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).
Changeover to a new type of valve steel, weighing the risks and benefits.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 154a\1\ scan0064 | |
| Date | 17th January 1928 | |
| BY. {R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} RG. {Mr Rowledge} HS. {Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} E. {Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} from R. {Sir Henry Royce} c. to BJ. Wor. {Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} X1474 R2/M17.1.28. VALVE STEELS. X.1474 X.4537 I understand that with the exception of the difficulty with the hardened end we should at once prepare for a changeover to the Austenitic type of steel which has done so wonderfully well in other engines, of which the Firth's promises to be the present best. We ought therefore in the face of the information lately received from Imperial Airways and other sources, push forward with great vigour the testings, run down the present stock, and order in anticipation a supply of the best of this type of steel I think we should take some risk by getting a stock of the most promising materials, not risking our reputation, but risk having some materials in hand, because it does not seem a time when we can have a drawn out scheme of obtaining experimental material - forging, turning, testing, then another long wait for production materials, making a whole year before using: get what is already doing well in other engines. I take it it would be a money risk of a few hundred pounds, against a risk of 6 months delay which may mean many thousand and of loss of reputation. make It seems preferable to/only a very small and safe change in the present steel if we are probably making a great change to another type. R. {Sir Henry Royce} | ||