The Rolls-Royce Vulture was a British aero engine developed shortly before World War II that was designed and built by Rolls-Royce Limited. The Vulture used the unusual "X-24" configuration, whereby four cylinder blocks derived from the Rolls-Royce Peregrine were joined by a common crankshaft supported by a single crankcase. The engine was originally designed to produce around 1,750 horsepower (1,300 kW) but problems with the Vulture design meant that the engines were derated to around 1,450 to 1,550 hp in service by limiting the maximum rpm.
Rolls-Royce Vulture
Avro Manchester II, showing two exhaust dampers
Vulture powered Hawker Tornado prototype, with two rows of ejector exhausts
Rolls-Royce Limited was a British luxury car and later an aero-engine manufacturing business established in 1904 in Manchester by the partnership of Charles Rolls and Henry Royce. Building on Royce's good reputation established with his cranes, they quickly developed a reputation for superior engineering by manufacturing the "best car in the world". The business was incorporated as "Rolls-Royce Limited" in 1906, and a new factory in Derby was opened in 1908. The First World War brought the company into manufacturing aero-engines. Joint development of jet engines began in 1940, and they entered production in 1944. Rolls-Royce has since built an enduring reputation for the development and manufacturing of engines for military and commercial aircraft.
Rolls-Royce Limited
Pages from a very early brochure, c. 1906
The Silver Ghost, 40/50 chassis #60551 registration AX-201 Scottish Reliability Trial 22 June 1907
Original Silver Ghost car in 2004 — 40/50 chassis #60551 with semi-Roi-des-Belges open tourer body by Barker