The R/P FLIP (Floating Instrument Platform) is an open ocean research platform that is owned by the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) and managed under the supervision of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
The platform measures long by 108 meters (355 feet) in length and was designed to be partially flood-proof and tilt back 90deg which results in one side of 17m (55 feet) of the structure being pointing towards the sea and bulkheads turning into decks.
If the platform is flipped, the majority of the ballast that is used to construct the platform is supplied by the water that is not subject to the effects of waves at the surface, so FLIP is stable and insensitive to wave action like spar buoys.
When the mission it is pumped with compressed air through the tanks for the ballast of the flooded area and then the platform, which is no propulsion, is returned to its normal position so it can be towable in a different location. The platform is often misinterpreted as a capsized ocean transport vessel.
Characteristics
Type: Research platform
Tonnage: 700 GT
Length: 108 m (355 ft)
Beam: 7.93 m (26.0 ft)
Draught
Towed: 3.83 m (12.6 ft)
Deployed: 91.4 m (300 ft)
Installed power
2 × 150 kW (200 hp) diesel generators
1 × 40 kW (54 hp) aux generator
Speed Towed: 7–10 kn (8–12 mph; 13–19 km/h)
Endurance: 35 days
Capacity
Fresh water: 5,680 l (1,500 US gal)
Water generation: 120 L/h (31 gal/h)
Complement 5 crew, 11 researchers
