Dana Bashâs Early Life, Childhood, and Education. Dana, the daughter of Frances Weinman Schwartz(mother) and Stu Schwartz(father) grew up with an elder sister and two young brothers. Her brotherâs name is David Schwartz. She was born in New Jersey and grew up in Montvale, New Jersey on 15 June 1971.
The Genesis of the Merlin. In 1932, Frederick Henry Royce (F.H.R.), knight of the realm and autocratic head of Rolls-Royce Ltd, decided the time was apposite to design a new, high-power, military aero-engine.
Designed around a 1,000-horsepower, 12-cylinder, liquid-cooled Rolls-Royce PV-12 engine (later dubbed the Merlin), the Spitfire first flew in March 1935. It had superb performance and flight characteristics, and deliveries to operational Royal Air Force (RAF) squadrons commenced in the summer of 1938.