitfire MKIX !!! Which topped 400 MPH !!! VB has a single stage 2 speed supercharger whereas the Mk IX had the later 60 series 2 speed 2 stage supercharger !!! DUUUUUHHHH !!!!!! Hell even the Allison Mustang topped the Mk VB top speed by 30 MPH !!!!!
obviously we fought on the wrong side. we destroyed our only hope. the world we live in now, becoming a minority in our own countries, is our punishment.
That plane and that engine! I can just picture an airfield on the southern coast of England filled with Spits and Hurricanes. RAF blue uniforms with shearling coats and white turtle-neck sweaters.
Goosebumps - I live near Filton Airfield and during the summer every few weeks there's a Spitfire that goes out for an hour or so - every time I hear it I rush outside to watch.
@@exb.r.buckeyeman845 the strip is still there but not for much longer, yes the whole area was sold for housing - in a dodgy deal - almost as soon as it was put up for tender, a deal was agreed.
Holy crap! Sixteen of them? Stunning. Shame they couldn't do that fly-by at full throttle... Easily the most beautiful sounding aircraft ever. Sends shivers down my spine.
John1950....You smart ass if you would pay attention and quit being so biased and learn, shizuku is who I was replying to only suggesting that there was another video with A MASS MERLIN engine fly by. Mind your own business and go have your tea and biscuit and STFU ! ! !
John195001000 REREAD the last post ! ! ! same answer.....and you do the same thing...everything British is the greatest, Brits "invented" everything and built everything better. Bigging up Brits and denergreating everything else. The USA did nothing blah blah blah....Remember the USA bailed your Limey asses out of two world wars...ungreatfull A H....
***** YOU TUBE is a USA web site and I will use it as I please...Why don't you go find a British site to post your shit on??? OOHH thats right ....there isn't one ! ! ! that too bad....deal with it....
Wilbur Finnigan ***** As usual... everything in these Brit vs Yank discussions was perfectly in line with the theme of the video (in this case WWII, Spitfire/P51) until the Yank didn't get what he wanted.
The best planes, the most glorious sights, the best noise in the world, these wonderful machines, and the bravest pilots saved our skin during the second world war, should NEVER be fortgotten.
I just love the way between about 1:05 - 1:15 it just scythes through the air like butter. Almost like a car drifting but in a plane. Utterly perfect flying machine, and I am an unashamed 109 fanboy :P
Thank God for this wonderful aircraft and the young men who flew them. Also remembering the ground crews who worked tirelessly to keep them flying. The mechanics ownned the aeroplanes really, really caring and cherishing them. The pilots just borrowed them now and then!
21 and still can’t get over this beautiful sound. The Spitfire is my favourite plane of all time. I know that no matter how old I get, no plane will ever top this beauty. In my opinion, no fighter jet will ever be better
Why is it that the sound of the Merlin in a Spitfire, Mustang or any plane it was in can make you feel crazy good! Its a magical thing but hard to understand why this is so. It sort of gives me this Deja Vu feeling that I've heard this engine while standing on the field in Europe back in the day!
Many years ago I was walking in the park, with my then very young sons. I heard a noise and said that sounds like a Spitfire. A second later it passed over at very low altitude. They were well impressed
I had a similar experience with my then American girlfriend in York on VJ 50 in 1995...I said 'that's a Spitfire' based on the sound, and suddenly it appeared....I didn't even know it was VJ Day...
Nothing moves you like the sound of a rolls Royce Merlin. Arguably between the Spit and P51, that engine was the most important power plant of the war and saved the Free World.
Phwoarrrr .... takes me back to Duxford Airshows when I was a lad in the 70's! Greatest sound in the world and made the hair stand up on the back of my neck was that V12 Merlin making a low pass over the field!
Like so many others who have commented here, I'm deeply moved by the Spitfire; the appearance, the sound, and especially in group formation. I can't explain why. It defies rational explaination.
Sends shivers done my spine! The sound, like a big cat purring. Every time I think about the day I got endorsed to fly one I can't help but grin like a Cheshire cat. What a beautiful aircraft!
I wonder what makes Little Wllie the Fartingtractor's tiny little willy wiggle? Oh, that's right - that disgusting bottom feeder gets his thrills posting infantile, filthy-mouthed, racist, I-hate-everything-British crap on any site that features any mention of the *Rolls Royce* Merlin: a *British* aircraft engine, some of which were made *under licence* in the USA by a company that no longer exists. That's what gives his tiny willy the only thrill it gets these days. Pathetic, isn't he?
Sixteen Spitfires at once? That was overwhelming for me and the nighttime video of the Merlin 'Breathing Fire' was really impressive too. Great Footage!
James Armes it is amazing to me that all of Europe knew Germany was re- arming as far back as the early 30 s and yet the only aircraft that could take on a Me 109 itself a brilliant aircraft. Was the Spitfire and maybe the La 7 every other plane was slower and the Spitfire was a private venture
The La 7 was only introduced in 1944 or 6 years after the Spitfire. The Spitfire was designed by Mitchell but it was made to an Air ministry specification. The RR Merlin started life as a private venture.
