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).
Engine repair capacity for Kestrel, Vulture, and Merlin engines at the Clan Foundry and other locations.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 176\2\ img381 | |
| Date | 18th June 1941 | |
| To: Sft{Mr Swift}, from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} CLAN FOUNDRY AND ENGINE REPAIRS. Replying to Sft{Mr Swift}/BH.25.4.41, it seems fairly clear that with the floor space available at the Clan Foundry, we shall not be able to cope with the whole of the Vulture repairs. Our present capacity has proved to be about 16 Kestrels a week without stripping and estimating. We estimate that the amount of space required for stripping and estimating, is as great as that for assembly, which means that were we not receiving help from Nottingham on the Kestrels, we should only be able to cope with 8 per week. Laying out a Vulture we find takes up as much room as two Kestrels so that our floor space capacity is capable of taking 4 Vultures a week at a maximum. This, however, does not include the necessary Reception Stores; Embodyment Loan Stores; Indenting Department; Progress Staff accommodation and Clerical Staff. Accommodation for these people will have to come out of the floor space as there is none other available. It does not seem economic to reproduce all the Nottingham organisation like this. At the moment, we believe that Nottingham are doing about 32 Merlins a week, whereas they have previously done more than 50 Merlins. They therefore have some spare capacity. It is not generally appreciated that the amount of floor space at Birking Mill and Radfords Mill at Nottingham amounts to 74,000 sq.ft that of the Clan at present being utilised for Kestrel work is 8,840 sq.ft. The structural alterations necessary to get the Vulture into Radfords Mill can hardly cost as much as the tackle we are putting in to deal with the job at Belper. The fact that the Vulture is shunned by most people, does not worry us. We want to be sure, however, that if you give us a job to do, we shall have the capacity to carry it out satisfactorily and so maintain the reputation that we have so far established. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||