The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) has shared an update from the Ministry of Defence on the issue that has grounded aircraft fitted with Merlin engines, stressing: “The aim is to keep these vital and unique artefacts of Britain’s proud history in the sky forever.”

The BBMF spokesman added: “To do that we sometimes have to take extra precautions, with our eye sharply on continuing safety, to ensure that we can keep them flying for future generations. I thank each and every one of you who has voiced their support and shown their understanding. We will get them back into the blue as soon we can.”

The MOD statement:

“Our investigation has confirmed an issue with a pinion gear in a Merlin engine. With the precise cause of the problem known, each pinion gear is now being inspected to confirm it meets our exacting standards, with the BBMF and industry putting all of our efforts into getting these beautiful aircraft safely back in the air as soon as possible.”… Read more