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).
The low octane rating of fuel used for Kestrel engines in Belgium following a sample test.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 27a\4\ Scan138 | |
| Date | 21th June 1933 | |
| To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} From Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c. to Hy.{Tom Haldenby - Plant Engineer} c. to Gr.{George Ratcliffe} c. to Lr.{Mr Ellor} c. to Fl. c. to Lg. FUEL USED ON KESTREL ENGINES IN BELGIUM. We have had a letter from Mr. Banks who is the fuel expert, in which he states that when he was in Brussels at the recent International Aviation Meeting he took advantage when he was doping some of the fuel with T.E.L. to take a sample of the standard petrol from one of the tanks. He has since had this tested under the method of test of the A.M. DTD.134 spirit and this sample only gives a value of 72 Octane, when it should be at least 75.5 to 76. Its specific gravity is 0.766 and the estimated aromatics are approximately 42%, which would indicate that about 30% of Benzol is present but that the spirit itself must be of rather poor initial anti-knock value. It may be, that the Belgians would be glad of this information, but in any case it is worth us raising the point to avoid trouble with the engines. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} | ||