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).
Review of the B.III and B.50 programme, comparing current targets with past development results and timelines.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 148\5\ scan0324 | |
| Date | 27th April 1938 | |
| THE PRESENT B.III B.50 PROGRAMME COMPARED WITH PAST RESULTS. We anticipate that we shall have very great difficulty in keeping our promises with B.III and B.50. We realised this when the tentative programme was circulated. It would have been much easier to have given ourselves a wide margin of time. On the other hand we believe that we shall get results rather more quickly by aiming at a very difficult target. At the same time we shall undoubtedly get blamed for not sticking to the dates specified. The following is a brief summary of what the promises given in By2/G.5.4.38. mean when compared with what has been accomplished in the past. The last prototype dealt with by the Exp. Dept. was the P.III, the Wraith is a scaled down P.III in every item except the power unit. The first P.III car went on the road 1.9.34. Material was released to the Works 26.3.36. The time taken, therefore, on development was ............ 18 months. We have allowed ourselves .... 13 months for doing the same job on B.III. Free of charge work indicates that the P.III should have had at least six months more development. Our target time factor for producing a prototype since the reorganisation has, therefore, been reduced by 28%, or allowing for the six months, 45%. The achievement of our aim would be formidable enough if price was of no account, but on B.III price reduction has been inevitably a primary objective. | ||