THE GOLDEN ARROW

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 58, 12 March 1929, Page 11

THE GOLDEN ARROW

SEGRAVE'S SPECIAL

INTERNATIONAL 1* INTEREST

. Before being shipped to America the ear in which ,it was hoped that Major Segrave would succeed in establishing a new record for speed was on show for just two days in London. Many distinguished people went specially to examine it," among them the Prince of Wales, Mr. Baldwin (Prime Minister), and Sir W. Joynson-Hicks (Home Secretary), Sir Austen Chamberlain (Foreign Minister), Mr. A. B. Houghton (American Ambassador), and Sir Samuel Hoare (Secretary for Air). Prominent men of. many countries who went to view the car testify to the interest manifest in this great'international event.

Captain Irving was the man responsible for the conception and execution of the designs, and it must have been a load off his mind when the work of assembly was finally accomplished. Even when shown at Devonshire House, however, the car was not complete An every detail; for example/the radiators and fairing between tho wheels at each side were missing. They were to be assembled during the voyage to America. Another interesting point showing the shortage of time was that the car was sprayed with its coat of gbldenhued cellulose after its arrival at the showroom. ' ; ' THE CAB DESCRIBED. The chassis is' a very robust job, carrying the famous Napier-Lion en- . gine at the forward end, the power f'i froni which is conveyed through a with a Dewandre servo withdrawal mechanism to gearing, by which it is distributed to two propeller shafts -.winning one at each side of the driver (Jbeneath his to independent ft»ial drives in the back axle. By this ingenious, expedient the overall height of th» car has been greatly reduced, the driver's seat being only about 12in attfive tho level of the ground. The suspension is another outstanding featuis*!, the axles being positioned by radius rods and the weight taken upon ext.wemely stiff leaf springe damped by Hartford shock absorbers.. Moseley floatvon-air upholstery insulates the driver from shock, and is also used in the bv>at, incidentally. Tho body, which was constructed by Thrupy) and Maberly, represents a fine example of expert panel beating, and is ch!M*acterised by a front end similar to 4 hat of the Supermarine |caplane, with fl'uec bulges along the nose accommodating ' tho projecting banks of cylinder sof the engine. Amidships, boiler jllate is employed to strengthen the construction around tho driver's seat, anil a panel hinges up to allow him to nnter. ENCU^TE AND TRANSMISSION. The eugine develops about 900 h.p. and tho transmission is so geared that with the>' power unit running at 3400 r.p.m. tho speeds on the gears are (thooretiiau'lly) 81 m.p.h., 166 m.p.h., and 246 ;«i.p.h. respectively. . At the : maximum ijpeed the wheels have to turn i at about 3300 r.p.m., placing an enormous load ■ on the tires, and the propeller shafts are then actually revolving at over? 5000 r.p.m. In designing a> car of this kind much depenols upon wind tunnel experiments, as AWe is no direct experimental data]to guide those responsible for its production. It is not enough to_ produce a streamlined body for minimum resistance, as it is essential that the shari o should be such as to give stability^ otherwise, the slightest gust of wind lmight make the car entirely uncontrollable. It is interesting to mention that the overall height of the car is only 3ft 9in, whilst its total \ length over the tail is nearly 30ft, so I hat it has a long and lithe appearance* in keeping with its capabilities.