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).
Letter to The Light Production Co. Ltd. discussing the use of a lightened split skirt piston and proposing tests with magnesium.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 148\1\ scan0234 | |
| Date | 21th February 1940 | |
| 1256 Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/CTS.{C. Trot Salt - Carburation}14/JH. 21st. February, 1940. The Light Production Co.Ltd., 60/66 Rochester Row, Westminster, LONDON.S.W.1. Dear Sirs, ref. WPR/DP. We thank you for your letter dated 16th. February, We have been reconsidering the question of a lightened piston and as we have stated in a previous letter, the following points are sufficiently significant. The split skirt piston EB.1299 as fitted to our original 3½ litre Bentley is one ounce lighter than the equivalent Aerolite piston. Further, this piston has proved reliability. We enclose a print of this piston for your attention and our opinion is that a safe course to take would be to use this piston as the basic design for both 3.25" and 3.500 bore engines. We would be obliged if you would confirm that this suggestion meets with your approval so that you can produce some pistons for test. Another interesting test would be to change over the material to magnesium and one way of doing this would be to us the dies and bore boxes for the strengthened piston P.325. We would like to know whether you are in a position to produce magnesium pistons in this way. Cont'd.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} | ||