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).
Confirming plans for testing and producing new axle, gearbox, and engine components using different materials.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 97\1\ scan0188 | |
| Date | 23th August 1938 | |
| 400 HPS.{Horace Percy Smith - Experimental Factory Mgr} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}8/R.23.8.38. Confirming our conversations with you at various times, we should like to try both a B.III centre axle casing and gearbox casing in magnesium as a means of accelerating failures. Will you, therefore, please get one of the castings of the latest gearbox casings off in magnesium. The new cast iron engine sump in aluminium still appears to be heavy, and will, undoubtedly, be costly. We should like you to produce one in the same gauge as the Oldsmobile. (in steel) With regard to the new cast iron engine, we should like to go forward with three units to begin with as we want to get one in a chassis as soon as possible, and shall require one for the Test Bed, and one to be in the Fitting Shop. We agree to 3 exhaust valves being fitted with inserts and 3 without inserts to start with. We should not make too many cylinder head castings as most of the alterations required are likely to be concentrated in this part of the engine. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||