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).
Preliminary report on the road behaviour of the 'Goshawk' chassis.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 5\4\ 04-page006 | |
| Date | 1st January 1921 | |
| X3583 To R.{Sir Henry Royce} from He/TMW. c. to Cd. c. to Col. c. to En. c. to E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} c. to Dn. c. to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} He/TMW1/LGB.1.21. X.3481. RE "GOSHAWK" CHASSIS. We have now run the "Goshawk" on the road sufficiently long to be able to give a general preliminary idea of its behaviour. ENGINE. X.3582. X.427. X.4298. This runs quite as well as the Bed Testing led us to expect. We have fitted a R.R. Carburetter with smaller throats and throttle than the 40/50 standard, and this is behaving fairly well; but further Test Bed work is necessary to obtain the best results from it. We are running with a Bosch Magneto type Z.F.6., which has behaved well with the exception of starting up cold, when it is very difficult to turn the engine at sufficient speed to ignite the charge. We have had excellent reliability through-out but there are noises yet to be cured for the engine to become a R.R. job. GEARBOX. X.3501. It is difficult to be able to report on Gearbox noise as the axle noise is too bad, but we think there is every prospect of gears being fiarly silent. CHANGE SPEED This operates quite as easily as the average make of car, while not being very good. The spring which is relied upon to keep the gears in position is too strong, and we think provision ought to be made so that a careless driver is not likely to pull into his Reverse when changing from 1st. to second gear. AXLE. X.3493. Unfortunately, up-to-date, some Gleason Gears which we have on order are not to hand and gears at present fitted are very noisy, no matter at what adjustment; nothing else mechanical can be heard when running, except this. SUSPENSION. X.3527. Wheels seem to hold the road better than the 40/50, but we shall probably find an improvement is possible. At present we have no shock absorbers fitted neither have we been able to run at high speeds over bad potholes with fully laden chassis, so we cannot say much about it as yet. TRANSMISSION. Entirely free from knocks up to now and extra-ordinary free; one ordinary sized man can push the chassis about with little effort. BRAKES. X.3603/5. Foot brake at first squealed badly but has since improved with use and is now quiet, but too springy to be able to lock the wheels and the foot lever is very whippy. Contd. | ||