RP FLIP
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 US | |
| Name | FLIP |
| Owner | Office of Naval Research |
| Operator | Scripps Institution of Oceanography |
| Builder | Gunderson Brothers Engineering |
| Completed | 1962 |
| Identification | list error: <br /> list (help) Call sign: WI7115 MMSI no.: 338040561 |
| Status | Operational |
| Notes | [1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 700 GRT |
| Length | 108 m (354 ft) |
| Beam | 7.93 m (26.0 ft) |
| Draught | list error: <br /> list (help) 3.83 m (12.6 ft) (towed) 100 m (330 ft) (deployed) |
| Speed | 7-10 knots (towed) |
| Capacity | list error: <br /> list (help) Fresh water 5.7 m3 (200 cu ft) Water generation 2.7 m3 (95 cu ft)/per day |
| Crew | list error: <br /> list (help) 5 crew 11 researchers |
| Notes | [1] |
RV FLIP (FL oating I nstrument P latform) is an open ocean research vessel owned by the US Office of Naval Research and operated by the Marine Physical Laboratory of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.[2] The ship is a 355 feet (108 meters) long vessel designed to partially flood and pitch backward 90°, resulting in only the front 55 feet (17 meters) of the vessel pointing up out of the water, with bulkheads becoming decks. When flipped, most of the buoyancy for the platform is provided by water at depths below the influence of surface waves, hence FLIP is a stable platform mostly immune to wave action, like a spar buoy. At the end of a mission, compressed air is pumped into the ballast tanks in the flooded section and the vessel returns to its horizontal position so it can be towed to a new location.[3] The ship is frequently mistaken for a capsized ocean transport ship.[4]
History
The Marine Physical Laboratory (MPL) of Scripps Institution of Oceanography created FLIP with funding from the Office of Naval Research (TRF) and the assistance of the commercial naval architect, The Glosten Associates.[5] The Gunderson Brothers Engineering Company in Portland, Oregon launched FLIP in June 1962. In 1995, FLIP received a US$2 million modernization.[1]
Capabilities
FLIP is designed to study wave height, acoustic signals, water temperature and density, and for the collection of meteorological data. Because of the potential interference with the acoustic instruments, FLIP has no engines or other means of propulsion. It must be towed to open water, where it drifts freely or is anchored. In tow, FLIP can reach speeds of 7–10 knots.[1]
FLIP weighs 700 long tons (711 tonnes) and carries a crew of five, plus up to eleven scientists. It is capable of operating independently during month-long missions without resupply.[6] It can be operated around the world, although the normal area is off the west coast of the United States. The ship has specially designed interiors. Some, such as the toilet seats, can flip 90°. The lights are on the ceiling and also on a wall that becomes the ceiling after the flip. Also, the shower heads are curved 90°. The vessel operates out of a home base at the Scripps Nimitz Marine Facility in San Diego, California.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d "FLIP - Research Vessel". Ship-Technology.com. 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
- ^ Office of Naval Research (Thursday, 11 September 2008). "Research Vessels: Surface Vessels - R/V FLIP". United States Navy. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "All About F.L.I.P." Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. 15 January 2004. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
- ^ Fred Fisher (2002). FLIP - The World's Strangest Research Lab (video). Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
- ^ a b Military Sealift Command (October 2003). "Sealift -- FLIP ship gets a lift from USNS Navajo". United States Navy. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
External links
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography's "Flipping for Science" article
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography's Marine Physical Laboratory
- Article from Damn Interesting
- 3.42 minutes documentary hosted at Metacafé
- Marine Physical Laboratory - FLoating Instrument Platform - FLIP