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).
Preliminary test report on the 18HP Lanchester car, detailing performance and vibration issues.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 22\3\ Scan084 | |
| Date | 25th February 1932 | |
| V440. a.{Mr Adams} From Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Ltd. b. to [crossed out] c. to [crossed out] d.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} to Mr. PN.{Mr Northey} e.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} to RV. [crossed out] PN.{Mr Northey} C+ Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Ltd.2/EA. 25. 2. 32. 18HP LANCHESTER CAR. We have carried out a preliminary test run on the 18HP Lanchester car and the impressions obtained are as follows. Performance. Engine power is definitely good. The car when driven over our standard test route gives a better performance than the low compression 25HP car (F.{Mr Friese} Series). Acceleration is good and altogether the performance is creditable considering the engine size and weight of the car. (32 cwt.) Maximum speed attained on a level road was 72 m.p.h. (by speedometer); no special test was made to determine the maximum speed possible but we should estimate it to be 70 m.p.h. (The speedometer was checked and found to be 6% fast over the range tested i.e. up to 40 m.p.h.) The times taken to climb the standard test hills are :- Stanton Hill - 38secs. Ticknall Hill - 67secs. Flettern Hill 81secs (from level crossing). Booms, Vibration etc. The car is pleasant to drive up to 30 m.p.h. but above this speed is unpleasant throughout its speed range. Booms and rumbles are present both on forward and over-run making the car generally very unpleasant. The majority of the unpleasant points are inconsistent both as regards intensity and position, they are sometimes worse than other times and the speeds at which they occur vary slightly; one gets the impression that the fluid flywheel is in some way a contributory cause for this. It does not seem that it can be blamed for the presence of the vibrations but one would think it could easily be the cause of their variations in intensity and position. Torque reaction vibration does not make itself apparent because the engine never runs at full throttle at a speed low enough to produce it, again because of the slipping of the fluid flywheel. | ||