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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).
Typed memo listing vehicle faults and defending the Experimental Department's critical testing procedures.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 29\3\  Scan119
Date  10th January 1924 guessed
  
contd:- o2o

3. Carburation not as good as 40/50 HP.
4. Bad oil leak from rear end of crankcase.
5. Noisy drive to Magneto.
6. Carburetter suction noisy.
7. The new engine demands new steering.
This so far is not as good as the present 40/50 steering.

As regards the second paragraph of your memo. I
take great exception to this. I think that your remarks are
unfair. If the Expl: Dept: are over-careful it is because
experience has taught them it is right. We endeavour to carry
out the policy laid down by yourself. It would make our job
much more easy if we were less critical. We know, however,
from experience that when we have done our best, we still find
that Sales or our customers point out faults. My position of
having to criticise new designs is most difficult when one
considers the exceptional circumstances of the designer being
away from the Works. No designer enjoys reading reports of
limitations or failures of his design.

As regards your suggestion that the Expl: Dept: today
has not the spirit it had years ago when the engine for the
2,000 miles R.A.C. Trials was produced in a very short time.
I took part in that trial and have a very vivid recollection
of the entire failure of one of the RR. cars at Pitlochry and
also have not forgotten seeing the second RR. car limping round
Brooklands Track on 5 cylinders. I should not have considered
the engine produced for the 2,000 miles Trials was one of the
successes of the Company. Personally, I should use it as an
example to show the danger of insufficient time given for

contd.
  
  


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