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 weight of the crankcase and a request to investigate potential weight reduction.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 65\4\ scan0001 | |
| Date | 3rd June 1924 | |
| To BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} from E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to CJ. HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} X8000 [handwritten] S E C R E T. E3/M3.6.24. EAC.11. WEIGHT OF CRANKCASE. X.9000 [struck through, handwritten] X8000 [handwritten] X.9930 [struck through, handwritten] X 8840 [handwritten] It is noticed that the crankcase is one of the heaviest items on this engine. There appears to be no way of reducing the figure Mr. Royce thinks but by keeping the thickness of the walls down, and he would like you to cut up some scrap castings and measure up the wall thickness in various parts of the crankcase to see how far we are confirming to the drawing dimensions. We should like to know if it is possible to reduce these castings to reduced dimensions, and where these could be applied. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} | ||