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).
Confidential report on a visit to Armstrong Siddeley Works to discuss their aero engine technology, specifically oiling systems.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 23\4\ Scan070 | |
| Date | 26th February 1932 | |
| CONFIDENTIAL. X445: To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Lov.{Mr Lovesey} C. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} C. RE. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Lov.{Mr Lovesey}1/AD26.2.32. xrolou. VISIT TO ARMSTRONG SIDDELEY WORKS. On the 19th inst. I spent an interesting afternoon going round the works and aircraft dept. of Armstrong Siddeleys at Coventry on the occasion of the lecture I gave before the R.Ae.S. at the Coventry branch. I was shown round by Major Green - their chief engineer - and also spent some time talking over various aero questions with Mr. J.D. Siddeley and Sir John Higgins. They are fairly busy with aero engines but the aircraft side is very slack at the moment. They are very busy with motor cars and are turning out 100 per week. Some of the interesting features I saw and discussed with Major Green are recounted below. They specify no time limit for warming up after a cold start and entertain no fears for opening up the engine for "taking off" immediately after the start. They had trouble in this respect with the "Panther" resulting in scored and seized pistons and as a temporary measure had to ask the Squadrons to prime oil into the crankcase prior to starting. They then arranged an oil supply from the main system, squirting oil from a jet directly on to the con. rod assembly. A convenient method they found was to pass the oil through a hollow crankcase bolt. This oil supply is uncontrolled and in operation continuously and they say they do not have the slightest trouble with oiling up spark plugs when idling or increasing the oil consumption. This is interesting in view of our recent experiments with extra oil for starting where we find if in operation for more than a few seconds results in oiled up plugs. This appears to be a difference between true and distorted cylinders. We should try our extra oiling scheme on the two piece block (Kestrel 25) to see if this gives the same results as experienced on the Panther. Another scheme they tried was in separating the release oil from the main scavenged oil in the crankcase; the scavenged oil being returned out of contact with the release oil. This resulted in the scavenged oil temperatures being much higher - due to not mixing with the cooled release oil - and more heating was available for the carburetter which was oil jacketed. The higher temperature of the scavenged oil | ||