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).
Investigation into a failed pipe from supplier Superflexit Ltd.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 88\5\ scan0193 | |
| Date | 21th October 1936 | |
| X1263? To Rn.{Mr Robinson} 21.10.36. Re Superflexit. We had an interview yesterday with Mr. Trounson of Superflexit Ltd., and showed him the pipe which had failed on 6-B-IV. They at first suggested the failure had been at the union connection, but we pointed out that this had not been the case. On detailed examination of the tube they admitted the celophane had become hard and brittle and were at a loss to account for it. We told them the car had been running on Azure spirit in France, and that this had removed the paint on the wing of the car and also that the petrol and underbonnet temperatures were inclined to be high. The celophane is treated with glycerine to make it pliable and soft and by the look of the tube this glycerine had been removed either by heat or Azure petrol or a combination of the two. They assured us that this was one of the first cases they had ever had of the tube failing. The only difference of importance between the car and the aero pipe, is that in the aero tube, the air ministry insist in a layer of Irish linen inside the celophane to prevent chaffing and presumably guard against any flaking off of the tube. They are sending us two kinds of tube to be tested and after a period of running they will be examined. We will also test samples in the test rig with heat. In the mean time it has been decided to hold up the order until we obtain satisfactory tests. Hm{Capt. W. Hallam - Head Repairs}/J.B.Dixon. | ||