The Rolls-Royce Merlin powered the Hawker Hurricane.
The Merlin was a liquid-cooled V12 piston engine developed by Rolls-Royce and used in many British and Allied aircraft during the Second World War. The Hawker Hurricane was one of its best-known applications, alongside the Supermarine Spitfire and Avro Lancaster.
The engine’s combination of power, reliability and continued development made it one of the defining aircraft engines of the conflict. Different Merlin versions had different power outputs and detailed specifications, so the name refers to a broad engine family rather than one single configuration.
The Merlin is sometimes confused with the larger Griffon, another Rolls-Royce V12 developed later. The Hawker Hurricane also flew with other engines in some variants, but the Rolls-Royce Merlin is the standard answer for the famous aircraft and its principal wartime identity.