+Michael Naisbitt Funny that the Spitfire was created well after the Bf-109 had been in service....The Hurricane was intercepting the 109s until the Spitfires were introduced, then they worked together at intercepting. Now don't get me wrong, I like the Spitfire, but it place in history has been misconstrued and misplaced, all thanks to propoganda (how do you think they recruited back in those days?) It's like saying the sole reason WW2 ended was because of the atomic bomb, when in fact, it had already been "won" except for THAT island chain. The European theatre was "won" almost a year before the atomic bombs were dropped. But I digress, The Spitfire's place in history is because of a need for a FASTER interceptor....
We owed our freedom in 1940 to this plane and pilots in the battle of Britain, no other plane will ever be as famous as the Spitfire, and the sound gives you goose bumps.
Thanks,the sound was some of the best on yt through soundblaster I've heard, especially the lone spit at the beginning,spine tingling. Spitfire, the most beautiful flying machine ever, thanks, Mr Mitchell
Just to throw this out there to those comparing the 'magical' sound of the Merlin engine to the fictional wizard Merlin... Rolls Royce named their piston engines after birds of prey. The Kestrel was another relatively well known engine and the Vulture was a clever but ultimately unreliable failure. Merlins are birds.
I did not know that--ie. Merlin's are birds. Where is their origin? Reg Mitchell of Spitfire fame---sure was a genius, but NOT as a marketing man. He did not like the suggested name for his great creation--SPITFIRE--instead he favoured --SHREW--WTF !! A tiny harmless, timid mouse-like creature. That would have scared the Nazis . ACTUNG !! Shweinhund 'Shrew' at 12 o'clock. Thank Christ common sense prevailed.
Philip Croft Merlins themselves come from all over, most of Europe, Britain, Canada, parts of the US, parts of Asia and most of Russia, depending on time of year. As for Rolls Royce naming... random I suppose. All their engines were named after birds of prey, I suppose that's just the one they picked out. Most of Supermarine's aircraft had relatively pathetic names. The Swift. The Walrus.... all a bit... meh. Spitfire was, I believe, the nickname of an RAF official's daughter. It stuck, either way!
Foxtrot Oscar Fwoar ! I'd like to have met her--Spitfire eh? Just another mad thought--imagine a flock of those birds making the same sound as the RR engine ! heh heh. I'd have one as a pet.
Philip Croft I believe Merlins can be 'trained' for falconry. I also think, if I remember correctly, the young lass 'Spitfire' was really _very_ young when she got the name!
I visited Duxford on 2014, it was a pleasant summer day, a Spitfire was doing aerobatics over the airfield, the sound from the Merlin was incredibly beautiful, I was standing nearby the preserved control tower and felt transported back to the 1940’s. 🤩 A memory I will keep for the rest of my life.
There is no sound more magnificent than a Spitfire with the taps open on a Merlin engine.Wherever I am - if I can hear that engine - I'll immediately stop what I'm doing and wait for it fly past.
I was at a country airshow once and a P-51 with a Merlin engine came up and over a hill at close to 100' off of the ground. The pilot made at least 5 passes like that. Unbelievable. He was selling rides for $950 or a chances for $20. Some fellow won and gave his winning ticket to a WW2 Vet so that he could take the ride of his life. Awesome.
Stunning Video. Thanks for the upload. love the spits and super love the sound. i went to air shows as a kid with my dad and im now 60. The Merlin sounds just as good now 50 down the road as it did then.. The 4X4 formation, i seem to remember seeing this at Biggin Hill around 5 or 6 years ago.
Great sound. Totally amazing. Though we should not forget - with all the enthusiasm down there - that this was a warplane, it was war, and there is nothing romantic about fighting a 109 or a 190, and it's either you being shot down, or the other. I don't think that any pilot during those days really had a romantic view on that shit. Let's enjoy this, but let's not forget what crappy times those were.
littlewillythesnoringtractor thinks that the US was "dragged" into the European war, but doesn't know that Germany actually declared war on America, and not the other way around. He doesn't know, because he DIDN'T DO THE RESEARCH! (Think I'll throw in a few HUUUUHHHHs and DUUUUHHHs here, and a few of these !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! as well) There we go. Over to you, tinylittlewilly
Somebody please help... I can't breathe and my heart stopped... I'm crying just watching the beautiful shape of Spitfire wings and hearing the sound of Merlin engine...
Spitfire, Hurricane, Lancaster, Mosquito.....(and few others), the common factor was the Merlin (Merlin being a powerful mystical figure from history).....Rolls Royce saved the free world
Rolls Royce only built about one half the total number of Merlin engines, remember Packard built 55,525 and FORD of England built 33,000, thats 88,000 plus of the 150,000 Merlin built...RR did NOT do it alone....they had a LOT of help. The devil is in the details...F Y I...
