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).
Relative importance of wind tunnel experiments versus focusing on acceleration, low-speed torque, and weight reduction.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\V\March1931-September1931\ Scan362 | |
| Date | 20th August 1931 | |
| HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} C. to SG.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} WOR.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} ORIGINAL RECEIVED 22 JUL 1931 R4/M20.8.31. X7830. X5-830. EXPERIMENTS WITH BODY SHAPES - (WIND TUNNELS.) re. VARIOUS SUGGESTIONS FOR OBTAINING HIGHER MAXIMUM SPEED. Although I have every sympathy with this I think we should continue to make maximum speed a 3rd. or 4th. consideration to the good qualifications of our cars. Under the heading of performance we think acceleration (without an extremely low gear) to be one of the most important qualifications. Now acceleration is largely dependent on low speed torque, and especially on keeping the weight down, and I think that it is no use spending money on body and wing shapes as we can judge very much within the range of possibility whether a pattern is better or worse. The limitations for capacity, comfort, appearance, and weight, are so well defined that we cannot pass into a novel field for the sake of wind resistance, which would affect maximum speed only. If it had a chance of improving the riding qualities, or acceleration, the subject might be worth while, but as far as I can see at the moment I think we have other more important things to absorb our time and money. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||