Description

Model of the steam yacht Turbinia, the first vessel powered by a steam turbine. The model shows the Turbinia's long, narrow, U-shaped hull, designed for speed, and her triple-propeller arrangement, which was designed to make use of the high-speed turbine technology.

The Turbinia was designed by Charles Algernon Parsons in 1894 to test marine uses of his turbine technology. Parsons put the Turbinia on an audacious display during Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, steaming full speed between lines of British warships on review. With a top speed of more than 30 knots, the Turbinia was much faster than any naval ship of the time.