Racer class sloop


HMS Icarus
Class overview
Name: Racer-class sloop
Preceded by: Swallow-class sloop
Succeeded by: Greyhound-class sloop
Built: 1855 - 1860
In commission: 1856 - 1877
Completed: 5
Scrapped: 5
General characteristics
Displacement: 861 tons
Tons burthen: 577 30/94 bm
Length: 151 ft (46.0 m) (gundeck)
131 ft 3.75 in (40.0 m) (keel)
Beam: 29 ft 1 in (8.9 m)
Depth of hold: 15 ft 10 in (4.8 m)
Installed power: 150 nhp
461–617 ihp (344–460 kW)
Propulsion:
  • 2-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engine
  • Single screw
Sail plan: Barque rig
Speed: Approximately 10 knots (19 km/h)
Complement: 120
Armament:
  • 1 x 32-pdr gun (58cwt) on pivot
  • 10 x 32-pdr (25cwt) carronades

The Racer-class sloop was an 11-gun wooden screw sloop class of five ships built for the Royal Navy between 1855 and 1860.

Contents

Design

Built of a traditional wooden construction, the Racer class were a lengthened version of the Swallow-class sloop, which in turn had been intended as "type of screw vessel below the Cruizer". The extra length gave greater speed, and combined with a considerable increase in power, this gave a speed of about 10 knots (19 km/h), rather more than the 7 knots of the previous class.[1]

The class were armed with a single 32-pounder gun (58cwt) gun on a pivot mount and ten 32-pounder (25cwt) carronades on the broadside. These guns were all smoothbore muzzle-loading, and were little changed from the standard guns of Nelson's era.[2]

Propulsion was provided by a two-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engine developing 461 indicated horsepower (344 kW) and driving a single screw. At maximum power under steam, top speed was about 10 knots (19 km/h). 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 three ships were ordered on 3 April 1854, although both Cordelia and Gannetwere ordered as Swallow-class sloops, with the design being changed before construction. Icarus was ordered on 3 February 1855 and Pantaloon was ordered on 1 April 1857.[1]

Name Ship Builder[1] Laid down[1] Launched[1] Fate[1]
Cordelia Pembroke Dockyard October 1855 3 July 1856 Sold for breaking on 12 May 1870
Racer Deptford Dockyard 1 October 1856 4 November 1857 Broken up in 1876
Gannet Pembroke Dockyard December 1856 29 December 1857 Broken up in February 1877
Icarus Deptford Dockyard 7 April 1857 22 October 1858 Sold for breaking on 23 January 1875
Pantaloon Devonport Dockyard 2 November 1857 26 September 1860 Sold for breaking on 18 September 1867

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Winfield (2004) p.216
  2. ^ Bastock, p.29.

References

Racer-class sloop
Cordelia · Racer · Gannet · Icarus · Pantaloon