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).
Three specific instances of Bentley fan failures.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 27a\1\ Scan421 | |
| Date | 5th May 1936 | |
| X1245 Std. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} / STD - noted To Hentley Motors Ltd. Derby................Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} Attention of Mr. Steadman. Levallois Sr/VA5/ET.5.5.36. Re: BENTLEY FAN FAILURES. With reference to your memo Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Std.20/KW.29.4.36 concerning the two Bentley fan bracket failures and one cracked fan hub mentioned in our Quarterly Complaints for quarter March 31st and reported in our Quarterly Complaints for quarter ending December 31st last, the following is our report upon the matter. The chassis in question were: CHASSIS B.179.BL - Mr. ARATHOON - Soon after this owner arrived with his car in Monte Carlo where he resides, the E.52864 trunnion housing failed. This happened on the 20.5.35; as you are aware Depot Sheet No Hd.{Mr Hayward/Mr Huddy}285 was issued on the 28.6.35. Please find attached copy of a memo reference Sr/VAII/ET.20.5.35 which we sent to our Nice Depot upon the matter. We sent a balanced replacement fan to our Nice Depot for this car. As far as we can remember, we think that the trouble was due to the fan being a little out of balance. The failure of the trunnion housing caused little material damage. CHASSIS B.201.CW - Mr. LACOUR - The fan of this car failed on the 2.9.35, after the car had covered a total mileage of 9.083 Kms. We returned the damaged fan to Hd.{Mr Hayward/Mr Huddy} Works for examination in Case No704, on the 19th September last. We should say that the cause of the failure of the fan was the fan being out of balance; as the fan itself was badly damaged, we were not able to verify this. CHASSIS B.116.BL - Mr. HAUVETTE - For your information, the fan also failed on this car, on the 1.4.35: We sent full reports to Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer}, with copies to Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}and Hd.{Mr Hayward/Mr Huddy}, as per our Sr/VA7/GM.2.4.35 and our VAIO/ET.2.4.35. Please also refer to your copy of Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer}'s memo By4/G.4.4.35. The damaged fan of this car was sent by us to Works in Case No577, on the 12th April 1935. Since the issue of Depot Sheet No Hd.{Mr Hayward/Mr Huddy}285, we have made every effort to check and re-balance as necessary the fans on all cars that were available and we also made special efforts to get hold of cars for the above purpose. Up to the time of writing, we have checked and re-balanced as necessary the fans on about 45 cars, and the Works have been informed each time by a special memo. You will observe from the above that the three chassis on which the trouble occurred are not mentioned in the list of chassis numbers reference Sft.{Mr Swift}I/EMG.4.6.35, which you attached to your memo Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Std.20/KW.29.4.36. | ||