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).
The failure of a Goshawk ignition condenser, referencing a previously ignored design recommendation.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 52\3\ Scan077 | |
| Date | 15th May 1923 | |
| Y4430 EFC {E. Fowler Clarke - Electrical Engineer} 2/T15.5.23. To Hy. {Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} from EFC. {E. Fowler Clarke - Electrical Engineer} c. to EP. {G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} c. to Wor {Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} /Mr. Brock. X.4430 - GOSHAWK IGNITION CONDENSER. Please find attached copy of my assistant's report on examination and test of a condenser handed to us as being faulty. The reason of the failure will be amply clear from perusal of this report. You may remember we have since quite an early date maintained with good reason that condenser connections should be made as soundly as possible, knowing as we do from principles and experiment that such connections require to be more sound even than those for ordinary steady current circuits. Our recommendations on these lines, though known quite well to W.W. in connection with the 40/50 condenser work, were ignored in the design of the Goshawk condenser. We should like to know if Hy. {Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} now considers we should put this back up to W.W. for a better design. As far as we are concerned at the Works, it may further be remembered that we sent through a note EFC {E. Fowler Clarke - Electrical Engineer} 1/T25.10.22 urging for an improvement in the method of connection at this end, but that this was turned down by your Dept. as going against Mr. Royce's instructions as to the manner in which the connections should be made. At that time, therefore, we did nothing further in the matter, thinking perhaps after all our demands were unnecessarily exacting. Now, however, here is a distinct case of failure and it appears that other cases | ||