HMS Queen Elizabeth

[Dog Star]

mikal83 said:

South mole actually. Bit of a bugger for a run ashore from detached mole innit

Never seen one on the south - but it's a bit of a walk so I may be mistaken. I assume they run ashore on boats.

[anonymous-user]

mikal83 said:

South mole actually. Bit of a bugger for a run ashore from detached mole innit

How will the 4 crew get to the tattoo parlour and strip bars?

[LotusOmega375D]

Good to see her earning her keep on the Med Cruise circuit until the planes are ready. Plenty of room on board for dancing and bingo.

[donutsina911]

DELETED: Comment made by a member who's account has been deleted.

^ This

Meanwhile, this photo for me shows the scale of the thing. Merlins and Chinooks are not small cabs but they look effing tiny...

[shouldbworking]

DELETED: Comment made by a member who's account has been deleted.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Robert_E._Peary

7 days, 14 hours and 32 minutes from laying the keel to delivery

For a more realistic comparison -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Repulse_(1916)

19 months from keel laying to delivery

[FourWheelDrift]

donutsina911 said:

^ This

Meanwhile, this photo for me shows the scale of the thing. Merlins and Chinooks are not small cabs but they look effing tiny...

One of those classic size comparison graphics, but the two type 23 Frigates side by side in the hangar is probably the oh... moment.

Perhaps it can carry them instead of the F-35s

[yellowjack]

DELETED: Comment made by a member who's account has been deleted.

If that was (even partly) aimed at my "Spanish Harriers" pie-in-the-sky musings, know this. I'm aware of how the process works.

It just amused me to think of HMSQE embarking some Spanish aeroplanes while within sight of a chunk of rock over which the two countries have squabbled for a long, long time. And, of course, the supreme irony of Spain still having an aeroplane which the UK designed, but one which we've already consigned to history.

Even if it was operationally possible/desirable to have someone else's STOVL aircraft embarked even for a brief period, I'm pretty sure that Spanish Harriers would be politically difficult to welcome aboard, especially in such a sensitive location to relations between the UK and Spain.

TL;DR? It was meant to be a giggle. Nothing more. Just chuckle and move on. No need for lectures about the commissioning and training process, no need for any parrots, etc.

I was involved (at a junior level) in bringing the army's BR90 concept into service. Vickers/Alvis/Unipower didn't just build some ABLE/BV trucks and lob them at the army. There was a lot of TDU work to be done to write the training pamphlets and servicing manuals, etc, first. Then we got them at the training regiments to iron out the hardware bugs, validate the operating instructions, and edit the training manuals, before training the instructors, and only then training the front line operational users on them. I know they're a lot smaller, and at c. £2.5million per set a lot cheaper than a QE class carrier, but the process is broadly similar...


BAE Systems' picture.



My picture from this week.

[mikal83]

El stovey said:

mikal83 said:

South mole actually. Bit of a bugger for a run ashore from detached mole innit

How will the 4 crew get to the tattoo parlour and strip bars?

You've not been to Gib have you!

[aeropilot]

yellowjack said:

Unlike the UK, the Spanish saw no advantage to scrapping it's STOVL capability before it was able to replace it. And then they decided that they couldn't afford to replace Harrier/AV-8B right now, so they've extended it in service to 2025. Maybe they could use some of their Harrier fleet to help train the HMSQE deck crew for fixed-wing flight ops?

That wouldn't be embarrassing for the UK government in any way...

I don't think anyone in UK Govt give a fk anyway............

If they did, they wouldn't have created so many capability holidays within UK mil in the first place.....

[kowalski655]

Maybe the Spanish Harriers will stage a fly past...just to rub it in!

[FourWheelDrift]

The USS Robert E Peary was also a Liberty ship, prefabricated production line build. Not built to last or expected to survive long during the war, although 2 or 3 IIRC do survive to this day as museum ships.

[Evanivitch]

yellowjack said:

Unlike the UK, the Spanish saw no advantage to scrapping it's STOVL capability before it was able to replace it. And then they decided that they couldn't afford to replace Harrier/AV-8B right now, so they've extended it in service to 2025. Maybe they could use some of their Harrier fleet to help train the HMSQE deck crew for fixed-wing flight ops?

That wouldn't be embarrassing for the UK government in any way...

We don't need to bother with Spanish Harriers as we already have our own Harriers being used to train ground crews and have done ever since they were retired from flying services.

We've also continued exchange programmes of pilots and ground crews with the US Navy and Marines to keep our flat-top skills current and sharp.

[Evanivitch]

FourWheelDrift said:

Wait wait wait....

Are you saying we could JATO a B747 off the deck?

[Piginapoke]

ash73 said:

It's also exactly the same length as a large white elephant, coincidentally.

So this.

[Speculatore]

yellowjack said:

Even if it was operationally possible/desirable to have someone else's STOVL aircraft embarked even for a brief period, I'm pretty sure that Spanish Harriers would be politically difficult to welcome aboard, especially in such a sensitive location to relations between the UK and Spain.

In 2007 we (Illustrious) went through a training program embarking USMC harriers followed by 6 x Italian harriers and then 6 x Spanish harriers as part of our NATO commitment to be able to carry out cross deck operations with other NATO allies. The USMC period was the most enjoyable as they brought 250 USMC ground crew and supporting staff with them. Me and the CPOPT arranged a flightdeck games day followed by a BBQ. As the EWO I even got permission from the embarked USMC Colonel for the marines to receive a daily beer issue. We won the flightdeck sports day with one of the USMC harriers collecting the trophy from a shop in Norfolk, VA and bringing it back onboard in his jet.

[mattyn1]

Speculatore said:

In 2007 we (Illustrious) went through a training program embarking USMC harriers followed by 6 x Italian harriers and then 6 x Spanish harriers as part of our NATO commitment to be able to carry out cross deck operations with other NATO allies. The USMC period was the most enjoyable as they brought 250 USMC ground crew and supporting staff with them. Me and the CPOPT arranged a flightdeck games day followed by a BBQ. As the EWO I even got permission from the embarked USMC Colonel for the marines to receive a daily beer issue. We won the flightdeck sports day with one of the USMC harriers collecting the trophy from a shop in Norfolk, VA and bringing it back onboard in his jet.

I think we may have been onboard together.
Osprey landing on after New York July 4th stop.

[Kccv23highliftcam]

hidetheelephants said:

Looks like a Hifog or similar high pressure water misting system; they cause no mess and no damage unless there's live and unprotected electrical equipment around. Given the operational and safety benefits of these systems I fail to understand why they are not mandatory on all new ships.

What you mean like those 270 v dc power sets and those mahoosive lithium batteries on the F35 you mean..

[Speculatore]

mattyn1 said:

I think we may have been onboard together.
Osprey landing on after New York July 4th stop.

Thats the one... I was the EWO over that period.

[mattyn1]

Speculatore said:

Thats the one... I was the EWO over that period.

You have email!!

[anonymous-user]

I flew into Edinburgh yesterday and law what looked like the carrier in Rosyth, is that the Prince of wales? It looked fairly advanced in construction process if so.