Fredrik Henrik af Chapman (September 9, 1721 in Gothenburg – August 19, 1808) was a Swedish shipbuilder, scientist and officer in the Swedish navy. He was also manager of the Karlskrona shipyard 1782-1793. Chapman is credited as the first person to apply scientific methods to shipbuilding and is considered to be the first naval architect.
Chapman was the author of Architectura Navalis Mercatoria (1768) and several other shipbuilding-related works. His Tractat om Skepps-Byggeriet ("Treatise on Shipbuilding") published in 1775 is a pioneering work in modern naval architecture. He was the first shipbuilder in Northern Europe to introduce prefabrication in shipyards and managed to produce several series of ships in record time.
He was ennobled as "af Chapman" in 1772, after the successful coup of Swedish king Gustav III.
Read more about Fredrik Henrik Af Chapman: Youth and Early Career, Education, In Swedish Service, Djurgården Yard, The "royal Revolution", Navy Expansion, Architectura Navalis Mercatoria, Gallery, Ships Designed By Af Chapman, Bibliography
Famous quotes containing the word chapman:
“All progress is experimental.”
—John Jay Chapman (1862–1933)