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 Air Ministry detailing the reasons for wishing to use 87 octane fuel for testing Goshawk engines.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 27a\4\ Scan221 | |
| Date | 15th September 1933 | |
| c. Werv. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. Lr.{Mr Ellor} Py c. Mr. Jaques. Rg.{Mr Rowledge}5/DM.{D. Munro} September 15th, 1933. The Secretary, Air Ministry, Adastral House, Kingsway, W.C.2. For the attention of Major G.P. Bulman, O.B.E. 87 Octane Fuel for Goshawk Engines. Dear Sir, Carrying out our promise to you when at Derby the other day, we are now writing in giving our reasons for wishing to use 87 octane fuel for the testing of Goshawk engines. We find on the Goshawk engine at its present rating that we have, in order to get through the type test schedule without destructive detonation, to richen the mixture fairly considerably, with 77 octane fuel. This trouble has been accentuated lately by the very high air intake temperatures. It has been our practice to run our type tests at weakest maintained and we are very reluctant to do otherwise. If an engine will run at weakest maintained it is a safer engine to use, and the design of the controls to give the best results in a simple fashion is made much easier. The provision of special devices for richening the mixture becomes unnecessary and our ordinary arrangement of interconnecting the ignition timing of the throttles works satisfactorily. We have done a great deal of development work on valves and valve seats on the Goshawk engine to enable us to use a leaded fuel and, as this experience is embodied in the engines, we wish to take advantage of it. cont'd.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} | ||