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[Colin Bishop]

Would anyone like to hazard a guess what the model below is used for - and what is the black thing behind the funnel? The second picture is a clue.

Bonus points for identifying the prototype ship and where the photos were taken.

Colin

[Shipmate60]

Colin,
Looks like a type 23 Frigate in the RN test tank.

Bob

[Colin Bishop]

Warm Bob, but not a complete answer - and you knew were I was going which gives you an unfair advantage! Let somebody else see if they can take it further.

Colin

[Bunkerbarge]

The black thing behind the funnel looks like a fan so I would hazard a guess at maybe for evaluating smoke behaviour from the funnel?  Is that a smoke generator in the second picture?

[Walter Cooper]

Is she the HMS Lancaster? :-\ Walter

[Colin Bishop]

Way off Bunkerbarge! Not a specific ship Walter.

I'll wait to see if we have some more bites before posting some more pics.

Colin

[Walter Cooper]

HA!! OK Colin  Is it a wind test? Or some sort of stability test?  ::) Not trying to be too vague......Walter

[Martin (Admin)]

Wind turbulence / stability test.... can the 'the boy stand on the burning deck'?!

[Colin Bishop]

Yes, marks for stability testing but how? And what is the black thing lurking at the back? And where does the tube thing fit in? (no it's not for treating constipation!)

Colin

[Bunkerbarge]

Fire fighting foam smothering system or sprinkler system?  I can't make out anything of the black box other than it looks like a fan so testing wind effects on something looks favourite.

Nuclear fallout washing system?

[Walter Cooper]

Bunkerbarge,that machine could be a High Expansion Foam machine  :-\ Walter 

[Alastair_I]

A whole bunch of those tubes are mounted vertically along the centreline.. so I guess the handle can be turned to raise and lower a ballast weight within the cylinder via the screw thread.  This would allow the centre of gravity to be raised and lowered.. the little weights across the deck allow the CoG to be adjusted fore/aft and across the beam representing the positioning of fixed and portable equipment.  I'd guess the large equipment at the back is a wind machine and the whole rig is to simulate stability for a range of CoG configurations under a variety of wind and sea conditions.

[Colin Bishop]

A good and ingenious reply Alastair - maybe I ought to pass the suggestion on but the actual answer is much simpler although equally interesting.

Anyway - here's another clue.

Colin

[Alastair_I]

Flood valves?

Let's see how fast this thing sinks with a hole below the waterline leaking X litres per minute?

[Colin Bishop]

That's more like it!

Colin

[Walter Cooper]

Oh cool! I feel that I was looking at the wrong black thing in the photo.  :-\ The other square black thing.....Is it a device that measures the degree of list " probably not the right spelling" as the ship floods? Thanks Walter

[JayDee]

Hello,
 The pictures were taken at the Wolfson Unit at Southampton Uni ??
John. :)   :)  :)

[Colin Bishop]

Walter, yes the thing on the back of the funnel is an inclinometer and no, John, it wasn't at Southampton.

Colin

[Shipmate60]

Colin,
I have just re-read your pm's.
Now I know what it is but will do the right thing and rule myself out.

Bob

[Bunkerbarge]

Colin,

Was this model used in the investigation into the sinking of any of the ships in the Falklands?

[Martin (Admin)]

Bob , on the QT, I'll give ya £5 if you tell me the answer so I can look like a smart ask!....
....hang on a minute, this won't work, I'll PM you. 'Mum's the word!'

[Martin (Admin)]

What's the size of the thing in the first picture?
Is it one of the items in the model?

[nhp651]

the syphon tube looks as though they are set into the hull in watertight compartments to test her capabilities of staying afloat when hull compartments are punctured for what ever reason, and the inclinometer is used to evaluate the rate and degree of list when different compartments are compromised...the little taps allow flooding to the compartment that the syphon tube is attached to?
well it's worth a stab.

[Colin Bishop]

Full marks NHP651 - right on the button.

OK, I’m away for a few days so here are the answers:
The pictures were taken at the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
The model hull is an RN type 23 frigate about 20 feet (7 metres) long which they put into the tank especially for me!

The model is fitted with the same watertight compartments as the full size ship. Each compartment is fitted with a flooding valve, as shown in the separate picture, and a vent pipe. The purpose of the model is to be able to simulate action damage by flooding specific compartments. Students can then practise counter flooding of other compartments to stabilise the ship. Needless to say, some students like to play around with the model! The technician in charge has a cunning plan to retrieve the model should they succeed in actually sinking it although that has not happened  so far!

This model replaces an earlier model based on the Tribal class frigates which was made entirely of perspex. This enabled the flooding of compartments to be seen from the outside. Unfortunately the glued joins between the flooding tubes and the perspex eventually failed which meant that the compartments leaked. Must have been pretty good while it worked though!

In the same lab they have lots of experimental hulls which they use for various educational purposes including simulation of wave patterns when under way.

The fan thing in the background is in fact an Olympus Gas Turbine originally fitted to a Vulcan bomber but also used in many RN ships.
The College has a lot of interesting models and they will be featured in an article I am preparing for future publication in Model Boats magazine.

Thanks for the interest everyone.

Colin