Posted on 01/07/2013 6:36:13 PM PST by the scotsman
'These new computer-generated images put into context the huge scale of the largest warships ever built for the Royal Navy.
The Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA) has released a series of powerful posters illustrating the sheer size of the warships. The computer-generated images show the warships dwarfing some of the country's most recognisable landmarks.
Another notable poster is of the under-construction HMS Queen Elizabeth berthed alongside in Portsmouth, Hants.
The ACA is a consortium of defence companies behind the construction of Portsmouth's newest carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales. Ian Booth, programme director of the ACA, said: 'These posters depict the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers in front of the Houses of Parliament and in Portsmouth. 'They're stunning images and show that two really spectacular ships can be expected once construction is complete.'
A computer-generated image released last year showed how HMS Queen Elizabeth would look alongside at Portsmouth Naval Base. The images reveal the length of the ship is the equivalent of 28 London buses and is almost three times the size of Buckingham Palace. Around 80,000 tonnes of steel will be used for the two ships, three times that used in Wembley Stadium.
The carriers are 280m in length, 65,000 tonnes and capable of transporting 40 aircraft - twice the capacity of HMS Illustrious. They are being constructed at shipyards around the country and taken for assembly at Rosyth in Scotland.'
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
According to the article it will be 280m long. The Reagan is 320m long. The Enterprise is/was 342m.
Nice canoe!
Lot smaller than the Enterprise!
Hope it doesn’t have electrical problems like my ol MGB!
If you’re going to take the tour, I think the boat with the glass ceiling would be better to see all the sights like the Taj Mahal or something.
Is Cameron gonna send it to the Falklands ?
This is great, but I hope that it isn’t the Islamic Republic of Great Britain by the time her service life is through.
Training wheels in the aft bridge?
I think they HAD to build bigger carriers. The ones they have are made for VTOL planes (Harriers) and they retired them. I assumed they’ve learned their lesson and designed catapult and arresting gear into the flight deck for conventional Naval A/C.
Scoop foredeck for VTOL’s?
Old Brit car and bike humor. Corollary was a joke about why Brits drink warm beer.
Seriously, I bet these ships will be built top notch. Ship building is in their genes. Would love to tour one, but never happen out here on an island.
/johnny
... is it as big as the mosque in the background?
What mosque?.
The building on the far left with the light coloured roof is a Whitehall building.
Are those not two white minarets exposed to the left of the top of the tower?
No, those are the 2 of the four chimneys of Battersea Power Station.
My half Irish/half French Canadian ancestry has conflicts with that, but I do have immense respect for them. They kicked ass in their day with precious little to back them up.
918 feet as compared to CVN-77 (George H.W. Bush) at 1092 ft.
Nifty looking carrier that is, but still smaller than US Carriers.
No. The initial plans were for the Queen Elizabeth class carriers to use STOVL aircraft (the F35B), with the capability of later upgrade to F35C or similar aircraft, but with changes to the F35 program making the delivery of F35Bs far less likely, it was decided to go straight to the later configuration. The 'skijump' has been retained because it is still useful for non-STOVL aircraft - even with a catapult assisted launch, that up angle increases the weight you can launch over a particular distance.
And yes, the QE class carriers will be smaller than US carriers, but will be larger than anything anybody else in the world has. As it is unlikely the UK will be going to war with the US in the near future, they are big enough.
(The next generation French carrier may also wind up slightly larger than the Queen Elizabeth class, but, again, war with France seems unlikely).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.