IT once powered passengers across the Atlantic faster than the speed of sound as one of the engines of the mighty Concorde.

But, with its glory days in the air now over, it has found a home in the quieter surroundings of a museum.

The Yorkshire Air Museum, at Elvington, near York, took delivery of the supersonic relic in the summer.

Its sheer size presented considerable difficulties when it came to putting it on display, but it has been given pride of place in the main exhibition hall.

Built as a collaboration between Rolls Royce and a French aerospace group, the Mark 610 version of the Olympus 593 turbojet developed 38,050lb of thrust.

Its power dwarfed that of other engines in the museum's display, which date from the earliest days of flying.

An early British engine in the collection is the 1925 Cirrus Mark 1, which powered the DeHavilland 60 Moth, developing 64hp.

The museum is also home to one of the most famous aero-engines every built, the Rolls Royce Merlin XX of 1940.

Museum director Ian Reed said: "The pace of aircraft engine development over a relatively short timescale is brought into sharp focus when you realise that just one Olympus Concorde engine produces more thrust than four of the Rolls Royce Avons which powered the De Havilland Comet, Britain's first jet airliner.

"Only 15 years separates the development of these two engines and aircraft.

"We are delighted to be able to show this progression to our visitors in a superb collection."

Published: 25/11/2004