The Fantome class was a six-ship class of 4-gun screw composite sloops built for the Royal Navy during 1873 and 1874.
Design Construction Fantome and her sister ships were constructed with an iron frame that was sheathed in teak and copper (hence 'composite').
Propulsion The ships were powered by a two-cylinder horizontal compound-expansion steam engine supplied by Humphrys, Tennant & Co. This engine powered an diameter screw. Steam was generated by three cylindrical boilers operating at . The indicated horsepower varied from . Additionally, Daring was equipped with a trunk engine provided by John Penn & Sons.
Sailing rig All ships in the class were provided with a full barque rig.
Armament The Fantome class carried two and two 64-pounder muzzle-loading rifles, all mounted on pivots.
Evaluation Built during a significant technological change in naval architecture, these composite sloops became obsolete before they were completed. Nevertheless, they served an important role on the far-flung stations of the British Empire, including participation in minor wars, such as the Perak War. They were also used for hydrography, and for this reason, Egeria was retained until 1911.
Ships NameShip builderLaunchedFatePembroke Dock26 March 1873Sold 1889Chatham Dockyard24 July 1873Scrapped 1889Blackwall Yard, London4 February 1874Sold 1889Pembroke Dock1 November 1873Sold 1911 Chatham Dockyard27 November 1873Sold 1888Money Wigram & Sons, Blackwall YardWinfield (2004)20 October 1873Sold 1887
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