Rolls royce who built most of the Merlin engines as well as all the design and development and all the Griffon as well as jet engines while Packard made about 1/3 of the Merlin engines, why was Packard so slow?
Where i live a spit in the summer months flies over my house twice a day pretty low .i can hear it coming while in my house and i always get outside to watch ( and hear ) it go over.Boy am i lucky.
Gotta go with the Spitfire and for good reason. The Mustang was built around the Merlin.....but the Merlin was built around the Spitfire....which makes them the momma and poppa...which means the Mustang would never have been anything without the Spitfire....or the Brits who held the Germans at bay until the Yanks could join the party
The Mustang was built around an American engine. It became a great fighter aircraft after it was decided to experiment with fitting a Merlin engine to one. The rest, as they say, is history. The Merlin engine fitted to them was made in the USA under licence by a US motor-manufacturer (sorry, I can't remember which one) and US made Merlins were fitted to Lancasters, Mosquitos and Spitfires along with other types.
Ceri Berry You have just met tinywillyfinnigan, aka snoringtractor, the biggest, most filthy-mouthed troll on UA-cam. He knows one fact, which he learned from a book he picked up one day - it was about a British aircraft engine that was made under licence in America. The book was less than a quarter of an inch thick, yet it provided this finnigan person with the delusion that he was suddenly a world authority on the subject. No one is safe from his filthy mouth. He hates everything and anything about the British and despises anyone whose knowledge appears less than his - he also hates anyone who knows more than he does - hence the "DUUUUUHHHHs", "HUUUUUUHHHHs", shouting in capitals and endless exclamation marks. He is incapable of intelligent, reasoned conversation and an autistic 8-year-old has better social skills.
So let's see, wilbur, the spitfire versions current with the mustang had the upper hand in rate of climb, dive speed, turning radius, top speed and overall dogfighting capability. It was an air-superiority fighter and the mustang wasn't, it was a capable escort fighter. The mustang could easily fold a wing if pushed, not so with the spitfire's brilliant wing. Luftwaffe pilots were far more worried about spitfires than mustangs for a reason. A capable pilot in a 109 could give a mustang a lot of trouble, just ask Donald S. Bryan who flew the P-51D. The spitfire took out most of the luftwaffe's top pilots by mid-1943. By the time mustangs were pulling escort duty they were shooting down substandard pilots with little experience.
a good way to tell between the spitfire and the hurricane is the cockpit and wings, the spitfire has a more curved and clean rounded finish to the wings as well a having a more curved finish to the canopy. The hurricane is the complete opposite, its wings have a more squared finish, the same with the cockpit. :)
I am proud to be born in Derby, my mum, her, her mum , my granddad all worked at rolls royce, my grandma worked on the production line for this engine during the war. great Engine.
Single handed won the Battle of Britain if not for the spitfire Britain would look a lot different prolly one of the best fighters ever built. Better than a p-51
@@exb.r.buckeyeman845 Much better than a P 51 and there were more Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain but the Spitfire had a better kill ratio and lower loss ratio.
I am nearly 82 now, but to hear a spitfire takes me back to when I was 5 years old or so and would escape from the air raid shelter to watch our spitfires doing battle with the enemy. It was so exciting because I had no idea of the danger. Then after the battle we would try and pick up bits and pieces of metal that fell down. I kept those bits for years. Forget what happened to them, but have never forgotten the sound of those merlin engines.
I am 75 and I remember, I think 1956, Spitfires and Meteors were flying together side by side.
That's such a powerful comment. As a 44 yr old I cannot being to imagine what that must have been like to live through.
😍
Amazing David!
Not a Spitfie David, but let me know if you want a flight around the Yorkshire Dales/Lakes etc.!
Even as an aussie i think this is probably the best sound by a combustion engine EVER. Im an airtraffic controller of the modern day, and no jet engine ever sounds this awesome. Much respect to our ww2 guys and gals.
I always thought the Eurofighter Typhoon sounded unique to other jets. Other jets would just screech past like an Hawk T2 or a F15 but the Typhoon just rumbles and crackles the air
was just thinking to myself, airplanes will never sound this good. everything is going to jets and i bet in 10-20 years probably to electric if battery power can advance enough
Gotta say, the Avro Vulcan produced a very pleasing sound, but nothing matches the merlin engine.
except the GE 90
They should make kids guess what the sound is..........and then tell them "That's the sound of freedom" 😍👍. That sound is precious, and so were the men & women who helped make that noise back when it counted..... big cheer to all those keeping that noise purring through the skies today👏👏👏👏👏
I'm not ashamed to say this brought tears to my eyes. What a glorious engine.
Me too.
same thing
Me too.
Me too. Don't know why....
Me too.... its an extremely emotional sound.
The only music sweeter than that 12-cylinder symphony is the 192-cylinder symphony of the formation (1:38). That's the sound of "There's no way you're conquering Britain." Potent as hell!
@videowilliams A full squadron.
Goosebumps i tell ya
Best sounds are from v10s.
