This is a question that popped up in a conversation I was having with a friend the other day. Needless to say, I couldn’t give him a sensible answer. Oh, and ‘played’ referred to the building, overhaul, testing, maintenance and rectification of this fine beast.
So, in a quiet moment, I tried to give it some thought.
Rolls-Royce employees who built and tested them, and later overhauled them in East Kilbride into the ’80’s;
WWII and post-war RAF Fitters on Spit Mk XII’s, Mk XIV’s, Mk XVIII’s, Mk XIX’s, Mk 21’s, 22’s and 24’s;
WWII RN FAA Fitters (sorry, probably wrong title-absolutely no disrespect meant) on Seafire XV’s, XVII’s and Seafangs, Barracuda’s;
RAF Fitters on Shack MR1’s, MR2’s, MR3’s and AEW II’s (probably the largest single user of the Griffon);
SAAF Fitters on Shack MR3’s;
RN FAA Fitters (sorry) on Firefly’s;
RAF MCU’s utilising Sea Griffons;
RAF and/or RN FAA on various one-off’s and development aircraft;
Martin-Baker with the MB5;
European, American and British aircraft restoration companies and their associated or contracted engine overhaul facilities;
European and British tractor pullers (and maybe American, don’t know);
Engine enthusiasts like our own excellent Merlin Pete;
Before someone gets offended by there exclusion from this list, please bear with me because this is just off the top of my head and not researched at all.
So, what groups have I missed, and what kind of numbers do we think would have been involved with Griffons since the first one was run 80 years ago in March 1933?
Looking forward to your thoughts on this one, and what kind of total numbers we come up with.
camlobe
By: CIRCUS 6 - 15th November 2013 at 00:27
Well I have and still do. When on BBMF and when with TFC. I also work with Bill Richards on his ground running 58 with the WWII Aero engine society.
Ditto BBMF and TFC.
By: mike currill - 14th November 2013 at 23:44
Hawker’s because IIRC one of their machines was powered by the Griffon. Was it possibly the Tornado? I am at work at the moment so don’t have access to any of my reference material. Even if I’m wrong that is still an impressive list of people who have been involved with one engine type.
By: battle - 14th November 2013 at 20:39
raaf griffon CA 15
CAC and the RAAF used a griffon in the one off CA 15 fighter prototype .
cheers dave
By: tftoc - 14th November 2013 at 20:17
There are (were) the Griffon powered air racers – Red Baron, Miss Ashley II and Precious Metal. A MkXIV Spitfire (race 80?) put in an appearance in one of the post war Thompson trophy races.
By: Rocketeer - 14th November 2013 at 19:19
My Dad was ASR and they had sea griffons. He said that it sounded like a bird shoot when they started the boats at Heligoland or the south coast bases he was stationed.
I carried my huge Griffon head from NH642 today if that counts!!!!!!!??? lol! So much heavier than a merlin
By: richw_82 - 14th November 2013 at 14:26
Wind tunnel usage in Dubai and in the UK at various sites – including a couple still being used.
By: MerlinPete - 14th November 2013 at 12:44
A few. One currently with MerlinPete.
Thanks Dairwin. Miss Canada IV was originally powered, in 1948, by a Griffon 57 taken from the production line for the Shack, along with a second engine as a spare, which were on loan to Harold Wilson of Ingersoll Engineering who had connections with production of the Nene engine in Canada at the time.
The engines were eventually returned to the UK, overhauled and returned to service.
The boat achieved 200mph.
The same hydroplane, later sold and renamed “Miss Supertest” was then campaigned with a Merlin, but the Supertest team under Jim Thompson also ran a Griffon 65, possibly in another hull.
The Budweiser team in the USA also operate a Griffon powered Hydroplane.
I had a call from someone in the States a while back looking for a CSU overhaul on a Grifgon 58 apparently fitted to an Airboat, but I can’t find any reference to it on the Internet!
Finally, love or hate them, the tractor pulling fraternity have become very well educated on this engine in the UK and the rest of Europe.
Edit: apologies to Camlobe, I just spotted you had mentioned tractor pulling already!
Pete
By: TonyT - 14th November 2013 at 12:20
There will be the lot that looked after the Shack Stateside when it was still flying over there
By: Arabella-Cox - 14th November 2013 at 11:47
Were any powerboats fitted with the Griffon? It seems likely to me.
A few. One currently with MerlinPete.
By: Dave Homewood - 14th November 2013 at 11:20
Were any powerboats fitted with the Griffon? It seems likely to me.
By: Percypointer - 14th November 2013 at 11:11
Well I have and still do. When on BBMF and when with TFC. I also work with Bill Richards on his ground running 58 with the WWII Aero engine society.
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November 14, 2013 at 10:20 am