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).
Comparing the performance of an 18 HP Armstrong-Siddeley against a Goshawk, covering handling, speed, hill-climbing, and mechanical systems.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 23\4\ Scan069 | |
| Date | 19th April 1922 | |
| To BJ. from MK.{R. E. B. Meade-King} c. to H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} c. to Bt.{Capt. J. S. Burt - Engineer} X.445 MK1/TB/19.4.22. X.2565 X.4219 X.3531. X.445. Acting on your suggestion embodied in a memo. by Bt.{Capt. J. S. Burt - Engineer} to the other Inspecting Engineers (Btll/EP{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer}/27.3.22), that it would be of interest if they were able to obtain runs in any cars that might be looked on as possible rivals to 40/50 or Goshawk and put down any opinions formed as a result. I have just had a short run in an 18 h.p. Armstrong-Siddeley. From the point of view of acceleration, braking, spring-ing and steadiness on the road, I do not think there is much to choose between this car and Goshawk. When I was out in Goshawk we were four up on a good level road, and in the Armstrong-Siddeley, we were two up only on a roughish give and take road; it is therefore difficult to make a comparison of speed and hill-climbing, as I had the former but not the latter in Goshawk and vice versa in the A.S. It is undoubtedly a good hill-climber and hangs on well, but I consider Goshawk is the sweeter engine of the two when pulling hard. Although conditions for testing speed were not as favour-able as during the run in Goshawk, I am of the opinion that ours is easily the faster car of the two in point of maximum speed, but I daresay that over a distance they would probably both maintain much the same average. The steering of the A-S is much steadier than Goshawk's was but is not heavy in consequence. The A-S control levers are in the centre position but they employ a gate. The two levers are more substantial and British looking than those on Goshawk. Their system of greasing is very simple, in place of grease cups ball valves are fitted and a grease gun is supplied with a long flexible coupling, the cap of which screws over the ball valve by hand, being milled. If this were a connection instead of being screwed I should think it would be the easiest and quickest method of greasing going. These are just points that struck me during the run and I take it that is what you had in mind, as of course all mechanical details can be obtained from a specification. MK.{R. E. B. Meade-King} | ||