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).
Review of an engine installation, covering controls, cooling, fuel, and starting systems.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 174\1\ img011 | |
| Date | 21th November 1933 | |
| -4- I took careful note of the engine control rods and end connections. All these parts are made from 3/8" dia. tube and are secured to the levers by jaw ends instead of our ball type. It is difficult to conceive that any failure to these would be caused through vibration. The connection of the controls to pilot was by means of stout wire cable passing round a pulley. The only objection that I could see to their installation was that they used inside air intakes. I consider this to be dangerous as a back-fire would undoubtedly ignite any petrol vapour that must hang about within the engine cowling, in addition to which some 60 or 70 H.P. is lost due to increased air temperatures and loss of forward air velocity. Mr. Scott-Paine did not like the arrangement and he will willingly adopt our forward type of intake outside the cowling. Water jacketed exhaust boxes are used and are led outside in such a way as to create minimum amount of resistance. Air cooling scoops are also provided to pass around these pipes. The water cooling system is very simple indeed, relying as he does on flushing the system with fresh water immediately after trial. It would be necessary to increase the rate of cooling water and size of oil cooler, and I think it would be desirable to use a thermostatic control to maintain an efficient engine water temperature. A very interesting feature is the mounting of the ball bearing in a rubber housing for steadying the top driving shaft. The petrol tank capacity he already has is 90 gallons as against 75 which was provided for each engine in the Miss England III. For starting the engine he employs a complete two-stroke starter unit which is neatly placed alongside the engine and is quite accessible. This, I think, is preferable to the air starting method as it eliminates having to carry air bottles. He states that they have no trouble with this unit. -4- | ||