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).
Implications of replacing the hand magneto with a battery ignition system for aero engines.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 37\1\ scan 013 | |
| Date | 7th October 1917 | |
| X.3199 To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from EH. c. to BJ. " " E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} " " By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} EH3/LG1/7.10.17 X.3173. - BATTERY IGNITION FOR AERO ENGINES. X 3199 X 2754 When the battery ignition is fitted to the aero engines we take it that the hand magneto will be definitely done away with. If this is so we consider provision should be made for providing a spark when an engine is started by turning the propeller. We should bear in mind that at least 90% of our engines are started by pulling the propeller round. It will never be possible to get men to pull the propeller round with the ignition switched on, one false step may cost a man his life. X.682. X.2814. We find on 7CA. fitted with the Remy ignition, that we can start quite easily by switching on and then moving the contact breaker. We can get a ¼" spark at the distributor by moving the advance lever at a reasonable rate. On the six cylinder engine we have to use a long range on the reatrd of the battery ignition so as to be sure of getting the contact breaker in a favourable position when the engine is stopped. Increasing the range to obtain the starting, spoils the ignition being synhronised with the magneto. We find that a Remy ignition requires practically the same range of advance as a magneto. We recommend that the control of the battery and magneto advance should be arranged so that they work together, but that it should be possible to retard the battery more. Being able to retard the battery ignition more would also enable us to get a late spark when the contact points were (Contd). | ||