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).
Car manufacturing material stock, cost estimates, and proposed weight-saving modifications.
| Identifier | Morton\M3.3\ img001 | |
| Date | 26th April 1917 | |
| 7CA+ 49GB COPY. Re - Car Manufacture. R4/W18816. With reference to the visit of Messrs. Nadin, Wormald and Hives, here, regarding the next lot of cars, it appears that owing to the stock of material the next 200 or 300 cars should be like 7-CA, and others of our most recent cars, and not like the special 49)GB, and if we adopt the number to be made as 300, the quantity of material to be ordered, will be reduced by about 60%, reducing the £40,000 estimate to about £16,000, owing to the stock of material already in hand; whereby, if we were to purchase material for 500 cars, the second 250 should be practically entirely new material. Also, since we cannot introduce any material modifications it would be safer to stick to the 300 proposed. Regarding the parts to be improved, we are proposing to do all we can on the weight question, by using a lighter type and slightly thinner radiator, as used on the 49-GB. Also adopt aluminium pistons and machined rods which enable us to do away with the balance weights, and considerably reduce the damper flywheel. We should also make considerable reduction in the weight of the back axle by leaving out the middle bearing to the propeller shaft, and the aluminium casings, machining the inside of the bevel gearbox and other parts, to lighter dimensions, and by the use of back axle tubes having a straight (upside down text at bottom) R.B. 235A (500) (S.D. 408. 26-4-17.) Bm. 2/156/13. | ||