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 from Captain Cyril Turner regarding a proposition for a new type of mica sparking plug.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 58\2\ Scan020 | |
| Date | 7th December 1931 | |
| YNG 81812aG 10 DEC 1931 CAPTAIN CYRIL TURNER, A.F.C. 24, Rue du Belvédère Parc des Princes BOULOGNE-SUR-SEINE TELEPHONE: Molitor 06-55 CABLES: Cyturn Boulognesurseine 7th. December, 1931. A.J. Rowledge, Esq., Messrs. Rolls Royce Ltd., Derby, ENGLAND. [Handwritten Note] Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} When in the note with regard to the plugs you are now dealing with Ry. [/Handwritten Note] Dear Sir, re The Hurley-Townsend Sparking Plug. Further to my letter of the 1st. inst., and to our telephone conversation of the following day, I propose by the present to explain fully to you the proposition I regret I was unable to do in person, concerning a new type of mica sparking plug, recently put on the market, samples of which I sent to you from London. Some few weeks ago I was approached by a very old friend of mine - Mr. George H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} Townsend, founder of the Boyce MotoMeter Company in 1912, and President until 1929 - with reference to the exploitation of this sparking plug in European markets. About one year ago Mr. Townsend joined forces with Mr. Roy{Sir Henry Royce} Hurley, who was responsible for the design and perfection of the B.G. Sparking Plug - as you know the only mica sparking plug in use in the United States - and of which Company he was Chief Engineer and General Manager for nine years. At the present moment, the H-T Sparking plug has been approved for flight by the United States Government, Messrs. Pratt & Whitney, Curtiss-Wright, and all the other engine manufacturers, and is being used extensively by a great number of American Air Lines. One Air Line in particular, The Ludington Air Line, operating an extensive service between Washington, Philadelphia and New York, are using this plug exclusively, and in a recent report by Mr. Paul F.{Mr Friese} Collins, Vice-President in charge of operations of that line, published in the September issue of 'Aviation Engineering' he states that, with the H-T sparking plug they find it only necessary to take out the plugs for cleaning every 250 to 300 flying hours as against a maximum of 25 hours on any European line, and that the ultimate life of the plug should be at least 1000 hours. To appreciate the difference between the H-T | ||