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).
Testing mild steel main rods for an Eagle engine, concluding failures are due to material flaws rather than design.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 42\2\ Scan016 | |
| Date | 13th August 1918 | |
| Contd. -2- EH2/LG13.8.18. A set of main rods made of mild steel have run for 25 hours full power on an Eagle engine at 1800 R.P.M. The engine was run on the hangar test. The rods are still in excellent condition. We shall continue running these rods. The results so far, prove that the design of the rod is satisfactory, it is certain that the design does not account for rods breaking in one or two hours running. The failures must be due to flaws in material. It appears as though we are right in striving to get a steel which is consistent and easy to handle rather than one which gives exceptionally good results on test pieces. The rods were made to the original drawings, not with the increased thickness of web. EH. | ||