page_title: Experimental Squadron (Royal Navy)
hierarchical_section_title: Experimental Squadron (Royal Navy)
caption_attribution_description: English: The steam frigate 'Firebrand' and the Experimental Squadron of 1844 Inscribed: “H.M. Steam Frigate Firebrand and the Experimental Squadron”. Various Experimental Squadrons were at sea in 1844-6 testing new technology. ‘Firebrand’ served as the commanding umpire’s vessel in the one sent out from Portsmouth in 1844. They departed Spithead on 22 October, ‘Firebrand’ leading eight newly-designed sailing brigs, sailed to Portugal, and returned to Devonport on 6 December. Here, ‘Firebrand’ is shown centrally in starboard-broadside view, under steam but with clewed-up sails on her foremast, and surrounded by her brig complement in various positions, the whole set out of sight of land in a fresh breeze. There are men in her shrouds, and she is signalling (blue-yellow-blue-yellow-blue horizontal from her foretop; red-white-blue vertical, red-white quartered, and white-blue vertical from her main). The overall impression is that manoeuvres are taking place. 'Firebrand' was a paddle frigate built in 1842 and sold in 1864. She appears in several drawings in the sketchbook of Captain George Pechell Mends (PAI0868 verso, PAI0873 and PAI0882) as part of the Mediterranean Fleet. In the first two of these she is shown towing major sailing vessels. [PvdM 2/12] Hand-coloured. H.M. steam Frigate Firebrand and the Experimental Squadron
context_page_description: The Experimental Squadrons also known as Evolutionary Squadrons of the Royal Navy were groups of ships sent out in the 1830s and 1840s to test new techniques of ship design, armament, building and propulsion against old ones. They came about as a result of conflict between the "empirical" school of shipbuilding, the "scientific" school led by the first School of Naval Architecture, and the "traditional" school led by master shipwrights from the royal dockyards.
context_section_description: The Experimental Squadrons also known as Evolutionary Squadrons of the Royal Navy were groups of ships sent out in the 1830s and 1840s to test new techniques of ship design, armament, building and propulsion against old ones.  They came about as a result of conflict between the "empirical" school of shipbuilding (led by William Symonds, Surveyor of the Navy), the "scientific" school led by the first School of Naval Architecture (closed in 1832), and the "traditional" school led by master shipwrights from the royal dockyards.
caption: The steam frigate 'Firebrand' part of the Experimental Squadron
exif: {"Image ImageDescription": "H.M. steam Frigate Firebrand, PY0917", "Image Make": "Hasselblad", "Image Model": "Hasselblad H3DII-39", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image DateTime": "2011:04:12 16:17:16", "Image Artist": "Dani Tagen", "Image Copyright": "(C) National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, UK", "Image ExifOffset": "304", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "628", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "9167", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/250", "EXIF FNumber": "13", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Manual", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "50", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0210", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2011:04:12 15:45:22", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2011:04:12 15:45:22", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "995723/125000", "EXIF ApertureValue": "7400879/1000000", "EXIF MeteringMode": "CenterWeightedAverage", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire", "EXIF FocalLength": "80"}