The Turbinia, a zippy little craft just 9 ft. wide and 100 ft. long, was the world's first turbine-powered ship. Built by British inventor Charles Parsons to demonstrate the power of his steam turbine engine, the Turbinia could reach a top speed of 34 knots (or 39 mph). To harnass the turbine's propulsion power, Parsons had first had to solve the problem of cavitation. High rotation speeds by the ship's propeller blades meant that the engine's power did little to move the craft forward. The solution? A cavitation tunnel made up of multiple propellers on a propeller shaft. Parson's ingenuity paid off. At the Navy Review for Queen Victoria's Diamon Jubilee in 1897, the tiny steel craft easily outstripped the most powerful battleships of the day. Blown away by the Turbinia's performance, the world's major navies rushed to adopt turbine engines for their warships.

The Turbinia was nearly sliced in two after a collision with another ship in 1907. Though repaired, the craft was never the same. Cut up and sold to the London Science Museum in 1926, the Turbinia spent the next half century shuttling from one exhibition to another. The reconstructed Turbinia can now be seen at the Discovery Museum in Newcastle, England.

IASTE Hall of Fame: Charles Parsons http://www.iaste.com/ hall_of_fame/ parsons.html A detailed biography of the Turbiniašs inventor and builder, Charles Parsons. "The Steam Turbine" by Sir Charles Parsons http://www.history.rochester.edu/ steam/ parsons/ part1.html An explanation of the steam turbine engine by its inventor, Charles Parsons. Turbinia, The Ocean Greyhound http://www.birrcastle.com/ birr/ turbine/ turbframes.html A highly readable account of the creation of the Turbinia and its successor ships, HMS Cobra and Viper.