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).
Construction of a gyroscopic apparatus to investigate high-speed steering wobbles.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 4\3\ 03-page34 | |
| Date | 2nd September 1925 | |
| To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} +401 DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}2/M2.9.25. HIGH SPEED STEERING WOBBLES. X.457 X.401 Thank you for your Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}2/LG31.8.25. Over the weekend we have constructed an apparatus rather similar to the sketch we sent you, but using a bicycle wheel loaded with lead pipe as a gyroscope, and with the structure principally made of wood. Though rough this apparatus has definite gyroscopic properties, and as a result of trying it we have practically come to the conclusion that there is nothing in the theory of a particular period at which the gyroscope wishes to oscillate. As far as we can see it all seems to be bound up in the controlling springs. We agree that if you make your apparatus it would be desirable to be able to vary the distance between the pivots and the wheels, in order to test the possibility of Mr. Healey's theory. On our apparatus here however we have a theoretical speed of about one and a half times the wheel revs. where the precession seems to go easily, but it never wants to build up. DA.{Bernard Day - Chassis Design} | ||