Researchers have been showing off a 355 ft vertical ship in the Pacific Ocean, as it marks its 50th birthday.
FLIP was created in 1962 by scientists Dr Fred Fisher and Dr Fred Spiess, who wanted a more stable space than a conventional research ship to study wave forms.
FLIP, or Floating Instrument Platform, is owned by the US Navy, and flips from horizontal to a vertical position by pumping 700 tonnes of seawater into the 'handle' end. Air is then pumped into the opposite end, causing it to rise up out of the sea.
Everything on board is designed to flip along with the ship, including beds, ketchup and other condiments, and even the bathroom sinks.
The design allows researchers to take acoustic measurements, and study meteorology, physical oceanography and air-sea interactions.
Once the 28 minute transformation from horizontal to vertical has taken place, 300m of the buoy are submerged underwater, keeping the 700 long-ton mass steady and making it perfect for researching wave height, acoustic signals, water temperature and density, and for the collection of meteorological data.
FLIP was created in 1962 by scientists Dr Fred Fisher and Dr Fred Spiess, who wanted a more stable space than a conventional research ship to study wave forms.
FLIP, or Floating Instrument Platform, is owned by the US Navy, and flips from horizontal to a vertical position by pumping 700 tonnes of seawater into the 'handle' end. Air is then pumped into the opposite end, causing it to rise up out of the sea.
Everything on board is designed to flip along with the ship, including beds, ketchup and other condiments, and even the bathroom sinks.
The design allows researchers to take acoustic measurements, and study meteorology, physical oceanography and air-sea interactions.
Once the 28 minute transformation from horizontal to vertical has taken place, 300m of the buoy are submerged underwater, keeping the 700 long-ton mass steady and making it perfect for researching wave height, acoustic signals, water temperature and density, and for the collection of meteorological data.
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