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).
Float testing channel and observations on civil aviation aircraft like Stinson and Ford tri-motors.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 179\3\ img152 | |
| Date | 1st April 1932 | |
| -11- Their float testing channel has just been completed. It is 2000 ft. long and a speed of 55 M.P.H. can be reached over a distance of 600 ft. The carrier platform runs on pneumatic tyres and travels very smoothly. It is powered by two electric motors. CIVIL AVIATION. We had an exceedingly limited experience of actual flying as we only covered about 800 miles all in Stinson tri-motor machines fitted with 200 H.P. Lycoming engines. These aircraft are about as noisy as the Argosy and cruise at about 100 M.P.H. The other machines used where larger capacity is required are Ford tri-motors. These are alleged to cruise, as we believe actually do, at 130 M.P.H. The Ford Company are being continuously pushed for higher performances and for this reason are playing with water cooled engines. The air lines we used were running at about 25% passenger carrying capacity. The Coast to Coast mail service seems to be setting up a wonderful record for reliability and speed. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Fm. | ||