HMS Queen Elizabeth

Author
Discussion

Marty63

Original Poster:

2,347 posts

173 months

Wednesday 20th June 2012
quotequote all
Wow, she's a biggin


Cyder

7,045 posts

219 months

Wednesday 20th June 2012
quotequote all
Awesome, good job we've got a load of harriers and toys to fly off it.

Ah wait. frown

Godalmighty83

417 posts

253 months

Wednesday 20th June 2012
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Or at least will be a biggun, not quite that far into build yet.

Lots of pics of the bits here- http://www.flickr.com/photos/qeclasscarriers/

Many of the superblocks are built up and many parts are ready to be welded together so the ship should start taking shape now quite quickly. I don't think a harrier pilot would know what to do with all that room and a ship big enough to iron out the waves.

davepoth

29,395 posts

198 months

Wednesday 20th June 2012
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Godalmighty83 said:
Or at least will be a biggun, not quite that far into build yet.

Lots of pics of the bits here- http://www.flickr.com/photos/qeclasscarriers/

Many of the superblocks are built up and many parts are ready to be welded together so the ship should start taking shape now quite quickly. I don't think a harrier pilot would know what to do with all that room and a ship big enough to iron out the waves.
I reckon a harrier would probably be small enough to fly directly into the hangar, judging by the size of that lift. Maybe you could get some bonus points for that. smile

Simpo Two

85,149 posts

264 months

Wednesday 20th June 2012
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Blimey, that's wide. Taking off and landing side by side? I see the traditional angled strip has gone.

Fishtigua

9,786 posts

194 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
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We made all the escape hatches and hull doors over here in Guernsey. Fabricated, painted and shipped over as units to weld into which ever end was built in each yard. Shame they forgot how to launch the Sopworths in the design.

davepoth

29,395 posts

198 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
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Simpo Two said:
Blimey, that's wide. Taking off and landing side by side? I see the traditional angled strip has gone.
No need for it if you aren't landing horizontally I suppose.

phumy

5,671 posts

236 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
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Traditionally lifts have always been accomodated on the port side or centre of the ship, its good to see theyve started to use the starb`d (redundant to flight ops) side, to keep flying in all conditions.

I still cant see how they can flood that dry dock and get her out wink

Godalmighty83

417 posts

253 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
Blimey, that's wide. Taking off and landing side by side? I see the traditional angled strip has gone.
In theory a wider deck will allow it to carry out a lot of landing and take off operations at the same time at a faster rate, although in reality I cant see much of it being used especially in peace time due to the risks of multiple aircraft and down-washes at the same time. Iam not sure if a official launch rate has been mentioned but if memory serves the invincibles always struggled getting a reasonable wing in the air in short order due to a lack of room to prep and get the aircraft ready for launch, with a bit of luck the massive increase in room will allow a lot more a lot faster.

Gazzas86

1,707 posts

170 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
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Gutted i wont ever get to serve on one!, done my time on illustrious and that was big for me.

Davie

4,733 posts

214 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
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Obviously somebody will have checked... but that's a big bugger and there's the small matter of the Forth Bridge. The old carriers had to drop their masts/aerial/sky dics even at low tide (or so I was told) so I can only assume they'll have to fit a few of the higher bits after it passes under or perhaps flood the ballast tanks? Of is she deceptively low, if incredibly wide?

bobbylondonuk

2,197 posts

189 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
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How does she compare with the big US carriers?

rhinochopig

17,932 posts

197 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
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Such a shame that we no longer have a domestic moth-ball manufacturing capability big enough for her. We'll have to buy them in from the Indians. Damn defence cuts.

LukeSi

5,753 posts

160 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
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bobbylondonuk said:
How does she compare with the big US carriers?

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
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Amazing how many more aircraft the Nimitz class carries.

dirkgently

2,160 posts

230 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
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el stovey said:
Amazing how many more aircraft the Nimitz class carries.
About 90 more in the current climate smile

Simpo Two

85,149 posts

264 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
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We could have gone over and nicked the French one for nothing.

AshVX220

5,929 posts

189 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
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Davie said:
Obviously somebody will have checked... but that's a big bugger and there's the small matter of the Forth Bridge. The old carriers had to drop their masts/aerial/sky dics even at low tide (or so I was told) so I can only assume they'll have to fit a few of the higher bits after it passes under or perhaps flood the ballast tanks? Of is she deceptively low, if incredibly wide?
The only part of the ship which is a problem is the "Pole-Mast", which is located on the forward edge of the aft Island. This has been designed with a hinge mechanism, so it can be folded whenever the ship needs to come under the bridge.

phumy

5,671 posts

236 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
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doogz said:
phumy said:
Traditionally lifts have always been accomodated on the port side or centre of the ship, its good to see theyve started to use the starb`d (redundant to flight ops) side, to keep flying in all conditions.

I still cant see how they can flood that dry dock and get her out wink
Have they? Nimitz, Enterprise, Kitty Hawk, all had lifts on the stbd side, forward and aft of the island/islands, as will the new Fords.
Since when has the Nimitz, Enterprise, Kitty Hawk been part of the traditional British aircraft carrier fleet?

Anyway the starbd lifts on the septic carriers are for the ice cream vans, coke machines and burger vans, not aircraft. wink

AshVX220

5,929 posts

189 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
quotequote all
phumy said:
doogz said:
phumy said:
Traditionally lifts have always been accomodated on the port side or centre of the ship, its good to see theyve started to use the starb`d (redundant to flight ops) side, to keep flying in all conditions.

I still cant see how they can flood that dry dock and get her out wink
Have they? Nimitz, Enterprise, Kitty Hawk, all had lifts on the stbd side, forward and aft of the island/islands, as will the new Fords.
Since when has the Nimitz, Enterprise, Kitty Hawk been part of the traditional British aircraft carrier fleet?

Anyway the starbd lifts on the septic carriers are for the ice cream vans, coke machines and burger vans, not aircraft. wink
Ah, you didn't specify British! wink
They could put a whole MCD's restraunt on the lifts on QEC! smile Each lift can take two JCA, which is a bigger airframe than a Harrier to start with, I [u]think[/u] they can also take a Chinook un-folded.