Built of a traditional wooden construction, the Swallow class were intended as "type of screw vessel below the ".[1]
The class were armed with a single 32-pounder gun (58 cwt) gun on a pivot mount and eight 32-pounder (25 cwt) carronades on the broadside. These guns were all smoothbore muzzle-loading, and were little changed from the standard guns of Nelson's era.[1]
Propulsion was provided by a two-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engine developing 60 nominal horsepower and an indicated horsepower of between 182ihp and 224ihp. Propulsion was applied through a single screw and at maximum power under steam, top speed was about 7kn. A barque rig of sails was carried, which meant the ships of the class had three masts with a square rig on the fore and main masts.[1]
The first two ships were ordered on 5 July 1852, Ariel on 2 April 1853 and Lyra on 3 April 1854.[1]
| Name | Ship Builder | Laid down | Launched | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deptford Dockyard | 19 October 1852 | 31 May 1854 | Sold for breaking on 39 August 1865 | |
| Pembroke Dockyard | 30 August 1853 | 12 June 1854 | Became a survey ship in 1861. Sold for breaking in December 1866 | |
| Pembroke Dockyard | November 1853 | 11 July 1854 | Sold for breaking 23 May 1865 | |
| Deptford Dockyard | 8 July 1854 | 26 March 1857 | Broken up in 1876 | |