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).
Engine starting systems and developments in water-cooled engines, including competitor analysis.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 179\3\ img144 | |
| Date | 1st April 1932 | |
| -3- pipe in the air intake. A sketch has already been given of it. Starting. The starters employed by the Eclipse Aviation Co. are almost universally employed. Up to engine sizes of 250 HP. the starters are geared direct to the engine. Above this size inertia starters are employed. The weight of such a starter for 450 HP. Wasp is 25 lbs - for a 2000 cubic inch engine 30.5 lbs. All these units have provision for hand turning gear in the event of the electric motor failing. They also supply a small solenoid engager to cut out control linkage for remote operation on multi-engined machines and a trembler coil for boosting the starting ignition. The work of the Eclipse Co. struck us as being of the highest standard. WATER COOLED ENGINES. The water cooled engine has not been subjected to such intensive development as air cooled. It has also suffered somewhat acutely from the adoption of Prestone cooling. The Curtiss designers admit that the existing cylinder design is impossible with Prestone cooling. Additionally, they get hot spots which compare unfavourably with the air cooled cylinders. They were talking about a welded jacket construction for this particular work. They are, however, greatly intrigued with vapour cooling and are hoping that it will not be necessary to redesign the Conqueror to make it work under these conditions. There appears to be a considerable demand in the States for a water cooled power unit of about 1,000 H.P. There is nothing of this size in America and in consequence Hispanos are being fitted. These are about 750 HP. and a weight of about 1200 lbs. without gear or supercharger. The Ford Co. have built a very nice high wing monoplane with Hispano engines built into the wings. The third engine is above the fuselage and is also a water cooled Hispano. | ||