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).
Technical memorandum discussing ongoing issues with the Goshawk-11 car, including petrol filters, water loss, and steering.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 46\2\ Scan194 | |
| Date | 21th April 1922 | |
| Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} X4086 EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}1/LG21.4.22. GOSHAWK-11 CARS. We have received your report dated 18th. inst. re. petrol filters which I have circulated as requested. We are fixing up 7-Goshawk-11 with the carburetter filter cut out of action as suggested by you. Do you think this scheme still holds good when using cone restrictors, which we are now trying on 7-Goshawk-11 ? We shall be running 7-Goshawk-11 about in this condition so as to note its behaviour in this respect. We are attempting to fix up 7-Goshawk-11 with all the latest improvements and rectifications and should be glad to have your comments on the following:- Loss of water. Has nothing been settled re. the loss of water trouble? In going into this matter on 7-Goshawk-11, we find that the loss of water is of no consequence so long as the radiator is re-filled after running and boiling, to a level which is well below the inlet pipe and the water is not allowed to boil. The cover on the radiator also appears to have an effect in raising the water level in the radiator at high water temperature even though the water is not boiling. Under any condition of boiling, however, the loss of water certainly seems excessive, and at present I certainly feel rather scared as to the failures which may take place to the engine if the customer does not appreciate the fact that the loss of water is excessive when run under boiling conditions. With our present system of carburation, and the engine should run under normal heat conditions, and to do this, the customer will have to have a cover or use baffling plates to the radiator, and unless some system of louvres or thermostat control is used, I feel we shall have continuous trouble with complaints of water boiling or poor carburation etc. R.{Sir Henry Royce} mentions in his report that he favours louvres being fixed. Is this to be taken seriously in connection with the early productions? Steering. Has anything been settled in regard to the construction of the steering? Is the plain thrust bearing in the steering column to be standardised? - or has any compromise between this and the present standard been arranged or suggested, and can we try out such things on 7-Goshawk-11 ? Although our impression of 7-Goshawk-11 steering at first was that it was rather unstable at high speeds, I do not now think that it is worse than any of the other Goshawk cars, which are unsatisfactory as regards absence of steering shocks over rough roads, but the trouble complained of is rather accentuated by the swaying of the covered body and the unstable well-sprung seats. We are now running this car with the 40/50 type longitudinal connecting tube and an opinion has been expressed that the steering with this type of tube is better on this car than the contd:- [Handwritten notes in left margin] I am unable to see it is suggested that there is any cause to say why G water is hotter than 40/50 R.{Sir Henry Royce} says we will not admit cars cannot be delivered without but once they are aware they will be held up until fully fit We have been running 60 with front part of each and every door and over one's complaint with silence on roads but we have not had a run with plain chassis; also we should try other cars for better steering | ||