262 262.
A FINE AND WELL-PRESENTED 1:48 SCALE STATIC DISPLAY MODEL OF THE WORLD’S FIRST TURBINE-POWERED CRAFT TURBINIA DESIGNED BY SIR CHARLES PARSONS IN 1894
modelled by John R. Haynes with bespoke pre-formed hull, painted deck with superstructure and fittings as appropriate and including anchor, winch, glazed wheel house with steering wires to aft rudder shoe, deck rails with named life buoys, raked buff-coloured funnel, engine room companionway and observation post, fitted dinghy with gratings, oars etc, the two-tone hull fitted with three propeller shafts each supported three brass propellers, mounted on brass columns within wooden glazed case with maker’s plate. Cased measurements -- 9¾ x 31 x 6in. (25 x 79 x 15cm.)
Turbinia was designed by Sir Charles Parsons, inventor and builder of Parsons turbines. She was built by him in 1894 to test Parsons turbines in service and to demonstrate the advantages of turbine vs reciprocating engine propulsion. Naturally, the fastest type of craft should be used for such demonstrations. It was a sad blow when, powered by one radial flow turbine, Turbinia made less than 20 knots due to cavitation at the high turbine speeds of 1800-2000 RPM. Parsons made many studies of cavitation. The single turbine was removed and replaced by three Parsons parallel-flow turbines, each driving a shaft with three propellers on each shaft as clearly seen in this model.
The Royal Naval Review for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee took place at the Spithead in 1897. With all the ships of the Navy, guest vessels, and huge crowds looking on, the tiny (comparatively) Turbinia ripped through the rows of cumbersome naval vessels at an astonishing 35 knots. This bravado display effectively demonstrated beyond question the superiority of steam turbines, and in a very short time successful turbine installations had been made and put in service on coastal steamers. The Cunard Line experimented with turbines in the 20,000 ton Carmania, and then entrusted turbines to their Mauretania and Lusitania. Both ships became world famous, the former holding the transatlantic speed record from 1910 to 1929.
Turbinia was solely a demonstration vessel to show, as she certainly did, the advantages of turbine drive. Her weight of 44½ tons divided by her horsepower gave a very low 49 pounds per horsepower, only to be surpassed five years later by the American Arrow which, even with reciprocating engines, achieved a figure of 36 pounds per horsepower.
Shortly after being photographed alongside the Mauretania, the first large, fast, turbine powered ocean liner, she was laid up on the Tyne. Her after part was retired to exhibition in 1927 in the Imperial Science Museum in London. In 1961 both halves were re-joined in Newcastle on Tyne where she can now be seen.
£2000-3000
additional images online at
www.charlesmillerltd.com
83
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116