HMS Queen Elizabeth

[98elise]

Ayahuasca said:

Interesting that the Americans are planning to downsize their carrier fleet and invest instead into smaller, cheaper warships which are more able to counter a possible modern Chinese threat.

Have we bought the last two dinosaurs?

Are they reducing their carrier fleet to zero?

[PRTVR]

Teddy Lop said:

Ayahuasca said:

Interesting that the Americans are planning to downsize their carrier fleet and invest instead into smaller, cheaper warships which are more able to counter a possible modern Chinese threat.

Have we bought the last two dinosaurs?

The QE is a smaller, cheaper warship than the American Nimitz/ ford carriers . I heard many within defense are watching how things pan out with some keen interest.

I have read the same, going forward the nuclear carriers may have an advantage in a hypersonic missile environment,
if laser weapons are an option, unlimited electricity is not a bad thing to have.

[Wildcat45]

98elise said:

He hit the 992, which then needed to be replaced.

Ouch. An expensive day out then.

I recall Invince got hit early in her service life. I think the pilot died.

[Seight_Returns]

Ayahuasca said:

Have we bought the last two dinosaurs?

Don't think so. Steel is cheap - it's the people that cost money. One of the design criteria for QE was that they could be operated with a similar crew size to the CVSs they replaced - much less than a Nimitz/Ford and much closer to that of the America class that the US are focusing on.

[MissChief]

Seight_Returns said:

Don't think so. Steel is cheap - it's the people that cost money. One of the design criteria for QE was that they could be operated with a similar crew size to the CVSs they replaced - much less than a Nimitz/Ford and much closer to that of the America class that the US are focusing on.

Ford class is about 2,600 crewmen, around 600 less than Nimitz class according to Google.

QE is around 700 for ship ops, growing to around 1,600 with a full flying wing and all the staff that entails.

[LotusOmega375D]

Has the joint exercise with US Marines started yet? If so what part of the sea are they operating in?

[Ayahuasca]

Seight_Returns said:

Ayahuasca said:

Have we bought the last two dinosaurs?

Don't think so. Steel is cheap - it's the people that cost money. One of the design criteria for QE was that they could be operated with a similar crew size to the CVSs they replaced - much less than a Nimitz/Ford and much closer to that of the America class that the US are focusing on.

I don’t believe the issue is cost per se. It is more the number of ships that can be deployed per dollar. Baskets and eggs.

[silverfoxcc]

98elise said:

Yup. When I was on Ark Royal a Harrier was damaged in flight meaning it couldn't safely land (on the ship or land). The Pilot was told to eject over water.

Dumb question

If it could fly, why couldn't it land even as a normal' landing? or did it have n aversion to going below a certain level?

[Ayahuasca]

silverfoxcc said:

98elise said:

Yup. When I was on Ark Royal a Harrier was damaged in flight meaning it couldn't safely land (on the ship or land). The Pilot was told to eject over water.

Dumb question

If it could fly, why couldn't it land even as a normal' landing? or did it have n aversion to going below a certain level?

I guess any number of scenarios from wheels not deploying properly to a bomb or missile hanging on and not deploying properly to a problem with a control surface, or the throttle ..

[Shar2]

Because of the unusual undercarriage arrangement. I believe the SHAR had lost or damaged one of it's outriggers. Not easy to land at Yeovilton with the chance that one wing could dip and hit the ground

[PugwasHDJ80]

Why didn't he just land it on a stool?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRtlM6IoH-Y

[98elise]

Shar2 said:

Because of the unusual undercarriage arrangement. I believe the SHAR had lost or damaged one of it's outriggers. Not easy to land at Yeovilton with the chance that one wing could dip and hit the ground

That's what we were told. Nozzles and one outrigger were damaged so it couldn't land safely either way.

[Cold]

Fly Navy.

[Condi]

I know the decision was made a long time ago, but it still baffles me we have bought the world's most advanced fighter jet and then spec'ed the version with a huge central fan, and all the weight and complexity and cost that brings.

Feels a bit like asking Usain Bolt to run the 100m carrying 2 bags of shopping.

[ecsrobin]

And yet he would still win!

[Teddy Lop]

Condi said:

I know the decision was made a long time ago, but it still baffles me we have bought the world's most advanced fighter jet and then spec'ed the version with a huge central fan, and all the weight and complexity and cost that brings.

Feels a bit like asking Usain Bolt to run the 100m carrying 2 bags of shopping.

the real brainbreaker is that we bought the hovver jet - the thing we invented and suffered the compromises over conventional jets so we could have cheaper, smaller carriers - then built full-size carriers to put it on!

But its been done to death...

[Piginapoke]

And I’ve still no idea what it’s going to be used for

[98elise]

Piginapoke said:

And I’ve still no idea what it’s going to be used for

These particular carriers, or carriers in general?

[Piginapoke]

98elise said:

These particular carriers, or carriers in general?

These carriers.

[Dr Jekyll]

Teddy Lop said:

the real brainbreaker is that we bought the hovver jet - the thing we invented and suffered the compromises over conventional jets so we could have cheaper, smaller carriers - then built full-size carriers to put it on!

But its been done to death...

They are pretty small carriers, and they don't have catapults, hence the hover jets.