On the return voyage, the ship was diverted to Egypt during the Anglo-Egyptian War of 1882 and played a minor role supporting operations ashore.

She continued in that role, under a variety of names, until she was sold for scrap in 1955 and subsequently broken up, the second-to-last surviving Pembroke-built warship in existence.

[1] Inconstant reached a speed of 16.2 knots (30.0 km/h; 18.6 mph) from 7,360 indicated horsepower (5,490 kW) during her sea trials and was the fastest warship afloat when completed.

[7] She carried a maximum of 750 long tons (760 t) of coal, enough to steam 2,780 nautical miles (5,150 km; 3,200 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).

[5] The 9-inch shells weighed 254 pounds (115.2 kg) and were rated with the ability to penetrate 11.3 inches (287 mm) of wrought-iron armour.

[4] Inconstant, the fifth ship of her name to serve in the Royal Navy,[10] was laid down on 27 November 1866 at Pembroke Dockyard, Wales.

Inconstant was transferred to Portsmouth Dockyard to finish fitting out and was commissioned on 12 August 1869 by Captain Elphinstone D'Oyly D'Auvergne Aplin for duty with the Channel Squadron.

[12] The following year the ship was assigned to the Detached Squadron, commanded by Rear-Admiral Frederick Seymour, which visited ports in Scandinavia after Inconstant joined them at Gibraltar, finally arriving at Spithead on 11 October 1871.

Shortly afterward, the squadron was diverted to Egypt after the start of the Anglo-Egyptian War of 1882; they arrived after the Bombardment of Alexandria on 11 July and some of Inconstant's crew were landed to participate in operations ashore.

The ship was sold for scrap in September 1955 and arrived at the breaker's yard in Belgium on 4 April 1956 for demolition, when she was the second-to-last Welsh-built naval vessel afloat.