Ramus, Revd C.M.

SUBJECT AREA: Ports and shipping

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fl. 1870s Sussex, England

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English pioneer designer of hydroplanes.

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While Rector of Playden, near Rye in Sussex, in 1870 the Reverend C.M.Ramus designed the first hydroplane form seen in the United Kingdom. It is understood that he produced a reasonably flat-bottomed model that was just under 1 m (3 ft 3 in.) in length but had one step.

The idea was submitted to the Admiralty and tested by William Froude at the Ship Model Testing Tank at Torquay. While the results were significant at the time, it was some years before this hull form became advanced enough to be used commercially.

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Bibliography

1878, The Polyspenic Ship and Speed at Sea.

Further Reading

P.Du Cane, 1951, High Speed Small Craft, London: Temple Press.

D.Phillips-Birt, 1957, The Naval Architecture of Small Craft, London: Hutchinson.

FMW