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).
Recurring rotor failure on the Bentley 25/30 HP chassis due to spark earthing, and the urgent need to implement a new design with an air gap.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 82\4\ scan0360 | |
| Date | 25th August 1936 | |
| Handwritten top left: What is the position of these parts. Handwritten top center: Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Handwritten top center (crossed out): HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/WSt. BY/IW. Handwritten initials (center): Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Handwritten top center: x200 Handwritten left (crossed out): Wst Reference and Date (top right): BY.8/G.25.8.36. Title: BENTLEY AND 25/30 HP. CHASSIS - BATTERY IGNITION. I see that we have had a further failure of the rotor due to the earthing of the high tension spark through to the driving spindle, this time on Capt. Fraser Nash's Bentley, which has only done 5000 miles. It is most important that we should get the new scheme with the air gap on production as quickly as possible, as it is definitely better than the present standard scheme. We have had something like two dozen failures. Whilst some of them can be traced to small particles of metal in the moulding, which have possibly come loose from the inserts this does not make the failure any more excuseable. The Air gap as arranged in our latest scheme should entirely clear up the fault. Handwritten signature (bottom right): By Typed (bottom right): BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} | ||