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).
War Office contract regarding deadlines, tyre pumps, starters, and magneto options.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 18\6\ Scan202 | |
| Date | 12th October 1920 guessed | |
| -2- Col. Hutchinson promised that he would endeavour to obtain an extension of time until the end of November, but we must not reply on this until we receive a letter from the War Office, Contract Department. (3) Col. Hutchinson is very averse to our attempting to design and manufacture a complete tyre pump or hand starter, as he is confident that this would incur considerable risk of the parts not being ready by the 21st November, and, in fact, of there being considerable delay. He mentioned that if the pump and starter would work for six months, he would be quite satisfied, as we could always send out to Mesopotamia some other parts later to replace any that failed. He quite agrees that we cannot be held responsible if we fit a pump and starter which eventually prove unsatisfactory, provided we purchase them on the market and tell Col. Hutchinson what we intend to fit, so that he may satisfy himself that they are reasonably satisfactory. It is possible that we may have to pay a special price for pumps and starters to obtain them in the short period at our disposal, but the War Office will pay for these appliances. It will be noted that every hour is of importance to us now, as this contract amounts to about £200,000 and presumably these appliances are likely to be the last parts to be finished. (4) Col. Hutchinson said he does not mind what kind of magneto starter we fit, provided it can be used from the interior of the car. He mentioned an impulse starter which can be obtained on the market without difficulty, and that there was no difficulty in obtaining neat starters. Would prefer impulse starter, but if we are dead against this, would accept hand magneto. (5) It will also be necessary to have some means of turning the engine over from the interior of the car, so as to charge the cylinders with gas. (Please let me know if there is any way in which we can assist in these matters.) As this matter is of extreme urgency, we telegraphed to the Works and Mr. Royce last night as follows - "War Office contract is for about two hundred thousand pounds. They can cancel any chassis not delivered by the twentyfirst November, including a mechanical tyre pump and necessary parts for driving pump, also including a means of starting on magneto and turning over the engine from interior. Have now arranged for War Office to accept these chassis with any pum and self starter either by magneto or | ||