Hercule-class ship of the line

1/40th-scale model of the 100-gun Hercule on display at the Musée national de la Marine.
Class overview
Name:	Hercule
Builders:	Toulon, Brest
Operators:	French Navy
Preceded by:	Suffren class
Succeeded by:	Napoléon class Algésiras class
Completed:	13
Cancelled:	2
General characteristics
Class and type:	Hercule class
Displacement:	4440 tonnes
Length:	62.50 m (205 ft 1 in)
Beam:	16.20 m (53 ft 2 in)
Draught:	8.23 m (27 ft 0 in)
Propulsion:	3,150 m2 (33,900 sq ft) of sails
Complement:	955 men
Armament:	100 guns, including: 32 × long 30-pounders (lower deck) 30 × short 30-pounders (middle deck) 30 × 30-pounder carronades (upper deck) 4 × long 18-pounders (upper deck)
Armour:	Timber

The Hercule class was a late type of 100-gun ships of the line of the French Navy. They were the second strongest of four ranks of ships of the line designed by the Commission de Paris. While the first units were classical straight-walled ships of the line, next ones were gradually converted to steam, and the last one was built with an engine.

The Hercule class evolved as an enlargement of the straight-walled, 90-gun Suffren class, suggested by Jean Tupinier.

With the Henry IV, a rounded stern was introduced. The next ships were built with the rounded stern, and it was retrofitted on the early units of the class.