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).
Summary of discussions from an I.A.E. Joint Meeting about mental and physical comfort in car travel.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 117\1\ scan0326 | |
| Date | 25th March 1939 | |
| 1021 Des. from Da{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/DB.{Donald Bastow - Suspensions} C.c. BY Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Bw. Da{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/DB.{Donald Bastow - Suspensions}1/G.25.3.39. "COMFORT AND TRAVEL" I.A.E. Joint Meeting - 10.3.39. A number of points emerged from listening to the various papers on this subject, and the discussion on them, most of them already known, but they are useful as a summary of what should be done for general improvement in comfort. Only those directly applicable to the car are given. One fact which was stressed by several speakers was that mental comfort was at least as important as physical, probably more so. It is not always easy to say into which category disturbances may come. Broadly speaking, mental comfort demands good vision from the vehicle, general excellence of interior fittings and appointments, and, particularly from the point of view of the driver, but also from that of the passenger also, controls and instruments which work well and easily. I personally feel that vision should be very considerably improved, and I consider it unfortunate that in many cases excellence of vision is made to take second place to alleged aesthetic considerations. A comparatively small proportion of time is spent in admiring the outside of a vehicle, and good looks alone will never counteract the lack of good vision from a vehicle. This naturally is a point which affects the driver more than the passengers, and is especially felt in conditions when general visibility is poor or when traffic is heavy. Good visibility too helps in allowing scenery, especially of a mountainous nature, to be appreciated. Good working of the controls includes the problem of the handling and steering of the car, and work is being done on these. Mental comfort is also affected by noise, and here two points appeared to be most important, first, that continuity of noise is least disturbing and irregular noise most disturbing; and secondly that any noise is disturbing, but that the maintenance of noise level low enough to allow conversation without effort was a great help. One speaker stressed the fact that a far larger proportion of the noise of travel is due to wind noises than is generally imagined, and here the true streamlined form can help, since noise is due mostly to odd irregularities jutting out into the air stream. The elimination of suspension noises, being irregular, is also important. | ||