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).
Letter to G.W. Hancock in France regarding updates and tests on car components including axle tubes, brakes, and cooling systems.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 82\1\ scan0194 | |
| Date | 11th August 1933 | |
| G.W.Hancock, Hotel de France, Chateauroux, Indre, FRANCE. From Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}4/MJ.11.8.33. The Experimental Department will be shut down the whole of next week, I have therefore wired you to send your reports to my holiday address during that period. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} will be back at the Works on Monday 21st.inst. We are sending out to you today a pair of correct axle tubes. It has been found that all the tubes produced for production are faulty. There is a neck turned in the flange which was not there on the original car or on the Peregrine axles. When the axle tubes are fitted we shall have to complete 10,000 miles on those tubes. I am very keen that we keep in front of us the fact that the Bentley car which you are now running is the final proof run of the production car. It is for that reason it is necessary that you run with the standard brake shoes. We must have a record which will give us some idea of how good or how bad the standard brakes will be. We do not mind carrying out experimental investigation tests but that car must run with the parts fitted that will give us a clearance on production. The radiator on your car I find has a narrower matrix than that which is being fitted to the standard cars, which will allow the production cars to run cooler. We should like you to suggest the best places for the petrol pump. I think we have got to keep in mind that the electrical pump is not going to be 100% reliable so therefore it should be reasonably accessible. As regards the improved fan which Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} has sent out. We think it is a good thing to make comparative tests but unless we say the present fan is hopeless and they should all be scrapped we do not want you to continue running on this fan. We are expecting to send out to you a complete new exhaust system which is to be a model of what we are going to produce so that it can be run a complete 10,000 miles on the car. We understand that Fisher will stay at Chateauroux until the new axle tubes which have been sent off today are fitted to the car. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||