ONE of the most iconic sounds in British history will be heard in Worcester next week.

Technology giant Mazak will be demonstrating the Rolls Royce Merlin engine, which powered aircraft including the legendary Supermarine Spitfire in the Battle of Britain.

The one-of-a-kind demonstration will see a Mk68 Merlin, which was restored by a Mazak employee, fired up as part of the company's National Manufacturing Day celebrations on Thursday, July 7.

Paul Lawrence, purchase lead at Yamazaki Mazak UK, began his quest for a Merlin engine in 2012, locating ‘Mable’ the same year before making the formal purchase in 2016.

The restoration took place over a ten-year period with specialists called upon to assist with the project.

He said: "My two passions have always been history and engineering, so Merlin engines have always had a natural draw for me.

"The project began just over a decade ago, with Mable finally being ready for action in 2020.

"This has proved to be a true labour of love and has only been made possible through collaboration with a number of similarly enthusiastic companies.

"That said, I truly couldn’t be happier with the result."

The restoration began with disassembly of the engine into major sub-components by Leeds-based specialist Flight Engineering.

Mr Lawrence then took it upon himself to clean all the components and source some of the rarer items, such as the brass coolant header tank and propeller spider.

Dero Fabrication Limited were called upon to manufacture 12 new exhaust stubs, with the company using an on-site Mazak laser for cutting, forming and fabrication.

Serial number 367869, Mable is one of roughly 55,000 Rolls Royce Merlin engines manufactured by the Packard Motor Car Company in Detroit, USA, during World War II.

The company produced around a third of the 168,000 Merlin engines made in total, with a small number still in flight today.

The manufacturing showcase at Mazak will show off careers and the work of the company, which employs more than 500 people.

In order to register for the event, visit: https://discover.mazakeu.com/national-manufacturing-day/