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).
Issues with the 10-EX car and the failure of the Karachi engine.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 70\1\ scan0136 | |
| Date | 1st August 1927 | |
| To Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Rn.{Mr Robinson} X8774 Rn{Mr Robinson}/LG9. 8.27. 10-EX CAR. X5284 We are sending this car to R.{Sir Henry Royce} today. If he is satisfied with it, it may go on to BJ. As it stands now everything is nice about the car except for two items :- (1) Roughness at very slow speed pick-up. (2) Engine noises. (1) We have minimised by using 50/50 and the latest ignition timing permissible. (2) We have done all we can to the tappets and changed the magneto. The question seems to be not that the car is slightly more noisy than standard, but that with push rods which require .009" clearance hot, we do not know how to make the aluminium engine as silent as the present production. Anyhow with a plain bonnet the noise is unobtrusive. I don't see how we could increase the engine silence appreciably under a month. KARACHI ENGINE. We have no definite information as to the cause of failure of the engine. we attach a copy of Gibson's report on the tests carried out before the commencement of the flight. Also the memo. we circulated pointing out the danger of oil frothing recurring. The preliminary tests do not seem to have been very adequate. We understand the ats. temp. was about 22°C. If it rose to contd :- | ||