Meeting with Mr. Einstein regarding his electro-chemical deposition metalising process.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 30\6\ Scan021 | |
| Date | 3rd April 1928 | |
| HS {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} X1360 To BX. from Fl. c.c. to Rg. {Mr Rowledge} , Hs. {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} , Sg. {Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} & Py. British Airships Ltd. - Metalised Materials. I visited Mr. Einstein at his London address: Room 604, Hotel Victoria, Northumberland Avenue, regarding the above process. Mr. Einstein would appear to be a Russian Jew and is not really connected with British Airships Ltd. in any way, except that he has metalised fabric coverings for them with apparent success. Mr. Einstein does not speak very good English, but the following appears to be the position:- The experimental plant is at present in France and I was shown samples of wood, leather, china(Experimental Engine), paper and Duralumin which had been covered by the metalising process. Mr. Einstein stresses the fact that his process is not electro-plating but electro-chemical deposition. His process is unquestionably successful with regard to all the decorative work which he has carried out and an excellent finish is obtainable. It was pointed out to him, however, that our interest at the moment lay solely in the application of protective coatings to such materials as aluminium, duralumin and magnesium. The sample of dural tubing supplied to him by Vickers, which he had coated with nickel, appeared to be quite satisfactory as regards adhesion, and it looks likely that the internal protection of our cylinder jacket parts is a reasonable proposition for him to tackle. So far, Mr. Einstein has not attempted to apply his process to magnesium; I, therefore, stressed the importance of this to him and he informed me that experiments are to be put in hand with this material and he has promised to let me know the results. Mr. Einstein is in touch with Sir Sefton Brancker and the Airship Dept. of the Air Ministry whom he has endeavoured to interest in his metalised airship fabric. I gave him the names of Major Bulman and Major Buchanan with whom he was not familiar. What Mr. Einstein would like us to do is to send him a sample set of cylinder parts for internal metalisation of the water jacket surfaces; also, as he is endeavouring to form a British Company, he would like us to send him a letter stating in the event of the work proving satisfactory what our annual requirements in square feet of surface to be metalised are likely to be. I did not discuss this latter point with him or | ||
From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).