[Note: I've been collecting bits, for this post, since a while, as a self-educative exercise, and, here we go, with what I have,...feel free to jump to the pictures below or/and take the time to also learn a bit about Rolls-Royce, as I did myself...]

We are all aware of (and owe a debt of gratitude to) the "Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight", aka "FS9", that initiated most of us (casually or seriously) into this (MS-based) aviation hobby. And, when we speak of a Century of Flight, that inherently includes one significant component, too, "the 100 years of aero-engine evolution, but often that aspect is overlooked, while we focus, here, on the planes themselves. The advances in aviation engine technology, to say the least, have been equally amazing during the same century. Consider this: "In 1902, the Wright brothers sent out a request for bids to several engine makers for an 8-hp, "vibration-free," gas-fueled engine that would weigh no more than 200 lb. No one took them up on the offer. Having successfully built a one-cylinder, 3-hp, cast-iron engine the year before to power their machine shop, the brothers decided to design and build the engine for their aircraft as well. They finished it eight weeks later with the aid of Charles Taylor, a mechanic and machinist...The 12-hp, four-cylinder engine...had no throttle. The four-stroke engine always ran at about 1,000 rpm. But output could be somewhat controlled by retarding or advancing the spark timing."

That was the "engine" that would power the first human flight. Just to be clear, we say, "The Wright brothers made the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft...". And, after about 100+ years of that flight, the talk, these days, is about the (most advanced, massive and powerful) Trent and GE9x engines, with diameters as big as the body of a B737...! After the (initial) un-successful human attempts to fly like a bird, it was Samuel Langley, who, in 1891, is known to be the first to realize that, after all, "power was needed to help man fly...". So, the birds of nature (or mythology), so to speak, have had in-built aero engines, that humans don't have, and hence our need for "PW", "RR", and "GE" etc....🙂...Talking of birds, the long-haul flights of the migratory birds are quite fascinating, as the ultimate examples of natural "aviation". I will point out a curious observation, from my past experience. When I was living in the (cold) Northern states in U.S., as the fall/winter seasons would arrive, I would see e.g. ducks/geese gather, every evening, en masse, on large fields and open spaces, near the lakes (and such), as if planning together such (long/upcoming) migrations (somewhat similar to our pre-flight-planning...), and then, as the days continued to get colder and shorter, one evening, they would suddenly all be gone, except for a few "stragglers" left behind...that, I thought, maybe, failed to wake up in time, that day,...🙂..., but, surely failed to lift-off per the "pre-approved" flight-plan. Those events were quite amazing to observe, and, in fact, the actual long-haul flight of those birds is also known to be even more amazing (see below)...[Side Note: If you're interested in this topic, the movie "Fly Away Home" is recommended...]

Now, consider these few facts.

These migrations can be as long as 2,000 to 3,000 miles, and e.g. the geese are capable of flying up to 1,500 miles in a single day. They usually (and smartly) fly at night, to avoid the turbulence and thermals of daytime, and, also to counter overheating of their bodies (or should we say fuselages...🙂...).

A symmetric V-shaped flight pattern is used by geese, swans, ducks, and other migratory birds, improving their energy efficiency (now recall the planning of the en-mass geese flock, I'd mentioned/witnessed earlier, seemingly equivalent or even more complex to those (localized) formation routines of the esteemed Blue Angels or the Red Arrows...). The (long-haul) V formations, of these birds, are, indeed, quite extraordinary. The lead goose is the lowest of the pack. Each goose behind is slightly higher than the one in front of it, all the way to the last goose, which is flying the highest. They do this because of aerodynamics reasons. The only goose that is using all its wing power is the lead goose. Flying in formation this way adds 71% more distance that they can fly than when flying alone...! And, btw, they take turns with lead. When one gets tired, he will drop back so he can rest a bit. When migrating under favorable conditions, these geese can fly up to 1,500 miles in a single day! They are thus masters of long-haul (powered) flight...

So, birds have wings like the planes, but, their engines are "in-built", unlike the gigantic Trent and GEnx ones present in our most modern planes (quite conspicuous, but, whether, graceful or not, that's subject to individual opinions...🙂...see below for images and decide for yourself...). In any case, the aero engines are one of the most complex and most significant components in the plane. If one has ever got to fly continuously for ~15 hours, sitting on a window-seat (was always my preference) of a long-haul a/c, in clear sight of its gently humming engine, just outside the window, one has time to marvel not only at the technology of the engine but also the faith, one has placed in it. So, the evolution of the aero engine is a fascinating subject in itself (mostly, probably, to the engineers, via "cut-away" diagrams etc...), but, in this post, I only wish to illustrate, visually, via SIM pictures, the (external) "look" and "appearance" of such engines (engine-spotting, so-to-speak)...because, throughout history, they have come in various sizes and shapes...(dictated by the underlying technology they are based on). And, my specific focus of interest and learning, in this post, is Rolls-Royce, a company, which was founded in Manchester in 1904. It's worthwhile to note, here, that, just the previous year (1903), December, the Wright Brothers had made their first (powered) flight.

The RR story begins like this, "There were two men in England, one rich and one poor. The rich man, Charles Stuart Rolls, was the son of the wealthy Lord Llangattock. He sold imported cars to well-heeled friends in London early in the 20th century. The poor man, Frederick Henry Royce, had started his career by selling newspapers at age 10. He pieced together the elements of a technical education and set up a factory in Manchester that built dynamos and heavy electrical equipment....A mutual acquaintance brought the two men together, and Rolls agreed to sell cars manufactured by Royce. This launched the firm of Rolls-Royce...." . Rolls-Royce Limited was formed on 15 March 1906, in Manchester, but, would (formally) move, 50 miles southeast, to the city of Derby, in July 1908, and, since then been associated with that city. Rolls-Royce engines have traditionally been named after British rivers, intended to reflect their steady flow of power. Rolls Royce named their piston engines after birds of prey (real or mythical). So, here are some of the river-named engines: Derwent, Nene, Avon, Conway, Spey, Dart, Trent etc., and here are some of the bird-named ones: Eagle, Goshawk, Peregrine, Vulture, Merlin, Griffon etc.

