D-class lifeboat (RFD PB16)
Preserved D-112 Blue Peter III | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | D-class (RFD PB16) |
| Builders | RFD |
| Operators | Royal National Lifeboat Institution |
| Preceded by | none |
| Succeeded by | D-class (Zodiac III) |
| Built | 1963–1984 |
| In service | 1963–2007 |
| Completed | 228 |
| Retired | 228 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | RFD PB16 |
| Length | 16 ft (4.9 m) |
| Complement | 2 or 3 |
The D-class (RFD PB16) lifeboat was the first of a class of inflatable boat operated between 1963 and 2007 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution of the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was replaced operationally by the D-class (Zodiac III).
They were manufactured by R.F.D. Co.Ltd of Godalming, Surrey, a company founded by engineer Reginald Foster Dagnall. Over time, RFD became a synonym for "Rapid Flotation Devices".