D-class lifeboat (Avon S650)
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Royal National Lifeboat Institution| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | D-class (Avon S650) |
| Builders | Avon Inflatables |
| Operators | Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
| Preceded by | D-class (RFD PB16) |
| Succeeded by | D-class (Zodiac III) |
| Built | 1971 |
| In service | 1971–1978 |
| Completed | 4 |
| Retired | 4 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Avon S650 |
| Length | 16 ft 6 in (5.03 m) |
| Beam | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Propulsion | 1 × 40-hp Evinrude outboard engine |
| Speed | 20 knots (23 mph; 37 km/h) |
| Endurance | 3 hours at full speed |
| Capacity | 10 |
The D-class lifeboat (Avon S650) was a sub-class of four inflatable boats operated as part of the D-class between 1971 and 1986 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution of the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was superseded by the D-class lifeboat (Zodiac III).[1]
For more than 60 years the D-class has served as the workhorse of the RNLI Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) fleet. The D-class is one of the few RNLI types not to feature a rigid hull. The D-class was specifically designed as a light and highly manoeuvrable rapid response craft, especially suited to close shore work.
There were only four Avon S650 boats in service with the RNLI
Design and construction
The D-class lifeboat consists of two sponsons, together housing four inflatable segments intersected by baffles.[2]
This was one of the smaller classes of lifeboat operated by the RNLI, and while there were only four Avon S650s in the fleet, the D-class were a common sight at lifeboat stations around the coast. Unlike other members of the ILB fleet, the D-class does not have a rigid hull; all others, with the exception of the Arancia, hovercraft and ALB Tenders, are Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs).
