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 successful application of a new alloy in E.R.A. racing cars and Merlin aero engines, and the company's investment in light alloy research.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 115\5\ scan0239 | |
| Date | 24th January 1939 guessed | |
| (5) E.R.A's were one of the first Companies to appreciate the potentialities of the new alloy and have been using it on their racing cars since 1937. The bearings which they put in engines in 1937 ran untouched through the 1938 competition season and still require no attention for 1939. They are now getting 245 B.H.P. from a 1 1/2-litre engine. As a big-end bearing, the alloy has just successfully completed 100 hours on the Merlin aero engine under type test conditions. It is being tried out experimentally by a number of manufacturers both in England and on the Continent. The development of the Rolls-Royce aluminium alloys has been facilitated by the large sum of money devoted by the Company annually to this side of research. This expenditure has recently culminated in the building of a large research laboratory where the most elaborate up-to-date equipment for light alloy research is available. This includes X-ray apparatus for detecting flaws in castings and forgings and other ultra-modern devices. | ||