Arab 1903
|
Name |
No |
Yard No |
Builder |
Laid down |
Launched |
Comp |
Fate |
|
Arab |
D01, D77, D05, H08 |
Thomson, Clydebank |
5.3.1900 |
9.2.1901 |
1/1903 |
sold 7.1919 |
|
Displacement normal, t |
470 |
|
Displacement full, t |
530 |
|
Length, m |
70.7 oa 69.4 pp |
|
Breadth, m |
6.78 |
|
Draught, m |
2.97 |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
2 4-cyl VTE, 4 Normand boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
8600 |
|
Max speed, kts |
30.7 |
|
Fuel, t |
coal 109 |
|
Endurance, nm(kts) |
3000(10) |
|
Armament |
1 x 1 - 76/40 12pdr 12cwt QF Mk I, 5 x 1 - 57/40 6pdr Hotchkiss Mk I, 2 x 1 - 450 TT (4) |
|
Complement |
69 |
Project history:
As part of the 1896/97 programme the Admiralty decided
to order three vessels with the unprecedented contract speed of 33kts. This was
mainly a reaction to the 31kts of the French torpedo boat
Forban on trial in 1895. In fact that was an exceptional result as
none of her immediate sisters reached anything like that speed. In the event,
the requirement for 33kts proved too ambitious. The
vessels built, with exactly the same armament as the 30-knotters, on longer and
more expensive hulls and with more powerful and therefore more expensive
machinery, completely failed to make the desired speed. The first two
both spent years running acceptance trials testing various propeller
shapes and other devices in a vain attempt to reach 33kts, though Thornycroft's
Albatross came quite close.
After their final acceptance it was
realised that all they had proved to be were rather
more expensive 30-knotters, and so they were not kept
apart as a separate class.
Though ordered under the same 1996/97
programme as the other two specials, Arab was not commenced until after
both had been running trials for some time. It is surprising that the Admiralty
bothered to continue with her, particularly as comparatively few attempts were
made to 'tune' her up to a higher speed than the very low 30.7kts she actually
obtained.
Modernizations: None.
Naval service: No significant events.
Arab
© Navypedia, 2020