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).
Letter to A.H.R. Fedden discussing round bearings, a new cylinder head, and a lightweight Bentley demonstration car.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 115\1\ scan0129 | |
| Date | 14th November 1936 | |
| 102 60 (Experimental Dept.) Rml/R.{Sir Henry Royce} 14th November, 1936. A.H.R. Fedden, Esq., The Bristol Aeroplane Co.,Ltd., Filton House, BRISTOL. Dear Fedden, I had a very useful talk round bearings with your people yesterday, and suggested that you might like to run some of our latest lead bronze on your bush. You seem to be getting such good results with white metal that perhaps you would not want to bother with this. We do seem, however, to have improved on lead bronze somewhat, and, in some cases are running with almost white metal clearances. I should like to suggest that you could, with advantage indulge in a 4¼-lite Bentley now if you feel like getting a new car. I have just got through the development of a new cylinder head, which gives an appreciable amount of increase in top horse-power. Our Paris Manager, Mr. Slater, has a very fine demonstration car which has quite an attractive body, and which weighs only 30½ cwts. complete. I suggest that you try it while you are at the Paris Car Show. The light weight gives excellent handling and remarkable performance; furthermore, it has been proved on this particular car that the weight saving has not been obtained at the expense of reliability. The body is built by Van Vooren of Paris; I am not sure that anyone in England would be successful with such a weight reduction. The other alternative is an aero-dynamic body. There is no doubt that there is 10 miles per hour to be picked up by anyone who is willing to put up with a front end on the motor-car such as that used on the Adler Trumph. Of course, a certain number of wind tunnel tests will be necessary to get the best wind test. | ||