HMS Iris (1877)
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 A lithograph of Iris | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Iris |
| Builder | Pembroke Dockyard |
| Laid down | 10 November 1875 |
| Launched | 12 April 1877 |
| Completed | April 1879 |
| Fate | Sold for scrap, 11 July 1905 |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Class & type | Iris-class despatch vessel, later second-class cruiser |
| Displacement | 3,730 long tons (3,790 t) |
| Length | 331 ft 6 in (101 m) |
| Beam | 46 ft (14 m) |
| Draught | 20 ft 6 in (6.2 m) |
| Installed power | 12 boilers; 6,000 ihp (4,500 kW) |
| Propulsion | 2 × shafts; 2 × compound-expansion steam engines |
| Sail plan | Barque-rigged |
| Speed | 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) |
| Range | 4,400 nmi (8,100 km; 5,100 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement | 275 |
| Armament | 10 × 64 pdr rifled muzzle-loading (RML) guns |
HMS Iris the lead ship of her class of two ships built for the Royal Navy in the 1870s. They were the first all-steel warships to serve with the Royal Navy.
The Iris-class ships were designed as dispatch vessels and were later redesignated as second-class protected cruisers. Iris had an overall length of 331 feet 6 inches (101 m), a beam of 46 feet (14 m), and a draught of 20 feet 6 inches (6.2 m). They displaced 3,730 long tons (3,790 t) at normal load[1] and were the first British warships with an all-steel hull.[2] Their crew consisted of 275 officers and ratings.[1]
The Iris class was powered by a pair of horizontal four-cylinder Maudslay, Sons and Field compound-expansion steam engines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam from eight oval and four cylindrical boilers.[1] The engines were designed to produce a total of 6,000 indicated horsepower (4,500 kW) for a speed of 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph). Iris initially reached a maximum speed of 16.6 knots (30.7 km/h; 19.1 mph) from 7,086 ihp (5,284 kW) during her sea trials, but after new propellers were fitted, achieved 17.89 knots (33.13 km/h; 20.59 mph) from 7,330 ihp (5,470 kW).[3] The ship carried enough coal to steam 4,400 nautical miles (8,100 km; 5,100 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). She was initially fitted with a barque sailing rig, but this was removed after a few years.[1]
The Iris-class ships were originally armed with ten 64-pounder (6.3-inch (160 mm)) rifled muzzle-loading (RML) guns, eight on the main deck and the remaining pair on the upper deck on pivot mounts to serve as chase guns fore and aft.[1]
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