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 from the Air Ministry regarding new fuel specifications for the Royal Air Force.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 27a\4\ Scan174 | |
| Date | 22th July 1933 | |
| COPY AIR MINISTRY, Adastral House, KINGSWAY, W.C.2. 22nd July, 1933. Dear Mr. Sidgreaves, In reply to your letter of the 17th instant on the question of fuels for the Royal Air Force, the new specifications according to which supplies will be purchased will be generally available within the next week or so on application to the Director of Technical Development. The information you have received is substantially correct. It has been possible to fix the minimum knock rating at 77 in the one specification and 87 in the other, and these figures are within the ranges you mention. In fuel to the first specification no lead will be allowed while in that to the second Lead Tetra-ethyl may be added, as necessary, up to a maximum of 4 c.cs. of T.E.L. per gallon. On the question of how soon fuels to the two new specifications will be generally available for Royal Air Force use, I understand that existing contracts with the suppliers will terminate at the end of September and that from October 1st all purchases of fuels for the Royal Air Force both at home and abroad will be to the new specifications; but fuel to the second specification will only be purchased for the Royal Air force as and when the engines in service have shown themselves to be satisfactory with it. Yours sincerely, (Signed) H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} C. T. DOWDING. A.{Mr Adams} F.{Mr Friese} Sidgreaves, Esq., Rolls Royce Ltd., 14-15, Conduit Street, London, W.1. | ||