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).
Design considerations for new large chassis and engines, including Vulture, Buzzard, and Condor models.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\D\May1920\ Scan42 | |
| Date | 18th May 1920 | |
| TO HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} & BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} -4- E1/G18/5/20 Contd. This modification will require a boss adding to the forging on the front axle. Mr. Royce would like Mr. Day to submit a scheme dealing with this point. NEW LARGE CHASSIS - "VULTURE" "BUZZARD" ETC. X.3548 X.3726 X.3845 Regarding the "Vulture" 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. USED ON 40/50 H.P. We can still retain the camshaft in the present position in the crankcase with its close up drive from the crankshaft for the purpose of silence, and then operate the valves by 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 5 1/2", 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.3826 Regarding the method by which the six-cylinder engine should be carried in the frame, it is now found that the [struck]Hawk[/struck] engine confirms the theory anticipated that the vibrations are noticeable at very low speeds with the flexibility on the Hawk engine suspension removed. X.3486/7/8-3796 With regard to the "Buzzard" engine, the question of whether it would be better to adhere to the Condor 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" engine. The reasons for carrying the bearing (Contd.) | ||