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).
Secret internal memo from CJ discussing technical feedback from 'R' concerning failing parts, fabric couplings, and steering designs.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 69\3\ scan0173 | |
| Date | 16th April 1925 | |
| SECRET. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} X8770 To Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} from CJ. Copy to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Copy to BJ. Copy to BI. Copy to PN.{Mr Northey} Copy to CWB. EAC. CJ13/E16/4/25 R.{Sir Henry Royce} wrote to me on the 9th as follows:- 'Regarding the failing pieces, I cannot think they are serious, though I think it is a period when we should go as slowly as possible with making a lot of stock. I think we were obliged to take the risk and i believe it will well repay us. 'I would like the 'V' Series only carried say to 200 or less until we know more and that we should work at making room for a larger fabric coupling by putting the starter motor on the engine and altering the gearbox support. This was intended in the other EAC model in hand at Derby. 'With reference to the fabric coupling, while I feel we should have found earlier the makers' views, this particular coupling was put through as an experimental alternative to the one we decided to use and was not very seriously gone into by me, but it was found to be a means of getting a smoother transmission and was somewhat missed as a substantial design. Exactly how it came to be made apparently too thin, I do not know. We are naturally shy of these thick blocks but in this case they are OK, as the angle we ask them to bend is only due to the slight out of alignment whereas they use them for propeller shafts which may get out of line [illegible] fifty times as much. 'I have every confidence that the best improved coupling we can make will be as lasting as this fabric type can be and will be the best thing we can fit at present and far preferable to the block type with metal spring drive. 'Regarding the steering I have again written at some length about this. I feel that it is a few % here and a few % there multiplied together and that we have got to compromise a little more by accepting heavier steering at corners or slower. We do not seem to have done anything wrongly. My memos. explain that we have a heavier car, more lift (owing to less centre point vertical pivots), we have considerably quicker steering than the Hispano, | ||