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).
Tank transmission and steering, comparing arrangements and proposing to fit the Leyland Meteor engine in the Mark VI tank.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 144\4\ scan0181 | |
| Date | 10th December 1940 | |
| Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} and Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c. Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} c. Ev{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}/Tln. TANK TRANSMISSION. The attached Memo. shows the results of an analysis of tank steerings. The complication of either the present Mk.VI. Merritt Brown or Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/FJH{Fred J. Hardy - Chief Dev. Engineer}'s arrangement is self-evident. The Army, however, insist that this is the sort of steering they require for maximum performance, and no simpler method of achieving the desired result has so far been devised. This steering analysis explains our preference for wheeled vehicles. One of the difficulties of forming a rationalised policy on tank design, is the almost complete absence of reliable data on performance. Therefore we are recommending to Leyland's that the first step to put up to the Mechanisation Board should be to fit the Leyland Meteor engine, with one of our 5-speed syncromesh boxes, in the Mark VI. tank. Meanwhile, we propose to develop the steer-ing shown in Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}668. How the man-hours to fabricate this will compare with the man-hours to fabricate the existing Mark.VI. steering unit, remains to be seen. We still feel that to reduce the man-hours required to fabricate a "tank" is of more importance than to obtain from it the last 5% of performance. So far, however, we can see how to make a better vehicle but not anything very much simpler. Messrs Spurrier and Pilkington of Leyland's will be in Derby next week, when our scheme drawings can be reviewed and a final policy agreed upon. We attach a tentative programme which outlines our present ideas as to how the project should be tackled. Leyland's flat oil engine should be an alternative to the Meteor. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||