Fredrik Henrik af Chapman

Fredrik Henrik Chapman, Fredrik Henrik af since 1772 ennobled Chapman ( born September 9, 1721 Gothenburg / Sweden, † August 19, 1808 ) was a Swedish shipwright. He revolutionized the shipbuilding industry, by being the first introduced the planning of ships on scientific and mathematical foundations.

His research methods were, among others Attempts to flow resistance of different hull shapes.

Life

Chapman's parents were of British descent. His grandfather was a shipbuilder in London and his father ran a shipyard in Sweden. With 15 Chapman went to sea. He then spent several years both in Sweden and abroad trying to learn practical and theoretical shipbuilding, and to study mathematics and physics. In England, he was briefly detained because he was accused of espionage at the Royal Shipyard.

1757-1760 Chapman was lower shipwright in Karlskrona. 1760 Chapman shipwright in Stralsund in Swedish Pomerania, where he remained until 1762. Here he designed small and medium-sized shallow-water vessels for the Swedish archipelago fleet to control studded with numerous shoals maritime area between Sweden and the then part of Sweden to Finland.

From 1764 Chapman worked in Stockholm. During the following years he published his groundbreaking work Architectura Navalis Mercatoria, in which he has published numerous detailed shipbuilding plans, which were first worked out on scientific and mathematical foundations.

1782 to 1793 he headed the shipyard in Karlskrona, 1791, he was Vice- Admiral.

Works

• Architectura Navalis Mercatoria. Stockholm 1768 Sjohistoriska, 62 tablets
• Treatise om Skepps - Bygge Riet. J. Pfeiffer, Stockholm 1775. ( Treatise on shipbuilding ) Scan at Chapmanprojekt