@@starless1759
Not even close.
You could well imagine that it was the summer of 1940, and the RAF was massing to take on the Luftwaffe over Southern England.
That sound gives me goosebumps
Neil Mackinnon yeah it sure does...
XjwsXgaming 303 'goose bumps' (unless it's cannon )
Same bro
I think it has that effect on a lot of people. Me included. As my wife once put it the sound of raw power., it makes you proud to be British
Same as the Luftwaffe
this is just pure airplane pornography
Arrivederci Indeed
Arrivederci agreed
most certainly
0:20 forwards... I have an eargasm.
Messerschmitt Me 109 docet
Thank god for the Doppler effect
yes and odd to think the pilot is the only one who doesn't hear it..
Honestly, I think I'd trade hearing the doppler effect for being the pilot...….
Not just that... that faint whistling sound is just the cherry on the top.
@@sunnyjim1355 maybe that's the supercharger
And every thing else. Most of all, the lesson.
Every time. *Every* time I hear this: tears stream down my face. We must never, and I mean, never, ever, forget.
Agreed, the pilots that flew these and all the other aircraft during the war were heroes of the highest calibre this world has even seen and will likely never see again. they must be remembered and cherished and honoured now and always. nothing, and I mean nothing can ever repay the debt we owe all those brave souls.
But Politicians today HAVE FORGOTTEN. He’ll bent on corruption and gradually eroding our Rights, Freedoms and Liberties their other interests are all self serving
As long as we have historians and people like us, no one will ever and I mean *EVER* forget!!
God Bless The Greatest Generation to have ever walked the Earth!! 🇺🇸🇬🇧
I was walking on Blouberg Beach with my dog, just North of Cape Town, in the Spring of 1976. That old, familiar, and heart stirring sound suddenly arrived, approaching from the South. And this Spitfire came past, slow and easy, probably at 300', with the canopy run back. The pilot, in clear sight, exchanged waves with me, and then continued flying North.
Quite wonderful, and a magnificent setting with Table Mountain in the background.
Even my dog stopped and stared.
That Hurricane pass and wave never gets old!
It never will...
yep ive watched it about a 100 times lol
Imagine a national defense by civilians, even in the modern day, that employed tens of thousands of them, with modern avionics. What army could take over a country when they were being harrassed by swarms of Spitfires, daily? They are far cheaper and more serviceable than modern top-tier warplanes. How many could be added to the home defense for the cost of one F-35, in addition to the front-line super-duper fighters? That enemy army has to get in the country somehow. What if they were beleaguered by literally, thousands of Spitfires? How could they defend against this? If all they did was drop a precision trio of bombs, each, then scamper off at high altitude, what would the Nameless Invading Force do about it?
Just a thought. Not all battles are won with superior technology. Some are won, (like all the ones the USA has lost) by a tenacious enemy who just won't give up.
beyond a shadow of a doubt the most beautiful aircraft ever built.
There aren't many better sounds than this, just wonderful.
20 Mustang fly over sounds better....Gathering of the Mustangs.....LOL
It's the same engine!!!!!!!!
ooodgi Similar....But NOT the "same" engine !!!! Packard made many changes !!! Especially in the induction system, different supercharger, carb, controls, intercooler, and all ancillary parts !!!!
Thank the Brits ????? WTF ???? North American did ALL the design work on the plane and the engine conversion !!! ALL 14,000 of them !!! How many Mustangs did the Brits build ???? HUUUHHH "O"....Nada.....zilch..!!!!! They hashed up 4 and never really finished them !!! They did NOT understand the cooling system and added an abortion attempt of a radiator under the nose !!!! The Brits did NOT "LET" the USA use the Merlin !!! They BEGGED Packard to build the engine for them !!! Just the truth and none of the BULLSHIT you hapless Limeys try to spew !!!!
The Shitfire Mk VB was NOT faster than a Shitfire MKIX !!! Which topped 400 MPH !!! VB has a single stage 2 speed supercharger whereas the Mk IX had the later 60 series 2 speed 2 stage supercharger !!! DUUUUUHHHH !!!!!! Hell even the Allison Mustang topped the Mk VB top speed by 30 MPH !!!!!
Makes me so proud to be British...look what we used to be able to do. And now look at our country and what it's become...sniff
obviously we fought on the wrong side. we destroyed our only hope. the world we live in now, becoming a minority in our own countries, is our punishment.
Err any group reaches a saturation point after tech advancements.
@@ArnoldTohtFan you may be right
@Snake Plisken america, britain and france fighting with them against the commies. that's how it should have been.
@Snake Plisken Okay, I get it. You're a massive SJW.
Thank you to the Spitfire and Hurricane and the brave pilots who flew them.
That plane and that engine! I can just picture an airfield on the southern coast of England filled with Spits and Hurricanes. RAF blue uniforms with shearling coats and white turtle-neck sweaters.
