Todays Wikipedia 'Featured Article'

[Wedgy]

Nice

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_Merlin

[Dan4th]

As usual, Packard's contributions to making the
Merlin mass-produceable are not mentioned, let
alone the R&D done by PMCC to enhance not only
the reliability but also the performance of the
engine.

Granted, the Merlin was a great British accomplishment,
but I fear that Packard will never receive its due as
far as its own accomplishments go.

I have always felt that the Merlin was one of the Great
Examples of US/UK collaboration. It seems that history
is determined to forget what actually happened!

Oh, and Packard made about 56,000 of them and not
the sub-40,000 figure stated! More than a third of them!
And the majority of the Lancs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am PISSED!!!!!!!!!!!!

D.

[Wedgy]

Its Wikipedia - go make some corrections to the article yourself
(as long as you can provide proof of your facts)

I must admit my first attempt at contributing to Wikipedia wasn't a productive experience, but I was partly to blame due to not having the majority of information up front.

[Dan4th]

When RR got their first batch of Packards they
put one at random on the test bed and tried to
break it.

It went more than twice the time of their previous
best before coughing-up its innards.

RR management was not amused.

RR management was expecting crap.

Danf.

[Xplumberlives]

A subject near to your heart!

[Wedgy]

Happy to work together with you Dan4th to put it right?

You with the facts, me with the knowledge/wiki etiquette

[Dan4th]

Let me think it through............

Might be a waste of time if someone else
comes along and re-changes the text.....

I'll try to round-up some of my references
to cite as authority. All I know is PMCC did
a lot of development on the engine which RR
incorporated with their own Merlins. They
were also able to build far more of them by
adopting Packard's mass-production methods.

Part of the problem is that Packard never
really sought any credit for what they did.
I think perhaps they felt that tooting their own
horn too loudly might seem unpatriotic.

Danf.