I FLIP FOR SCIENCE

August 24, 2017 10:24 PM

The RV FLoating Instrument Platform is a towed research platform that turns 90 degrees upright, to provide a stable environment for research in the manner of a spar buoy. It's designed to work in both configurations.
posted by the man of twists and turns (11 comments total)

I looked this up recently because I heard a sermon where the Flip was like Jesus walking on water or something. It was a tortured analogy and I think the priest was just tired of taking about the bible and wanted to geek out about a cool ship because he's former Navy. Can't blame him really, it is majorly neato.
posted by mattamatic at 10:49 PM on August 24, 2017 [1 favorite]

That boat is ridiculous

So I approve.
posted by aubilenon at 11:53 PM on August 24, 2017

I FLIP FOR SCIENCE . . . right after I retire from my original career of spying on enemy subs:

After discarding the idea of a large floating platform, Laurent Mermier recalled the Floating Instrument Platform, or FLIP, that the US Office of Naval Research had operated in the 1950s. Like a spar buoy, FLIP has an observation station at one end, a long spar, and ballast at the other end. FLIP was originally designed with the submerged spar covered in sonars to spy on enemy submarines. The vessel was later refitted for scientific missions and is still in use today. The spar concept is also applied to spar-type floating oil rigs.”

posted by jamjam at 1:10 AM on August 25, 2017

I knew it existed but was surprised it was that old, I assumed it was 1980s.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 1:19 AM on August 25, 2017

With special guests onboard, on June 30, 2013, FLIP got underway and proceeded to an area 20 miles west of San Diego for a ceremonial flip. It was flip number 381 of FLIP's research career.

(From the first link) I don't know why, but that sentence made me smile. I think ceremonial flips should happen in other contexts, too!
posted by TedW at 3:01 AM on August 25, 2017

EEEEEEE! I've never seen video of it flipping before. Cool!
posted by rmd1023 at 6:05 AM on August 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

It's remote controlled, there can't possibly be people aboard when this transforms from ship to lab... Holy shit, there are people aboard! I wonder how they secure their labs? Super sweet to see that video.
posted by Slap*Happy at 6:32 AM on August 25, 2017

I wonder how they secure their labs?

I kind of thought the same thing; as cool as all the pics and video of it flipping from the outside are, I want to see more of the inside. That picture of two sinks orthogonal to each other really piqued my interest.
posted by TedW at 7:28 AM on August 25, 2017

As a kid, that thing freaked me out more than the Screen Gems logo.
posted by whuppy at 7:30 AM on August 25, 2017

Well any ship (without stabilizers) plan for storage to be other that horizontal and stable, so other than that sink it's probably not all that different. Cabinets that have a solid latch. Murphy beds that fold down both ways ;-) The galley may be a bit complicated, perhaps a seriously gimbaled stove.
posted by sammyo at 7:35 AM on August 25, 2017

I FLIP FOR SCIENCE . . . right after I retire from my original career of spying on enemy subs

"and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks, and their spy vessels into awesome flippable science ships: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more"
posted by Atom Eyes at 9:07 AM on August 25, 2017 [1 favorite]