Hull curvature and gun-deck placement

A frigate's physical shape puts the stability ratios into view. Its frames follow a changing curve along the vessel rather than forming a straight-sided box. Designers therefore had to consider where the guns sat against that curve, on which deck, and how high they stood above the waterline. The main battery lies near the point where the sides begin to curve inward, making its placement a deliberate part of the hull plan. Battery layout depends on three-dimensional hull geometry as well as nominal gun calibre.