Rolls Royce Vulture X-24 - The Big Aero Engine That Couldn't

In the 1930s, the quest for more powerful engines led Rolls-Royce to create one of the boldest experimental aircraft engines ever: the 24-cylinder Vulture. Despite its cutting-edge X-configuration design and ambitious 2,000-horsepower goal, the Vulture struggled with reliability, earning a complicated legacy in aviation history. From powering the ill-fated Avro Manchester to testing the limits of what aviation engineering could achieve, this is the story of a daring engine that, despite its flaws, helped shape the innovations that followed.

In this video, we break down the Vulture’s unique design, its role in key aircraft, and why it ultimately failed. Join us as we explore how even ambitious failures can lead to groundbreaking lessons in aviation history.

🔧 Key Topics Covered:

Rolls-Royce Vulture design and development
Challenges with the engine’s reliability
Aircraft that featured the Vulture, including the Avro Manchester
Lessons learned from ambitious engineering projects
If you’re passionate about aviation history, experimental engines, and engineering marvels, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more in-depth stories!

Sources:

#RollsRoyceVulture #AviationHistory #EngineeringInnovations

[Dalesmanable]

I’m in awe of how these were designed and manufactured with the technology of the time. Paper drawings, no computer-controlled machines etc.

[plumahoplita]

glad to see you back with this content

[PotatoesAssistant]

So glad to see you come back with 2 motor videos within 24 hrs

[Simon_Nonymous]

Finally managed to watch this one. A very good video, not too nerdy, not too simplified.

[neiloflongbeck]

You missed a bit out. The Air Ministry was so concerned that RR couldn't fix the Vulture that they reversed the decision to order the HP.56 (designed to meet Specification P.13/36 which gave us the Manchester). The HP.56 and Manchester were ordered in February 1937, and the cancellation of the HP.56 came in October 1937. They ordered Handley Page to redesign the HP.56 as a four-engined bomber using the Merlin, which became the HP.57 Halifax, so that we wouldn't have 2 medium bombers grounded due to engine issues. They were proved right.

[busterdee]

Excellent presentation. The Sabre's dual crank H solution sounds excessive until you see the daunting challenges of a single-crank X. I, too, wish it had been sorted just to see how rod problems could have been solved. RR engineers thought paired fork--blade should have been tried (I assume with bore centers adjusted). It does make me wonder how radial engine master, with many more links, succeeded. Maybe 'long engine' beam strength is just too different. In the Merlin, there was room for cross-bolted main cradles--impossible with an X. Again, this was an excellent presentation.

[johnnyappleseed]

RR Vulture: Behold my complexity, rogues!
Napier Sabre: Hold my ale...

[waynec]

The engine at 6:10 is the Rolls-Royce Exe.

This was the smaller, air-cooled, sleeve valve X-24.

[Dave-dm]

The RR Merlin was limited to 3000 rpm, because it would throw con-rods at higher revs. This limited performance but huge efforts were made to understand why the rods failed. It was eventually realised the problem was due to insufficient lubrication. The crank was literally throwing oil out faster than the pump could feed new oil. The problem all the time was caused by a weak oil pump.
What’s the chance that Vulture had the exact same oil pump problem?

[exharkhun]

The YouTuber "Let's Go Aviate" recently did a video on the Vulture and the Packard X-2775. He concluded that there was nothing inherently wrong with the design of the Vulture engine or the X configuration.

It's downfall was the fact that it's "ironing out period" was right in the middle of the Battle of Britain with it's insatiable need for Merlin's. After that died down the Merlin was all ironed out and had almost caught up in power output, and even stronger successors were starting to reach completion. Would you agree with that?


(This is my own speculation) Had the war started a year later the Merlin may have been remembered as an underpowered problem-ridden historical curiosity and the "Engine That Defeated Hitler!!!" would have been the Vulture. Interestingly Packard in the US had already made a well-running X-engine for the Schneider trophy so they had some experience, they could have produced American Vultures the same as they did V-1650's.

[adamconnell]

It makes me sad some of these wacky engine configurations didn't get a bit more time to mature... jets are indeed awesome but still so simple that they're a bit boring

[wargamingrefugee]

The extra long prop blades @13:50 have me scratching my head.

Ooh, finally new vid from Flight Dojo! Thanks <3

[hullygully-]

Thanks for your time to compile this. Where is the actual part engine shown in your video please? A museum perhaps? Can it be visited to have a closer look ?

[BrahTonne]

Nice! Glad I ran across this channel. Definitely subbing. Thanks

[billynomates]

i've a mechanical engineering degree - if only i could go back in time!

mr rolls, mr royce, would you like a cup of tea?

[coreyandnathanielchartier]

This is a great video, with lots of nerdy specs and bits of knowledge on this much-maligned, but not wholly-unsuccessful engine. I think the British, German, and finally, the US engineers underestimated (or ignored) the quite significant amount of heat that is dissipated by surface cooling of the crankcase and various covers. Coupling two engines together greatly reduces this surface area (exposed to cold nacelle air). It was, however, the late Thirties, and they seemed to be wedded to the in-line style configuration. It doesn't exactly reduce drag compared to a radial of similar power, but it does allow them to 'move' the drag to a place where it has a lesser effect on the aircraft, or even partially converted to thrust.

[johnfisk]

The Vulture was pretty well fixed just as it was being cancelled. I have always wondered what the performance of the Vulture Henley was. The Exe was reliable from the beginning as long as you poured enough oil into it but brought nothing that the Merlin could not do.

[josephpacchetti]

You Sir, really know your stuff, thank's for posting. 👍✈🇺🇸

[DT-]

A few months back i've became interrested in X engines and found out that ford build a prototybe before making the V8s and found out about the RR engine too, i started searching for it mainly because i was interrested why it wasn't used in cars and found out how impractical it was, still a cool concept