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 providing feedback on a proposed instrument board and steering wheel design.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 117\4\ scan0178 | |
| Date | 7th October 1941 | |
| 1021 a.{Mr Adams} Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} 18/h.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} 7th October, 1941. Dear Nichols, I have now managed to get Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} and Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} to look at your most artistic picture of an instrument board and -apart from their criticising the somewhat futuristic design of the steering-wheel - they were very pleased with the general lay-out. They have left me to carry on as previously and try and get something practical out of the scheme we have done and the scheme you have done. It seems to me that there are four features of your artist's drawing which we should like to perpetuate on any working model which we have made : 1. The concealed wind-screen winding-handle. 2. The general design of wind-screen wiper operating knob. 3. The arrangement of the four click-over switches. 4. The general design of the ignition-switch. I, therefore want to go further with these and make working drawings. If nothing crops up to show that the suggestions are impracticable, we then might get some pieces made. With regard to the instruments themselves, the problem is really whether you are able to make them and, in addition, make them look like the picture and, furthermore, whether you can light them. On top of this, there is the question of cost. Your scheme has three main instruments, ours - two, in order to give more room for parcel carrying, but we have had to incorporate the clock in the speedometer. Previously, this was hand-wound and was a failure, but might prove practicable with your latest electric movement. | ||