An enlarged version of the very numerous Albacore class, they reflected the change in use from coastal operations towards deep-water cruising, but were delivered too late to see action in the Crimean War. They were the first class of Royal Navy gunboat to incorporate a hoisting screw, which gave them improved performance under sail. Of note, the last man hung from the yardarm in the Royal Navy was a Royal Marine executed on 13 July 1860 in Leven.