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).
The results of distortion tests conducted on a Spectre frame.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 94\4\ scan0021 | |
| Date | 20th December 1934 | |
| To E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} " Wox. " BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} " Ds. COPY V32Y RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer}2/MS20.12.34. SpectreCodename for Phantom III Frame Distortion Tests. On stripping the frame used in connection with the above tests, the following units were found to have distorted as described below, and as shown on the blueprint attached. The Side Members, Cruciform Member, Front Crossmember, etc. were all checked up after the frame had been dismantled. Side Members Both Side Members are twisted downwards at the front and from the point where the frame is swept outwards to carry the front wheel suspension. Both members are buckled at this point and the bottom flange weld has broken locally, allowing the Side Plate to spring away from the channel. At both front and rear ends, each side member is twisted outwards at the bottom relative to the vertical axis of the channel section, distance between the top edges of the side plates being unaltered. The centre section of the frame where it is stiffened by the cruciform member is undistorted, but the rear portion of the N.S. member is set outwards slightly and is buckled at the point where the tapered (in plan) section ends just forward of the rear spring bracket. Cruciform Member Except that the N.S. front arm is set downwards approx .150 at the tip, the cruciform member is undistorted. Front Crossmember Outwards of the lower fulcrum pin housings each end of the crossmember is twisted in the same direction as the Side Members, i.e. with the main housings in position the axes of the upper and lower fulcrum pins are not parallel. Viewed from the front, the crossmember is slightly low in the centre and slight distortion in plan has closed in the rear centres of the lower fulcrum pins approx .020. continued. | ||