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).
Secret memorandum regarding the design and increased capacity of the Spectre petrol tank.
Identifier | ExFiles\Box 95\4\ scan0173 | |
Date | 22th August 1935 | |
BRY x351 / B W G To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} E.1/HP.22.8.35. c. Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} RHC{R. H. Coverley - Production Engineer} E/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} SECRET. SpectreCodename for Phantom III Petrol Tank. We have issued designs for a 33 gallon petrol tank for the SpectreCodename for Phantom III chassis to LeC.4647, sheets 1 and 2. This tank is arranged to be made up with light gauge metal so as to be of the minimum weight, but the front wall and a portion of the bottom has been re-emforced with another layer of metal rivetted and sweated on. It appears to me that this is a better scheme than having a separate skin of metal separated from the tank which can become torn off by stones, and also the space between the shield and the tank would become filled with mud. The increased capacity over the present 28 gallon tank has been obtained by raising the top as much as possible without interfering with existing coachwork, luggage carriers, etc, and dropping the bottom of the tank by recessing it over the exhaust pipe. A small portion of the volume gained by dropping the lower face of the tank is lost due to the archway over the exhaust pipe acting as a barrier, but this amount is not very much. The suspension of the tank has been arranged so that the overall length is shorter than the distance between the rear springs. It is very urgent that instructions for this larger tank should be issued as soon as possible. It is understood there is some chance of getting this modification on the SpectreCodename for Phantom III being prepared at the moment for France. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} | ||