The Royal George was followed by several others of various rates and improved dimensions, notably by the Blenheim (90) and the Princess Amelia (80). The latter was one of the most famous ships of her day, and was constantly employed as long as she continued fit for service. In 1747 a French ship of seventy-four guns named the Invincible was captured, and was found to be such an excellent vessel that her dimensions were adopted for the Thunderer, laid down about 1758. One of the most interesting models in the Museum is of the Triumph (74), also built on the lines of the Invincible in 1764. Her length of gun-decks was 171 ft. 3 in.; breadth, 49 ft. 9 in.; depth of hold, 21 ft. 3 in.
In the following year was built the Victory, 100 guns, famous as Nelson's flagship at Trafalgar, and still afloat in Portsmouth Harbour. Her dimensions are: length of gun-deck, 186 ft.; breadth, 52 ft.; depth of hold, 21 ft. 6 in.; tonnage, 2,162.
Fig. 55.—The Royal George. 1746.
The following table gives the dimensions of typical ships of war constructed about the middle of the eighteenth century:—
| Number of guns | 100 | 90 | 80 | 74 | 64 | 50 |
| Length of gun-deck | 178 ft. | 176 ft. 1 in. | 165 ft. | 171 ft. 3 in. | 159 ft. 4 in. | 146 ft. |
| Length of keel for tonnage | 143 ft. 6 in. | 142 ft. 7 in. | 133 ft. | 138 ft. 8 in. | 130 ft. 9½ in. | 120 ft. 8½ in. |
| Extreme breadth | 51 ft. 9½ in. | 49 ft. 1 in. | 47 ft. 3 in. | 49 ft. 9 in. | 44 ft. 6½ in. | 40 ft. 4½ in. |
| Depth of hold | 21 ft. 6 in. | 21 ft. | 20 ft. | 21 ft. 3 in. | 18 ft. 9½ in. | 17 ft. 2 in. |
| Tonnage | 2,047 | 1,827 | 1,580 | 1,825 | 1,380 | 1,046 |
The genuine frigate—that is to say, a large cruiser, of relatively high speed, carrying its main armament on one deck—was introduced into the Royal Navy in 1741, when the Adventure was built. She carried thirty-two guns, of which twenty-two were 12-pounders. The first British 36-gun frigates were the Brilliant and Pallas, built in 1757. Their main armament also consisted of 12-pounders. French frigates of the same date were of larger dimensions, as is proved by the following table which compares the principal measurements of the Brilliant and of the French frigate Aurore:—
| Name of ship | Length of gun-deck | Breadth. | Depth of hold | Tonnage. | Complement. |
| ft. in. | ft. in. | ft. in. | |||
| Brilliant | 128 4 | 35 8 | 12 4 | 718 | 240 |
| Aurore | 144 0 | 38 8½ | 15 2 | 946 | 250 |