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).
Vehicle performance concerning turning circles, carburation, and engine cooling, with a note on a new servo arm fitment.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 91\4\ scan0236 | |
| Date | 3rd September 1935 | |
| ( 2 ) Upon the decent, Italian side, 26 reverses had to be made on the right hand turns, and one left hand turn. We have measured the turning circles of the Car which are as follows :- L H turn 49 feet 2 inches - R H turn 50 feet 6 inches. A query was raised why the reverses going down and not up. The reason is due to the peculier shape of the turns. Upon going up, the outer wall of the corners are actually dished out to conform with a turning circle. Upon decending, it is not possible to get the Car in a position to obtain this advantage. We could have got round about half the number of the corners, had the front wings been higher. The overhang would just not clear. The Carburation gave no trouble throughout the climb, and the Exhaust was perfectly clear at the top. After stopping the Engine for five minutes, the mixture was too strong.to start. Upon allowing the Engine to cool down for half an hour, no trouble was experienced in starting. The climb on the 30th August, the water was boiling hard and steam escaping upon arrival at the summit. We are enclosing a chart of the temperatures taken every half mile from approximately a quarter of the way up. It was assumed that the Inlet and Outlet temperatures of the Radiator got closer as we climbed, an assumption that the fan was not effecient at the slower speeds. The Chart shows this not to be the case. In fact it will be seen that the Radiator was more effecient towards the top than half way up. The question of the fan is therefore not the primary cause. Water circulation and efficiency of the Radiator is questionable. The cold Air Intakes is a valuable asset under these conditions, but we require a thermostatic control either of the mixture or of the air inlets for early morning temperatures. 2I.G. IV. We have to-day fitted the new Servo swinging arm with the friction device fitted at the bottom, which has been sent out without any information re same. The new hardened shafts have been fitted to the change speed lever. The Car will resume running in the morning. ---------- G.W.Hancock. G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} W. H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} | ||