White Star's Olympic II appears to hold the Blue Riband. After considering their options, the French Line decides to let them have it, and instead builds their ship to carry more people in more comfort for less cost. She will sail in late 1942 or early 1943.
[SIZE=3]SS France, French Ocean Liner laid down 1939[/SIZE]
Displacement:
77,017 t light; 79,000 t standard; 99,157 t normal; 115,282 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
1,309.22 ft / 1,263.12 ft x 126.31 ft x 33.46 ft (normal load)
399.05 m / 385.00 m x 38.50 m x 10.20 m
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 6 shafts, 367,538 shp / 274,183 Kw = 35.00 kts
Range 6,000nm at 35.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 36,283 tons
Complement:
2,793 - 3,632
Cost:
£23.783 million / $95.133 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 0 tons, 0.0 %
Machinery: 9,944 tons, 10.0 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 35,572 tons, 35.9 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 22,140 tons, 22.3 %
Miscellaneous weights: 31,500 tons, 31.8 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
227,745 lbs / 103,304 Kg = 2,108.8 x 6 " / 152 mm shells or 7.6 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.12
Metacentric height 8.8 ft / 2.7 m
Roll period: 17.9 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 70 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.00
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 2.00
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.650
Length to Beam Ratio: 10.00 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 39.97 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 45 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 35
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 30.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 12.00 ft / 3.66 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 59.06 ft / 18.00 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 55.77 ft / 17.00 m
- Mid (50 %): 52.49 ft / 16.00 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 52.49 ft / 16.00 m
- Stern: 52.49 ft / 16.00 m
- Average freeboard: 53.90 ft / 16.43 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 67.9 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 463.1 %
Waterplane Area: 127,514 Square feet or 11,846 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 193 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 167 lbs/sq ft or 815 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.92
- Longitudinal: 2.01
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Ship has slow, easy roll, a good, steady gun platform
Excellent seaboat, comfortable, rides out heavy weather easily
Breakdown of Miscellaneous Weights:
- 9,000 tons for 450 1st Class passengers (20t/passenger)
- 5,000 tons for 500 2nd Class passengers (10t/passenger)
- 7,000 tons for 1,400 3rd Class passengers (5t/passenger)
- 5,000 tons for onboard cargo
- 5,450 tons for extras
- 50 tons for for radar, collision-warning gizmos, electronics, etc