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).
Magazine correspondence page covering car clubs, design suggestions, incendiary bomb reactions, and vehicle maintenance issues.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 160\5\ scan0308 | |
| Date | 4th April 1941 | |
| April 4th, 1941 The Autocar 303 Correspondence but infrequent intervals. It has been noticed that the rear carburettor is set to run a little richer than the forward one, but apparently has been so adjusted for years. Frankly, I am baffled. G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} W. G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} London, E.C.4. [Our correspondent’s letter has been answered direct, and various suggestions put forward in the hope of helping him, but actual users of a similar model may be able to assist.—ED.{J. L. Edwards}] RENDEZVOUS FOR ENTHUSIASTS Support for a Recent Suggestion [50058.]—I heartily endorse the suggestion put forward by “Vizor” in “The Sport” (March 21st) as regards a sort of amalgamated car club. I am a member of the E.R.A. and B.A.R.C. and would welcome an opportunity to talk “The Sport” with fellow-enthusiasts. London seems to me by far the most suitable place for this “club” to have its H.Q. Best of luck to The Autocar in its struggle to preserve the sanity of an otherwise cockeyed world! And may the “Green” triumph over the “White” if only on the last lap! H.M. Forces. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} R.{Sir Henry Royce} GREG, Cadet. EVERYMAN CAR Suggestions for a Two-seater with a 600 c.c. Air-cooled Engine [50059.]—I read with great interest the series of articles under this heading. For months I have been planning and sketching. My suggestions for a small car is a two-seater with an o.h.v. c.c. motor cycle engine. I would propose to leave the front of the car open to allow the engine to get as much air as possible. I know that air-cooling will be criticised, but I do not see why it should be. It has been tried in several cases; for instance, the Raleigh three-wheeler and also the old 8 h.p. Rover. The front springs will be on the same lines as the Morgan’s. The engine will be set in front of the car with gears, etc., under the floor boards. By these means I hope to get the back chain as short as on the Raleigh three-wheeler. The wheelbase will be 5ft., and the track 3ft. 6in. No differential will be fitted—I do not think it is necessary. The car will be 7ft. 6in. overall. F.{Mr Friese} S. HOLMES. Sutton-in-Ashfield, Notts. Mr. F.{Mr Friese} S. Holmes' [50059] design for an Everyman car is on the lines of the "ideal" sports car rather than a utility type of vehicle. FIRE FIGHTING The Problem of Light Metals which Burn Violently, as in Incendiary Bombs [50060.]—In an illustrated report in The Autocar of February 28th, entitled “Tackling Explosive Fire Bombs,” there is nothing new, except that it is stated that the “foam” produced extinguished the “blaze” and also a German type of explosive incendiary bomb. We challenge these statements because it is a well-established fact that water or any solution containing water will not extinguish burning magnesium or burning aluminium powder. If water is even poured gently on to burning magnesium swarf the burning is accelerated, and particles of burning swarf are often violently and dangerously scattered. Nobody who understood what he was doing would dream of pouring water on burning aluminium powder. If the “German type of explosive incendiary bomb” was properly alight a foam solution would not extinguish it. To clarify this we mean by properly alight if the magnesium casing was molten, in which case immediately the foam solution contacted the molten metal violent reaction would result, and the burning molten metal would scatter disastrously in all directions. A15 The writer was responsible for tests carried out in 1935 at a Government arsenal where foam was used on a mixture of burning magnesium incendiary bombs, cordite, woodwool and petrol, and although 800 gallons per minute of foam were available the tests were not satisfactory. The lay Press is full of reports of fire bombs being extinguished by water, sand, flowerpots and the like, and experts know that such bombs have never been on fire properly. It would seem that once again this has happened in the tests reported upon. So far we have not remarked upon “explosive incendiary bombs,” but have only to say that this makes no difference from the fire point of view except that if the proper time of two to three minutes had elapsed the bomb casing might have become properly alight. In challenging these statements we wish to make it clear that we do not doubt that your observer thought that the fires had been extinguished. HAROLD DURSTON, Technical Director, Harrow Weald, Mddx. Durston, Lang and Co., Ltd. [There can be no doubt that the fire produced for demonstration purposes on the occasion in question was extinguished.—ED.{J. L. Edwards}] COMPARING NOTES Running Too Hot, As Against Too Cool in Another Instance [50061.]—I was surprised to read letter [50035] from an owner of a Speed Twenty Alvis who considers his car is over-cooled. My own car, also a 1932 model, purchased last spring, seems to suffer from the opposite trouble to such an extent that it frequently continues to fire after the ignition is switched off. Decarbonising has not effected much improvement. I believe that later models were fitted with a fan, which may perhaps be significant. There is no evidence of clutch drag on my particular car, so I cannot help my correspondent, “Green Ink.” Can any reader suggest ways and means of improving the petrol consumption? I find it difficult to keep the car running simply on my basic ration and enthusiasm. Oh, for the days of unlimited petrol, the “Land’s End,” week-end trials, and a fast run up the Great North Road! W. J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} STYLES. Ewell, Surrey. THAT STITCH IN TIME Serious Troubles Which the Exercise of More Care Could Have Avoided [50062.]—Recently it has been pointed out in the pages of The Autocar that thousands of motorists are, of necessity, keeping the same cars, whereas in the past they were wont to make a change of vehicle every year or so. The original practice is apt to create the bad habit of not making relatively frequent inspections, since for the first twelve months reliability is almost assured, even if there is a certain measure of neglect. It is desirable to emphasise the danger of this slackness, not only on account of the difficulty of securing certain types of spare parts promptly, but also because some of the repair work now in hand would have been totally unnecessary or much less extensive had the trouble been discovered earlier and attended to at once. Periodical inspections should be made so as to avoid, as far as possible, all repairs due to carelessness that might interfere in any way with work of essential national importance. C. W. BRETT, Managing Director, Barimar, Ltd. London, W.C.1. UNFORTUNATE EXPERIENCES The Condition of Cars Recently Offered for Sale [50063.]—It has come to my notice with unpleasant force that the standard of business morality in the motor trade seems to have fallen with a bump under the stress of war conditions. Recently I purchased a 1939 car with a speedometer mileage of 11,900 from what was apparently a reputable agent who asked for forty-eight hours in which to give the car a good check-over. Yet after all this the brakes were so bad that they pulled one across the road, and at the end of 260 miles the big-ends were cracked, the sump being dry, as the result of excessive oil consumption. Then the engine stopped dead, and examination of the carburettor and fuel system disclosed heavy deposits of rust and dirt, whilst the contact-breaker points were fouled to the extent of producing no spark. | ||