F.-A. Forel (PX-28)

The F.-A. Forel was a manned underwater submersible built in 1978 by Jacques Piccard. Built at the Giovanola fabrication plant in Monthey and launched in Ouchy (Lausanne), it was one of the four submarines that have explored the depths of Lake Geneva, along with the Auguste Piccard and the two Mirs.

History
Switzerland
Name: F.-A. Forel
Namesake: François-Alphonse Forel
Builder: Giovanola Frères SA
Launched: December 1978
Out of service: 2005
Status: La Maison de la Rivière
General characteristics
Type: Submersible
Displacement: 11 t (11 long tons; 12 short tons)
Length: 7.54 m (24.7 ft)
Beam: 2.12 m (7.0 ft)
Height: 2.30 m (7.5 ft)
Propulsion: electric motors, batteries
Speed: 4 km/h (2.5 mph)
Crew: 3
Armament: None

The F.-A. Forel achieved a total of 3,600 dives with more than 6,000 passengers between 1979 and 2005. Many of them were done in Lake Geneva, although the submersible visited many other lakes such as Lake Neuchâtel, Lake Constance, Lake Zurich, Lake Lucerne, Lake Maggiore, Lake Bracciano and Lake Lugano. It also visited the Strait of Messina where it reached a depth of 560 metres. Although most of the missions were scientific, the submersible was also used for legal inquiries, industrial observations and tourism.

The ship is currently on display at La Maison de la Rivière in Tolochenaz.[1]

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References
  1. "Sous-marin F.-A. Forel". www.maisondelariviere.ch. La Maison de la Rivière. Archived from the original on 2014-11-04. Retrieved 2014-11-04.

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