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).
Progress report on the Bensport chassis, discussing challenges with the supercharger, fan drive, and hand brake lever.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 179b\1\ img006 | |
| Date | 13th August 1932 | |
| E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer}) FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} ORIGINAL. RL/M13.8.32. BENTSPORT PROGRESS. X4553. I am afraid we are making very slow progress with the Bensport chassis, partly due to the fact that at W.W. we have not a drawing of the engine and supercharger. We understand however that a long supercharger is now considered by Derby, and the Powerplus people themselves, more likely to bear the high speed of 5000 RPM. In EV{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}'s layout of the complete chassis we have increased the wheelbase to 10 ft. 6 ins., and brought the front end of the supercharger just behind the front axle. The cross steering tube which is slightly lower passes under the super-charger. Whatever view one takes of it there seems to be great difficulty in providing a suitable fan drive. One suggestion has been made of introducing another wheel over the ignition drive, but this would require a special crankchamber, which we ought to avoid. Another idea is to use the front end of the dynamo drive, passing right through the pump, to get to the fan. I do not know how far this would be practical in design. One is very tempted to say that with so small an engine and so fast a car a fan will not be needed. We believe this is the practice with Lagonda, Alfa Romeo, and perhaps Bugatti, and it would enable us to get along and make a cleaner and less expensive job of this part of the car. Regarding the hand brake lever we have spent considerable time on this, and believe now that we have a simpler arrangement than heretofore, because we have arranged another system of enclosing the space that passes through from the passage of hot gases. that the wet parts won't R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||