Scale: 1:48. Plan showing the bow, head, trail-board and proposed figurehead for Foudroyant (1798), an 80-gun Third Rate, two-decker.

A full-length figurehead of an eagle in flight with lightning bolts in its talons. The trail-board continues the theme of lightning with bolts coming from clouds below a crown, sceptre and two orbs. The figurehead closely ties in with the French meaning of the ship – ‘to strike with lightening’, usually with overwhelming effect.

The figurehead for the 1758 captured French Foudroyant was a full-length male (see ZAZ0633 and NPD0874) and the version for Foudroyant (1798) was a crowned male bust (survives). This may be the proposal that was not approved by the Navy Board in 1817. ADM 106/1943 contains a letter dated 2 August 1817 from Plymouth Dockyard seeking approval for a figurehead design for Foudroyant, but no accompanying sketch survives. The reverse of the letter indicates that the design was not approved and directs that the figurehead should be carved to the attached sketch (not in the letter book).