The Sphinx class was the first type of steamer corvettes in service in the French Navy. They were motorised by French-made steam engines cloned from a low-pressure Newcomen steam engine purchased from Fawcett, in Liverpool, and made at Indret.[2] Initially classified as "paddle corvettes", they were later reclassified as "first-class avisos".
 1⁄100th model of the French paddle steamer corvette Sphinx. Made by the model workshop of the Musée de la Marine in 1962, on display at Toulon naval museum.
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sphinx |
| Builders | Rochefort |
| Operators |  French Navy |
| Completed | 6 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Aviso |
| Displacement | 913 tonnes |
| Length | 48.20 m (158 ft 2 in) |
| Beam | Hull: 8.16 m (26 ft 9 in) Including paddles: 14 m (45 ft 11 in) |
| Draught | 3.00 m (9 ft 10 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph)[1] |
| Armament |
|
| Armour | Timber |
Ships in class
edit- Builder: Rochefort
- Ordered:
- Laid down:
- Launched:
- Completed:
- Fate: Wrecked
- Builder:
- Ordered:
- Laid down:
- Launched:
- Completed:
- Fate:
- Builder:
- Ordered:
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- Completed:
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Sources and references
edit- ^ Corvette a Vapeur le Sphinx, de 160 chevaux Archived 2012-07-14 at archive.today, lib.washington.edu
- ^ Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l'Académie des sciences, Volume 6
- [1]
- Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours, 1671 - 1870. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. p. 422. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.