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).
Communication regarding a complaint about defective brakes on the Phantom III model, referencing various test reports.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 92\4\ scan0212 | |
| Date | 29th September 1936 | |
| Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} C DY{F R Danby} M X306 EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}22/MH.{M. Huckerby}29.9.36 re PHANTOM III DEFECTIVE BRAKES COMPLAINT --------------------------------------- With reference to your Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/RM.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}6/KW.28.9.36, we cannot believe that you intend us to take your remarks seriously. If so, then your anxiety to make the statement in your last paragraph must have become an obsession, and we therefore agree that in looking upon reported troubles with a biased mind one "cannot be very helpful in indicating what design modification is required". If the report was not clear we should have been very pleased to answer any enquiries, or obtain the information you wanted, but in this case the position seems quite clear. Even taking the report referred to (EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}15/MH.{M. Huckerby}24.9.36), the obvious trouble is not that the brakes when applied were ineffective, but when braking is continued to a final "pull up" the brakes become defective. We cannot see how this statement is contradictory to that referred to in your first paragraph. The confirmation we referred to in our last paragraph was a report to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} to the following effect :- "Heavy braking at high speeds simultaneous with steering car off its straight course appears to cause "tuck under" action. Seems definitely dangerous when an emergency action of these conditions is necessary. Normally brakes seem good, and give confidence by their definite retarding effect at speed, but lack final pull up action (i.e. speed quickly reduced from, say, 70 to about 20 m.p.h), but the brakes then seem to lose their efficiency, and the car cannot normally be quickly stopped, nor the road wheels locked, even if the pedal is pressed hard on to the floorboards." We have also just read the Experimental 10,000 Miles Test report ref. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/GWH.{George W. Hancock - Head Chateauroux}1/JH.14.8.36. The first paragraph in this report - ("The car continually dived to the right and left on the road when being braked. The front braking seemed too powerful and would make one wonder what would happen if a | ||