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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).
Vehicle dynamics concerning sideslip, weight distribution, and proposed design improvements.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 24\1\  Scan045
Date  12th December 1931 guessed
  
11.

sideslip or tail swing.

If, however, the distribution of weight had been such that K^2 = AB then no additional lateral force would occur in the plane of the rear wheels on turning into the straight from the curved path. In effect the free motion of the car in space would be compounded of the uniform circular motion of the car in its original path with a swing or rotation of the car about a pivot in the plane of the rear wheels. Thus in this case so long as the conditions permit the car to turn in the uniform circular path without skidding there will be no additional tendency as in the case of the orthordox car for skidding or tail swing as the car is straightened out again.

The other phase of motion is unimportant from this point of view since although in this case the conditions are reversed and the dangerous increase of lateral force occurs this time on the front wheels, since the car is turning from the straight path on to a curve there is no initial lateral shearing force due to centrifugal action to reduce the margin of adhesion available.

In the foregoing notes I have tried to catalogue in the briefest possible manner and without mathematics the advantages which I believe to follow more or less automatically from certain radical changes in the fundamental basis of design which may be summarised as improvement of speed and acceleration for a given engine power and fuel consumption by streamlining the body and improvement of comfort road holding capacity and reduction of skidding proclivities by the redistribution of weight in relation to the wheelbase.

It will be readily admitted that these advantages are very real and very important but whereas in the past such improvement on such lines has been a matter of gradual adjustment the requirements of design which I am advocating can only be realised by a considerable and definite departure.
  
  


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