HMS Queen Elizabeth

[HarryW]

andy97 said:

Very in depth studies and I worked for the former head of naval base infrastructure who chaired the study team. Not sure why Inchgreen was rejected but it was, along with many others, including some quite innovative ideas.

H and W is not in GB and was rejected for other reasons.

The use of the term GB in that context was useful to exclude H&W, it is part of the UK though, the defence of which the ships are being built for, by the UK government H&W was the best yard for their assembly, but the other GB, Gordon Brown thought differently....like most of the things he and his predecessor were involved in would be considered criminal if it were Zimbabwe.

[andy97]

The last naval ship ( RFA Fort Victoria) that had any work done on it at H & W had significant problems and delays caused by sabotage. It was the last naval ship worked on there for a reason and it had nothing to do with Gordon Brown.

Edited by andy97 on Thursday 17th April 21:30

[hidetheelephants]

HarryW said:

andy97 said:

Very in depth studies and I worked for the former head of naval base infrastructure who chaired the study team. Not sure why Inchgreen was rejected but it was, along with many others, including some quite innovative ideas.

H and W is not in GB and was rejected for other reasons.

The use of the term GB in that context was useful to exclude H&W, it is part of the UK though, the defence of which the ships are being built for, by the UK government H&W was the best yard for their assembly, but the other GB, Gordon Brown thought differently....like most of the things he and his predecessor were involved in would be considered criminal if it were Zimbabwe.

You could fit both in the H&W assembly dock at the same time; it's that big! I'm fascinated to know what the technical risk assessment was for planning to have two ships in the RN that can't enter or leave dry dock without removing their props first, never mind the CBA. Given the RN's propensity for driving their big grey war canoes onto the green bits of the map when they ought to stick to the blue, this strikes me as a potentially embarrassing innovation.

[MBBlat]

The last UK "military" ship, and one of the last ships to be built there, was MV Anvil Point http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_class
I'm not aware of any sabotage on her, and H&W workers were always extremely loyalist, besides there is a long history of warship building there.
The only other downside is that the dock sill is a little bit shallow for CVF, so the dock gates would have had to be modified to get here out.

[hidetheelephants]

MBBlat said:

The last UK "military" ship, and one of the last ships to be built there, was MV Anvil Point http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_class
I'm not aware of any sabotage on her, and H&W workers were always extremely loyalist, besides there is a long history of warship building there.
The only other downside is that the dock sill is a little bit shallow for CVF, so the dock gates would have had to be modified to get here out.

As long as she was light a good spring tide would get her out.

[andy97]

The Point Class are civilian ships as part of a PFI deal. Civilian owned, manned and run. Not RN or RFA. Fort Victoria was bombed and nearly lost in H & W.

[Davie]

MBBlat said:

The last UK "military" ship, and one of the last ships to be built there, was MV Anvil Point http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_class
I'm not aware of any sabotage on her, and H&W workers were always extremely loyalist, besides there is a long history of warship building there.
The only other downside is that the dock sill is a little bit shallow for CVF, so the dock gates would have had to be modified to get here out.

Slightly off topic, but one of those currently runs between the port at Rosyth and mainland Europe on a regular basis vcarrying freight.

Back on topic, the air craft carrier does look frighteningly massive up close so it will need to be sat very high in the water, which in itself seems to contracdict the laws of physics given that's a hell of a lot of boat out the water and not much in it.

It'll be interesting to say the least...

[onyx39]

Wikipedia says she launches in July,so not long to wait.

[paulrussell]

hidetheelephants said:

You could fit both in the H&W assembly dock at the same time; it's that big! I'm fascinated to know what the technical risk assessment was for planning to have two ships in the RN that can't enter or leave dry dock without removing their props first, never mind the CBA. Given the RN's propensity for driving their big grey war canoes onto the green bits of the map when they ought to stick to the blue, this strikes me as a potentially embarrassing innovation.

The props being put on whilst the ship afloat might be because the MOD don't want the props out in the open, as photos could be taken of them, thus the frequency can be worked out meaning enemy navy's can locate it easily.

[hidetheelephants]

paulrussell said:

The props being put on whilst the ship afloat might be because the MOD don't want the props out in the open, as photos could be taken of them, thus the frequency can be worked out meaning enemy navy's can locate it easily.

I can accept they might want to keep it secret, but that's a pretty crap justification for this expensive and as far as I'm aware unprecedented procedure; even Astute gets its propellor(or propulsor) fitted when high and dry, albeit while in a shed. Wrapping the thing in tarpaulin would achieve the same thing. In any case aircraft carriers are not stealthy platforms sonically, as to launch or recover aircraft they are batting along at full speed, which is noisy however clever your props are.

[ninja-lewis]

paulrussell said:

The props being put on whilst the ship afloat might be because the MOD don't want the props out in the open, as photos could be taken of them, thus the frequency can be worked out meaning enemy navy's can locate it easily.

Someone better tell Rolls Royce before the Russians have a look at their press image gallery!



I think it's simply that they need to be able to test the systems as part of the fitting out process in the basin hence the need for brake propellors. They can't take her back in to the dry dock to remove them when they finish because the dry dock will by then be occupied by Prince of Wales. The first two major lower blocks for the latter are due to arrive not long after QE is floated out this summer. With the various lessons learned from putting QE together they're planning to complete POW even quicker.

[hidetheelephants]

I did wonder; so it's a one off because of the absurd political pork barrel deal over the construction and the rest of the time they'll stick her in a dock that's actually big enough to take her with her props on?

[AshVX220]

Not long until the launch ceremony now.

So I thought I'd put this link up of a piece in the DM (apologies to those that really dislike the DM).

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2662160/A-...

Some interesting pics and a decent video.

[Gazzas86]

Apsolutely huge....... How we are going to fill these up with Matelots i will ever know.

[MBBlat]

The ships crew is the same size as the Invincibles, so no problem finding enough sailors.
The airwing however is quite a bit larger.

[hidetheelephants]

MBBlat said:

The ships crew is the same size as the Invincibles, so no problem finding enough sailors.
The airwing however is quite a bit larger.

A good job biggles has 5 or so years until the airframes arrive to recruit some more crabs. In the mean time Brenda has acquired the most expensive mobile deck hockey pitch in the world.

[AshVX220]

hidetheelephants said:

MBBlat said:

The ships crew is the same size as the Invincibles, so no problem finding enough sailors.
The airwing however is quite a bit larger.

A good job biggles has 5 or so years until the airframes arrive to recruit some more crabs. In the mean time Brenda has acquired the most expensive mobile deck hockey pitch in the world.

You wouldn't want to play deck-hockey on it, the covering that's being used is very special to deal with the jet heat and as such is extremely course [sp], far worse than current deck coverings, when you fall over on it, it will be taking sheets of skin off, not just the odd layer!!

[IanMorewood]

Sounds ideal for hockey, always ended a winter game by pulling gravel out of knees and elbows.

Anyway QE will take a long while before she's on commission but I guess her first deployments will be mostly as a floating helo pad.

[Kenty]

have we got any aircraft to go on it?

[tuffer]

Kenty said:

have we got any aircraft to go on it?

I am not certain but I am sure I read somewhere that we have some new stuff on order that should be ready once the ship is operational. Think it may be these https://www.gov.uk/government/news/f-35-lightning-...