|
|
| Class overview |
|---|
| Name | Swallow class |
| Preceded by | Cruizer class |
| Succeeded by | Racer class |
| Built | 1854–1857 |
| In commission | 1856–1876 |
| Completed | 4 |
| Scrapped | 4 |
| General characteristics |
|---|
| Type | Sloop-of-war |
| Displacement | 625 tons |
| Tons burthen | 484+68⁄94 bm |
| Length |
- 139 ft (42.4 m) (gundeck)
- 120 ft 6 in (36.7 m) (keel)
|
| Beam | 27 ft 10 in (8.5 m) |
| Depth of hold | 13 ft 5 in (4.1 m) |
| Installed power |
- 60 nhp
- 182–224 ihp (136–167 kW)
|
| Propulsion |
- Single screw
- two-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engine
|
| Sail plan | Barque rig |
| Speed | Approximately 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) |
| Complement | 120 |
| Armament |
- 1 × 32 pdr gun (58 cwt) on pivot
- 8 × 32 pdr (25 cwt) carronades
|
The Swallow-class sloop was a 9-gun wooden screw sloop class of four ships built for the Royal Navy between 1854 and 1857.
Design
Built of a traditional wooden construction, the Swallow class were intended as "type of screw vessel below the Cruizer".[1]
The class were armed with a single 32-pounder gun (58 cwt) gun on a pivot mount and eight 32-pounder (25 cwt) carronades on the broadside. These guns were all smoothbore muzzle-loading, and were little changed from the standard guns of Nelson's era.[1]
Propulsion was provided by a two-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engine developing 60 nominal horsepower and an indicated horsepower of between 182 indicated horsepower (136 kW) and 224 indicated horsepower (167 kW). Propulsion was applied through a single screw and at maximum power under steam, top speed was about 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). A barque rig of sails was carried, which meant the ships of the class had three masts with a square rig on the fore and main masts.[1]
Ships
The first two ships were ordered on 5 July 1852, Ariel on 2 April 1853 and Lyra on 3 April 1854.[1]
| Name |
Ship Builder[1] |
Laid down[1] |
Launched[1] |
Fate[1]
|
| Curlew |
Deptford Dockyard |
19 October 1852 |
31 May 1854 |
Sold for breaking on 39 August 1865
|
| Swallow |
Pembroke Dockyard |
30 August 1853 |
12 June 1854 |
Became a survey ship in 1861. Sold for breaking in December 1866
|
| Ariel |
Pembroke Dockyard |
November 1853 |
11 July 1854 |
Sold for breaking 23 May 1865
|
| Lyra |
Deptford Dockyard |
8 July 1854 |
26 March 1857 |
Broken up in 1876
|
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h Winfield (2004) p.215 - 216
References
- Winfield, R.; Lyon, D. (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-032-6. OCLC 52620555.