The movie "Battle of Britain" was on danish tv on 29/5-21. I turned my surround sound to max several times
Thank you Wonkabar007...especially for not corrupting the gorgeous Merlin music with a crappy music track over the top of it..this is perfect.
The Merlin is the music 👍
Wow the merlin engine, for me is one of the most evocative sounds i have ever heard, the sound of freedom.
And the radial of the corsairs💕
Goosebumps - I live near Filton Airfield and during the summer every few weeks there's a Spitfire that goes out for an hour or so - every time I hear it I rush outside to watch.
Rafe Zetter I lived there too, up until 1975, I understand the airfield is gone now, they’re building houses on it.
@@exb.r.buckeyeman845 the strip is still there but not for much longer, yes the whole area was sold for housing - in a dodgy deal - almost as soon as it was put up for tender, a deal was agreed.
Once you have heard a merlin,you will never ever forget it,war baby
Holy crap! Sixteen of them? Stunning. Shame they couldn't do that fly-by at full throttle... Easily the most beautiful sounding aircraft ever. Sends shivers down my spine.
ShizukuSeiji There is a video here on You Tube of 20 P51's flying at an air show here in the States absolutely AWESOOOMe
John1950....You smart ass if you would pay attention and quit being so biased and learn, shizuku is who I was replying to only suggesting that there was another video with A MASS MERLIN engine fly by. Mind your own business and go have your tea and biscuit and STFU ! ! !
John195001000 REREAD the last post ! ! ! same answer.....and you do the same thing...everything British is the greatest, Brits "invented" everything and built everything better. Bigging up Brits and denergreating everything else. The USA did nothing blah blah blah....Remember the USA bailed your Limey asses out of two world wars...ungreatfull A H....
***** YOU TUBE is a USA web site and I will use it as I please...Why don't you go find a British site to post your shit on??? OOHH thats right ....there isn't one ! ! ! that too bad....deal with it....
Wilbur Finnigan ***** As usual... everything in these Brit vs Yank discussions was perfectly in line with the theme of the video (in this case WWII, Spitfire/P51) until the Yank didn't get what he wanted.
Spits still rules the air. So beautiful for both ears and eyes.
"Rolls Royce Merlin Engines. The sweetest sound you'll ever hear."
The best planes, the most glorious sights, the best noise in the world, these wonderful machines, and the bravest pilots saved our skin during the second world war, should NEVER be fortgotten.
I just love the way between about 1:05 - 1:15 it just scythes through the air like butter. Almost like a car drifting but in a plane. Utterly perfect flying machine, and I am an unashamed 109 fanboy :P
'Scythes' - Excellent description and bloody accurate! Lovely machines.
The most beautiful piece of British design & engineering ever produced.
Hmm, Austin allegro though?
Thank God for this wonderful aircraft and the young men who flew them. Also remembering the ground crews who worked tirelessly to keep them flying. The mechanics ownned the aeroplanes really, really caring and cherishing them. The pilots just borrowed them now and then!
21 and still can’t get over this beautiful sound. The Spitfire is my favourite plane of all time. I know that no matter how old I get, no plane will ever top this beauty. In my opinion, no fighter jet will ever be better
21 acting like you were there 😂😂😂 ffs
@@BigVVS I’m not acting like that but ok. There’s nothing wrong in a young person being interested in history and loving an old plane
@@jennielockwood1119 fair enough
Why is it that the sound of the Merlin in a Spitfire, Mustang or any plane it was in can make you feel crazy good! Its a magical thing but hard to understand why this is so. It sort of gives me this Deja Vu feeling that I've heard this engine while standing on the field in Europe back in the day!
An odd 'deja-vu' sound
Many years ago I was walking in the park, with my then very young sons. I heard a noise and said that sounds like a Spitfire. A second later it passed over at very low altitude. They were well impressed
There’s something about unexpectedly seeing a Spitfire, which always put a big grin on peoples faces.
I had a similar experience with my then American girlfriend in York on VJ 50 in 1995...I said 'that's a Spitfire' based on the sound, and suddenly it appeared....I didn't even know it was VJ Day...
Nothing moves you like the sound of a rolls Royce Merlin. Arguably between the Spit and P51, that engine was the most important power plant of the war and saved the Free World.
And Lancasters, Mosqitoes.
Phwoarrrr .... takes me back to Duxford Airshows when I was a lad in the 70's! Greatest sound in the world and made the hair stand up on the back of my neck was that V12 Merlin making a low pass over the field!
Sounds like freedom.........
Nigel Gardiner sounds like Normandy and dunkirk
No. It sounds like prevailing.
Sounds like very high quality tea
When you hear that sound around the English country side it sparks emotion like nothing else.
Like so many others who have commented here, I'm deeply moved by the Spitfire; the appearance, the sound, and especially in group formation. I can't explain why. It defies rational explaination.
Sends shivers done my spine! The sound, like a big cat purring. Every time I think about the day I got endorsed to fly one I can't help but grin like a Cheshire cat. What a beautiful aircraft!
that would have been amazing being behind the stick of such an iconic aircraft
Seek medical attention
I wonder what makes Little Wllie the Fartingtractor's tiny little willy wiggle?
