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 proposing a multiple-cylinder horizontally opposed engine for racing cars and aeroplanes.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 147\3\ scan0188 | |
| Date | 9th January 1939 guessed | |
| (As I had some time to spare,) I had a great idea that a multiple cylinder engine with cylinders Horizontally opposed like a Douglas motor bike “Flat Twin”, was the engine for a low racing car. The difficulty was to get such a motor in the span between the wheels & it now occurs to me that such a design would be admirable for Aeroplanes in which the engines are housed in the leading edge of the wings. Do you know if it has ever been tried? I share a sketch of what I mean inside. It could have 8 or 12 cylinders in horizontally opposed banks of 4 or 6 & the valves could either be operated by pushrods from a central camshaft or by twin overhead Cams either chain or gear driven. The cooling could be air or water. Do you think there is some fundamental snag over balance? Could you turn your great mind to it & examine the possibility. If you think it worth while, would you write & ask Bill Rowbotham if it is worth developing? He would be sure to know whether it has been tried & failed. | ||