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).
Costs and suitability of steel versus aluminium fan blades for various car models.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 94\5\ scan0023 | |
| Date | 14th December 1936 | |
| To E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} from Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Std. c. to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c. to RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} 324 (handwritten) Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Std.7/AP.14.12.36. CHASSIS COSTS - FAN BLADES. Referring to your E/Lid.{A. J. Lidsey}1/HP.26.11.36., in which you suggest trying steel fan blades on the Phantom III. fan; we do not think that this is worth trying for the following reasons:- (1) We have had trouble with fan flange failures on the Bentley fan and think that no trouble has been experienced on Phantom III., is because of its' light blades. The steel blade on Bentley has necessitated a nickel steel flange specially heat treated. (2) We are proposing to standardise the 25/30. type of blade on Bentley and 25/30 cars - RHC.{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} has produced a 25/30 blade as a single pressing and we think this should be adopted. By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} is at present detailing a cheapened construction of fan as described in Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/Std.3/JH.1.12.36. and the single pressing blade set will be included in this fan. If this blade construction is satisfactory, we think that an enlarged version might be adopted on the Phantom III. car. (3) If the enlarged 25/30 type of blade is not used, we think that a compromise should be made and the blades made of ordinary aluminium sheet i.e. not of an R.R. alloy. We are at present running a 5 bladed fan (based on that fitted to the Cadillac car), which appears so far to possess advantages as regards noise and effectiveness - this was built up with blades of ordinary aluminium sheet and no trouble has been experienced so far. If this fan is successful, we hope to standardise it after a 15,000 miles test. In view of these facts, we think that you will agree that steel blades on the existing Phantom III. fan do not represent the most economical and safe proposition. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/ Std. | ||