Oh, that's right - that disgusting bottom feeder gets his thrills posting infantile, filthy-mouthed, racist, I-hate-everything-British crap on any site that features any mention of the *Rolls Royce* Merlin: a *British* aircraft engine, some of which were made *under licence* in the USA by a company that no longer exists.
That's what gives his tiny willy the only thrill it gets these days. Pathetic, isn't he?
the most beautiful sounding engine ever
The wonderful sound of that engine never fails to fill me with hope.
The greatest sounding engine ever built.....period!!!
the engine that saved the world. what a fantastic piece of engineering. p51, spitfire, lancaster, doesn't matter. that engine won the war in europe.
Nothing can beat that sound!!! awesome!
2021 and still the best sounding engine out there...👍
Sixteen Spitfires at once? That was overwhelming for me and the nighttime video of the Merlin 'Breathing Fire' was really impressive too. Great Footage!
Saw the Quicksilver P51 at Sun n Fun 2024, what a beautiful example, and that Merlin engine is legendary. I grew up listening to that iconic sound 🫶
R J Mitchell's gift to England and the world. The saviour of Britain
even ... savior of the world since without britain ... it would have been difficult. Best plane ever
Actually, it was the Hurricane...
James Armes it is amazing to me that all of Europe knew Germany was re- arming as far back as the early 30 s and yet the only aircraft that could take on a Me 109 itself a brilliant aircraft. Was the Spitfire and maybe the La 7 every other plane was slower and the Spitfire was a private venture
The La 7 was only introduced in 1944 or 6 years after the Spitfire.
The Spitfire was designed by Mitchell but it was made to an Air ministry specification. The RR Merlin started life as a private venture.
+Michael Naisbitt Funny that the Spitfire was created well after the Bf-109 had been in service....The Hurricane was intercepting the 109s until the Spitfires were introduced, then they worked together at intercepting. Now don't get me wrong, I like the Spitfire, but it place in history has been misconstrued and misplaced, all thanks to propoganda (how do you think they recruited back in those days?) It's like saying the sole reason WW2 ended was because of the atomic bomb, when in fact, it had already been "won" except for THAT island chain. The European theatre was "won" almost a year before the atomic bombs were dropped. But I digress, The Spitfire's place in history is because of a need for a FASTER interceptor....
1:37 - The symphony of the Rolls Royce Merlin.
0:38 - as fine as a prelude at least.
Bruh I had to turn the volume down so my parents didn’t shout at me. Still a magnificent piece of British history.
We owed our freedom in 1940 to this plane and pilots in the battle of Britain, no other plane will ever be as famous as the Spitfire, and the sound gives you goose bumps.
It doesn't get much better than this.....
A happy 80th birthday to the Spitfire!
When walking alone along a long local beach in Northumberland a few years back, one of these flew over and tipped it's wings at me. Simply magical ❤👍
Lots of different locations, these are my favorite clips.
Love the sound of a Spitfire!!!!!!!!!!!!
Spitfire+Engine=AWESOME!!!!!!
bloody awesome
i hear this numerous times a week, in the spring and summer i hear this noise daily. i take it for granted since it’s such a beautiful sound
Thanks,the sound was some of the best on yt through soundblaster I've heard, especially the lone spit at the beginning,spine tingling.
Spitfire, the most beautiful flying machine ever, thanks, Mr Mitchell
Love the whine of that supercharger!
Early Spitfires belong to the most beautiful things man ever made, I think.
I prefer the later ones. MK24, for example.
@@MausOfTheHouse they're all beautiful. I even like the ones with stub wings!
@@MausOfTheHouse Mks 14, 18 and 19 for me. So sleek and powerful. But I love them all. My favourite Merlin powered has to be the Mk VIII.
Thanks, I thought it was time to bring out an update video,of the old 2008 pure merlin engine sounds video. Its nice to see the engine revealed.
I could watch and listen to this video and never get tired of it. Just amazing.
Sexiest plane ever. Would merry one if i had one. Shh dont tell my girlfriend.
When I heard the Merlin engine for the first time, my ears had a orgasm
Prettiest of WW2 anyway. I think the Hawker Hunter is the sexiest of all time, with the Vulcan and Lightning close behind.
And the spitfire would you cost less too probably
Well, I think the Griffon spits were prettier, but the Merlin just sounds so sweet.
And the Spit would still be pretty after seventy years as well. ;)
Great airplane the rolls Royce merlin engine sounds wonderful
The prettiest sound and the most beautiful plane for eternity. I have shivers as soon as I see one.
Breathtaking...thanks Reginald.
Just to throw this out there to those comparing the 'magical' sound of the Merlin engine to the fictional wizard Merlin...
Rolls Royce named their piston engines after birds of prey. The Kestrel was another relatively well known engine and the Vulture was a clever but ultimately unreliable failure. Merlins are birds.
