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).
Letter from Ethyl Export Corporation regarding the knock test results of a fuel sample taken from the Belgian Air Force.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 27a\4\ Scan137 | |
| Date | 20th June 1933 | |
| CABLEGRAMS: ETHYLPORT, LONDON. TELEGRAMS: ETHYLPORT, CHURTON. ETHYL EXPORT CORPORATION Incorporated in the State of Delaware, U.S.A. with limited liability. ABFORD HOUSE, VICTORIA LONDON, S.W.I Telephone: VICTORIA 5 5 2 0 PERSONAL Head Office: 135 EAST 42nd STREET NEW YORK, U.S.A 20th June, 1933. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} W. Hives Esq., Aero Engine Dept., Rolls Royce Ltd., Nightingale Road, DERBY. Dear Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}, When I was over at the recent International Aviation Meeting at Brussels with George Bulman of Hawkers, I had a long talk with your man, Jackson, who is looking after the engines in the Belgian Air Force machines. During the conversation he mentioned the method of supplying and mixing the fuel, and out of curiosity I picked up a sample of this fuel direct from the tankage on the aerodrome. I have since had a knock test carried out on it and I thought you might be interested to know that under the method of test for A.M. D.T.D. 134 spirit this sample only gives a value of 72 Octane, when it should be at least 75.5-76. Its specific gravity is 0.766 and the estimated aromatics are approximately 42%, which would indicate that about 30% of Benzol is present but that the spirit itself must be of rather poor initial anti-knock value. Kindest regards, Yours sincerely, F R Banks | ||