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).
The performance and identified faults of the 7-Goshawk-11 car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 46\2\ Scan175 | |
| Date | 19th April 1922 | |
| Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from AP. y4086 EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}5/LG19.4.22 RE. 7-GOSHAWK-11. X4219 [struck through] X4086 We have now had an opportunity of trying this car and it brings forward the following points for your consideration:- Carburation. This is certainly very bad on this car which to such an extent I am rather pleased as it will give us a chance of going into this matter very thoroughly. T.W. feels that he has been able to produce a good R-R Carburetter and we are now fixing it on 7-Goshawk-11 so as to try it out. Steering. We have fixed a steering tube with buffer springs at each end the same as the 40/50. I did not try the car with the standard steering tube, but am informed that the road shocks on the steering wheel were much less when fitted with the 40/50 type steering tube. The steering as it is, however, as the disease of unstable driving at high speeds, which on this car seemed to be as bad as any 40/50 ever was. We are now going into the pivot lean etc. Instrument board support. This car is fixed up with the instrument board entirely fixed from the dash-board and is entirely isolated from the scuttle. The vibration, however, of this instrument board is very bad; the vibration being a side movement, vertically it appears quite rigid. I am not sure whether the vibration is in the steering column is affecting the instrument board or some-triangle-support-to-the-instrument [struck through] vice versa, but it certainly appears that some triangle support to the instrument board or some damping attachment to the scuttle is necessary. On 6-Goshawk-11 the instrument board, I am informed by Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}, is attached to the scuttle and this car did not appear to have this weakness. Piston knock. There is a slight piston knock with this engine similar to that on 6-Goshawk-11 and which was only noticeable when starting up cold. If you have any comments with regard to 6-Goshawk-11 on this matter, we should be pleased to have them. Clutch. The clutch has a very slight squeak when engaging. It is not a loud squeak the same as that caused with-the [struck through] when the clutch suddenly "takes hold", but a slight squeak as long as the surfaces are in contact and slightly slipping. Are you experiencing this on 4/5 or 6-Goshawk-11. This car is fitted with a totally enclosed saloon body and considering the type of the body fitted it appears to be a very nice car to drive. It does not boom anything-like as much as you would expect. The riding is very good and the power and speed is very good. It is at low speeds at full throttle and acceleration that the power performance is bad. Contd:- | ||