I did not know that--ie. Merlin's are birds. Where is their origin? Reg Mitchell of Spitfire fame---sure was a genius, but NOT as a marketing man. He did not like the suggested name for his great creation--SPITFIRE--instead he favoured --SHREW--WTF !! A tiny harmless, timid mouse-like creature. That would have scared the Nazis . ACTUNG !! Shweinhund 'Shrew' at 12 o'clock. Thank Christ common sense prevailed.
Philip Croft Merlins themselves come from all over, most of Europe, Britain, Canada, parts of the US, parts of Asia and most of Russia, depending on time of year.
As for Rolls Royce naming... random I suppose. All their engines were named after birds of prey, I suppose that's just the one they picked out.
Most of Supermarine's aircraft had relatively pathetic names. The Swift. The Walrus.... all a bit... meh.
Spitfire was, I believe, the nickname of an RAF official's daughter. It stuck, either way!
Foxtrot Oscar Fwoar ! I'd like to have met her--Spitfire eh? Just another mad thought--imagine a flock of those birds making the same sound as the RR engine ! heh heh. I'd have one as a pet.
Philip Croft I believe Merlins can be 'trained' for falconry. I also think, if I remember correctly, the young lass 'Spitfire' was really _very_ young when she got the name!
Foxtrot Oscar REALLY --little devil. She'd be older than me now though--never mind.
I visited Duxford on 2014, it was a pleasant summer day, a Spitfire was doing aerobatics over the airfield, the sound from the Merlin was incredibly beautiful, I was standing nearby the preserved control tower and felt transported back to the 1940’s. 🤩
A memory I will keep for the rest of my life.
Merlin engine,I remember hearing that as a child and have loved that sound ever since.
That merlinnnn 😍 makes me melt every time
The Merlin is the Boss of engines.
The Merlin engine is music to my ears
There is no sound more magnificent than a Spitfire with the taps open on a Merlin engine.Wherever I am - if I can hear that engine - I'll immediately stop what I'm doing and wait for it fly past.
Listening to this is amazing, listening to this while simultaneously playing the main theme for The Pacific is just beautiful
imagine being in the trenches as a German then you hear that sound coming towards your position
Wrong War
@@derpsterettevtuber7744 wasn't trenches in ww2??
@@yergranfelldoon Yes, but not typically on the allied front. The French tried it, but the Germans went around them.
@@yergranfelldoon of all people asking ?.....:)
I was at a country airshow once and a P-51 with a Merlin engine came up and over a hill at close to 100' off of the ground. The pilot made at least 5 passes like that. Unbelievable. He was selling rides for $950 or a chances for $20. Some fellow won and gave his winning ticket to a WW2 Vet so that he could take the ride of his life. Awesome.
To the guy who gave away his ticket 🫡
Such a brilliant and magnificent thing to behold. The engine sound is utterly fantastic.
Gets me every time! what a sound, such beautiful planes
Stunning Video. Thanks for the upload.
love the spits and super love the sound.
i went to air shows as a kid with my dad and im now 60.
The Merlin sounds just as good now 50 down the road as it did then..
The 4X4 formation, i seem to remember seeing this at Biggin Hill around 5 or 6 years ago.
Great sound. Totally amazing. Though we should not forget - with all the enthusiasm down there - that this was a warplane, it was war, and there is nothing romantic about fighting a 109 or a 190, and it's either you being shot down, or the other. I don't think that any pilot during those days really had a romantic view on that shit. Let's enjoy this, but let's not forget what crappy times those were.
I agree
I agree as well
ww2 pilots say it was the happiest of times of their lives
Only a few,the excitement wears thin after a while with other pilots firing at you!
+jom_ aca My Great Uncle said otherwise.
1) Supermarine Spitfire
2) P51 Mustang
3) Yak 9
4) Mistubishi Zero
4) Fiat G55
5)Caudron C690
Hurricane comes 2nd and Me109 is a sure 3rd.
The f6f hellcat did more for the yankee doodles than the p-51 which came late to the party.
soaringtractor the typo just goes to show how little time typing I'm willing to waste correcting you. And it was autocorrect not a typo.
littlewillythesnoringtractor thinks that the US was "dragged" into the European war, but doesn't know that Germany actually declared war on America, and not the other way around.
He doesn't know, because he DIDN'T DO THE RESEARCH! (Think I'll throw in a few HUUUUHHHHs and DUUUUHHHs here, and a few of these !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! as well)
There we go. Over to you, tinylittlewilly
1) Tie between Spitfire and FW 190
2) Nakajima Ki 84 Hayate "Frank"
3) P 40 Warhawk
4) P-47 Thunderbolt
5) Yakovlev Yak 3
Inexplicably good. I am fortunate enought to hear this sound overhead every weekend. It never gets old.
Somebody please help... I can't breathe and my heart stopped... I'm crying just watching the beautiful shape of Spitfire wings and hearing the sound of Merlin engine...