With that background, please find, below, 20 specimen images, gathered from our hobby (payware and freeware), of (virtual) aircraft that, spanning a period of more than 110 years, have been powered by RR engines. Please note that my pictures, here, emphasize the engines (for their look and appearance) more than the planes themselves, hence, mostly, shots of the engines, are shown, for emphasis. But, I've also listed, below, both the planes and their engines, if you wish to associate the plane with the (respective) RR engine that powered it. Hope you enjoy this account of the RR engines and the (below) set of aircraft/engine images, especially, if you're not a native of the Rolls-Royce land (or Derbyshire...🙂...), which I'm not either. And, next time, you are on board an a/c, and happen to catch a glimpse of that (famous) double RR image, on the engines, please remind yourself of "Charles Rolls" and "Henry Royce", the two masterminds, who had started the legacy of this successful brand, 115 years ago...with an "Eagle"...!

Thanks for your interest...! Comments are welcome...!

Aircraft/Engines/Notes (in the order of images shown):

1. Eagle (1915): Vickers Vimy [When WW I broke out in 1914, Rolls-Royce was asked to build aircraft engines (they had experience in making only motorcar engines before). The company responded with a 12-cylinder aero engine, the Eagle. It powered important twin-engine bombers including and, notably, the Vickers Vimy that, in 1919, became the first airplane to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, and win the England to Australia Race, for the Smith Brothers (image of winning "G-EAOU" shown below). So, with the Eagle, Rolls-Royce broke ground, with a bang...!]
2. Merlin (1933): de Havilland Mosquito, Avro Lancaster, Hawker Hurricane, Supermarine Spitfire [Those of you who are lately (virtually) flying around the (nice) Spitfire...🙂...and surely enjoying it, should thank the Merlin bird (a type of small but fierce falcon, I read). Merlin engine remains most closely associated with the Spitfire and Hurricane, though Lancaster and Mosquito (shown) are also highly significant. Merlin is one of the most successful aircraft engines of the World War II era. At first glance, to the untrained eyes (mine included), the two, Spitfire and Hurricane, look very similar (see images), but they are actually quite different from each other in terms of their pedigree and characteristics.]
3. Griffon (1939): Avro Shackleton [This engine, named after the Griffon Vulture, initially came close to being adapted for use in the to-be-legendary Spitfire. However, development efforts were then diverted to the (much) smaller Vulture (Merlin) engine. BTW, Wiki says, Griffon bird can grow to 4 ft. length vs. just 1 ft for the Merlin...🙂...but, the Merlin is described as "...fierce, feisty, and fearless for its tiny size....", qualities that befit the illustrious Merlin engine, too..!]
4. Welland (1942) / Derwent (1943) [Welland was Britain's first production jet engine, and would subsequently enter production as (the improved) Rolls-Royce Derwent. It powered the Gloster Meteor, the first British jet fighter.]
5. Nene (1944): de Havilland Vampire [It was Rolls-Royce's third jet engine to enter production. It was also named after the River Nene in keeping with the company's tradition of naming its jet engines after rivers. It powered the late models of the de Havilland Vampire (Vampire II).]
6. Dart (1946): Vickers Viscount, Hawker Siddeley HS748 [It powered the Vickers Viscount on its maiden flight in 1948. A historic flight on July 29 of that year, which carried 14 "paying" passengers between Northolt and Paris-Le Bourget Airport in a Dart-powered Viscount, was the first record of a regularly scheduled airline flight by a turbine-powered aircraft.]
7. Avon (1946): English Electric Lightning [The Rolls-Royce Avon was the first axial flow jet engine designed and produced by Rolls-Royce. Introduced in 1950, the engine went on to become one of their most successful post-World War II engine designs.]
8. Spey (1964): Hawker Siddeley HS121 Trident [The Rolls-Royce Spey was a low-bypass turbofan engine, that has been in widespread service for over 40 years.]
9. Conway (Late 1950s): Douglas DC-8-40 [The Rolls-Royce RB.80 Conway was the first turbofan engine to enter service, but the design was used only briefly, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, before other turbofan designs supplanted it.]
10. RB211 (1969): B757-300, B747-400, Lockheed L-1011 TriStar [The Rolls-Royce RB211 is a family of high-bypass turbofan engines, btw, noticeably, without a River name. This is the first foreign-made engine chosen as the basic power plant for a major U.S.-built airliner, the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar. Launch customers Eastern Air Lines and British Airways selected the RB211-535C turbofan. This also marked the first time that a Boeing airliner (B747) was launched with engines produced outside the U.S. Rolls-Royce had finally wooed Boeing...!]
11. Trent (1990): B787, A350-1000, B777-200ER, A380-800 [The (best-known) Trent XWB produced by Rolls-Royce is the sixth generation engine of the Trent family and also the most powerful in the Trent series. It is regarded as one of the world's most efficient (large) aero engines, and powers the A350-900/1000 (see image).]

Great shots in  fine selection of planes !

cheers 😉

Superb shots!

Fantastic collection of aircraft. 

nice selection of Rollses

pmplayer, Alaska738, Adam, jankees:

Much appreciated the comments. Glad you liked these "engines" and the planes...🙂...!!