Modifications to a front axle forging and design considerations for the 'Vulture', 'Buzzard', and 'Condor' engines.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 79\2\ scan0101 | |
| Date | 18th August 1920 | |
| -4- To Hs. {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Ea, and By. {R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} E1/G18.8.20. Contd. This modification will require a boss adding to the forging of the front axle. Mr. Royce would like Mr. Day to submit a scheme dealing with this point. NEW LARGE CHASSIS - "VULTURE(Experimental 6 CYL OHV LONG STROKE / Aero Engine)," "BUZZARD(Aero Engine)," ETC. X.3548. X.3845. X.3841. Regarding the "Vulture(Experimental 6 CYL OHV LONG STROKE / Aero Engine)" engine, Mr. Royce remarked that we had rather gone away from the idea of making a six-cylinder on account of the difficulty of making the valve gear silent. He had proposed a method of driving up and down, to and from the over-head camshaft worm gear, but this idea may not be sufficiently good to effect a cure. Mr. Royce thinks, however, that we ought to go on with the six-cylinder engine, and that on the whole it ought not to be a very long job. The only question to be settled is what to do with the valve gear. We can still retain the camshaft in the present 40/50 H.P. position in the crankcase with its close up drive from the crankshaft for the purpose of silencer, and then operate the valves push rods. Mr. Hives put forward a proposal that for a six-cylinder the present engine could be retained in its present form, but modernised somewhat as regards construction. Mr. Royce considered this proposal good as a very safe policy, but he was of the opinion that the engine would want reducing to about 4" x 5¼", and taking this into account it at once became obvious that we required a completely new design, and that the one question we had to decide with regard to it was whether we should adopt solid head "D" cylinders or detachable heads with over-head valves operated by push rods. X.3836. Regarding the method by which the six-cylinder engine should be carried in the frame, it is now found that the Hawk(Aero Engine) engine confirms the theory anticipated that the vibrations are noticeable at very low speeds with the flexibility on the Hawk(Aero Engine) engine suspension removed. X.3786/7/8. X.3790. With regard to the "Buzzard(Aero Engine)" engine, the question of whether it would be better to adhere to the Condor(Aero Engine) system or to have main bearing caps was recently gone into at Wittering, and Mr. Hives now brings information regarding the works' experience with the "Condor(Aero Engine)" engine. The reasons for carrying the bearing. Contd. | ||
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).