1:38 largest spitfire formation I have ever seen
0:57 best sound no argument
gives me goose bumps thank you so much
This got me teary eyed. BEAUTIFUL
Spitfire, Hurricane, Lancaster, Mosquito.....(and few others), the common factor was the Merlin (Merlin being a powerful mystical figure from history).....Rolls Royce saved the free world
Rolls Royce only built about one half the total number of Merlin engines, remember Packard built 55,525 and FORD of England built 33,000, thats 88,000 plus of the 150,000 Merlin built...RR did NOT do it alone....they had a LOT of help. The devil is in the details...F Y I...
It was named after the bird not the wizard ffs. It's the smallest falcon in the UK.
know that ! ! ! SMALLEST.....
A rose by any other name is still a rose
Rolls royce who built most of the Merlin engines as well as all the design and development and all the Griffon as well as jet engines while Packard made about 1/3 of the Merlin engines, why was Packard so slow?
As an engineer, these sounds arouse me.
As a pilot, these sounds arouse me too!
as a brit, these sounds arouse me
Where i live a spit in the summer months flies over my house twice a day pretty low .i can hear it coming while in my house and i always get outside to watch ( and hear ) it go over.Boy am i lucky.
Wow! Thank you sharing this amazing experience with us
No other engine sounds as good
maybe the Avro Vulcan's intake
Gotta go with the Spitfire and for good reason. The Mustang was built around the Merlin.....but the Merlin was built around the Spitfire....which makes them the momma and poppa...which means the Mustang would never have been anything without the Spitfire....or the Brits who held the Germans at bay until the Yanks could join the party
The Mustang was built around an American engine. It became a great fighter aircraft after it was decided to experiment with fitting a Merlin engine to one. The rest, as they say, is history. The Merlin engine fitted to them was made in the USA under licence by a US motor-manufacturer (sorry, I can't remember which one) and US made Merlins were fitted to Lancasters, Mosquitos and Spitfires along with other types.
therobbiesmith The Merlin was produced under licence by Packard in the U.S.
soaringtractor shitfire? Lol cool story bro. Why u so mad?
Ceri Berry You have just met tinywillyfinnigan, aka snoringtractor, the biggest, most filthy-mouthed troll on UA-cam. He knows one fact, which he learned from a book he picked up one day - it was about a British aircraft engine that was made under licence in America. The book was less than a quarter of an inch thick, yet it provided this finnigan person with the delusion that he was suddenly a world authority on the subject.
No one is safe from his filthy mouth. He hates everything and anything about the British and despises anyone whose knowledge appears less than his - he also hates anyone who knows more than he does - hence the "DUUUUUHHHHs", "HUUUUUUHHHHs", shouting in capitals and endless exclamation marks. He is incapable of intelligent, reasoned conversation and an autistic 8-year-old has better social skills.
So let's see, wilbur, the spitfire versions current with the mustang had the upper hand in rate of climb, dive speed, turning radius, top speed and overall dogfighting capability. It was an air-superiority fighter and the mustang wasn't, it was a capable escort fighter. The mustang could easily fold a wing if pushed, not so with the spitfire's brilliant wing. Luftwaffe pilots were far more worried about spitfires than mustangs for a reason. A capable pilot in a 109 could give a mustang a lot of trouble, just ask Donald S. Bryan who flew the P-51D. The spitfire took out most of the luftwaffe's top pilots by mid-1943. By the time mustangs were pulling escort duty they were shooting down substandard pilots with little experience.
Never fails to put a smile on your face.
We used to be a real country
Yeah, I would've rather have been alive during WW2 than now. Says it all really.
A real plane
I got goosebumps from this !
That last clip with 16 of them was fantastic!😉👍
man i want to go for a ride in one and im 14 fast jets are cool but spits kinda ment i could live today
One of them was a Hurricane... :-)
At around 1:20 :-)
a good way to tell between the spitfire and the hurricane is the cockpit and wings, the spitfire has a more curved and clean rounded finish to the wings as well a having a more curved finish to the canopy. The hurricane is the complete opposite, its wings have a more squared finish, the same with the cockpit. :)
never mind, Hurricane also has the RR Merlin engine, and the sound is great :)
soaringtractor most packards were built for the Royal Canadian airforce.
soaringtractor Did you know you can unpress that caps buttons? It's over on the left hand side. Thank me later.
I am proud to be born in Derby, my mum, her, her mum , my granddad all worked at rolls royce, my grandma worked on the production line for this engine during the war. great Engine.
Awesome video, thanks for sharing!
The dogs bollocks..
Kev Greenhalgh the mutz nutz
The nuntz cunts
Canine's gonads please . . . . 😇
Single handed won the Battle of Britain if not for the spitfire Britain would look a lot different prolly one of the best fighters ever built. Better than a p-51
Not sure if it was better than a P 51, also the Hurricane had more kills.
@@exb.r.buckeyeman845
Much better than a P 51 and there were more Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain but the Spitfire had a better kill ratio and lower loss ratio.