HMS Queen Elizabeth has been docked at Rosyth dockyard
Posted on 06/25/2017 9:09:07 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
The largest warship ever built in the UK is due to set sail for the first time today.
HMS Queen Elizabeth, the Royal Navy's new aircraft carrier, will leave her dock in Scotland around lunchtime to start two years of sea trials.
She is named after Elizabeth the first and is the second ship to carry the name - the first was a World War One battleship.
More than 700 crew are onboard, from seamen to aircraft engineers, dentists to force protection. The oldest crew member is 58 and the youngest 17 although the average age is in the early twenties.
In recent weeks they have been practising drills and familiarising themselves with their new ship. Their first task will be to successfully sail her out of the basin she was built in.
It will need precise calculations and nerves of steel. At high tide, she will be guided through a narrow exit in the harbour. This has been widened but still only allows 14 inches either side to spare.
Recent dry weather in the Highlands and Cairngorms has meant less rainfall in the Forth - when she squeezes through the exit, the man at the steering wheel on the bridge - Chief Petty Officer Sticky Vercoe - will only have 50cm beneath the keel and the river bed.
The flight deck will overhand buildings either side. If the wind is too strong she risks bouncing off the harbour walls which could damage her before she's even reached open water. Once clear she will be pulled into the middle of the Forth where she will drop anchor for a few hours.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.sky.com ...
HMS Queen Elizabeth has been docked at Rosyth dockyard
Russia is set to start huge spying mission on Navy’s newest aircraft carrier the moment £3billion ship sets sail for the first time
Oh, the carrier without airplanes. ALL of the Harriers are gone.
No aircraft either unless some Harriers are still around and working.
Not exactly a beautiful ship is she?
They’d need them from the U.S. Marines, since the USMC purchased all the RAF Harriers.
Sticky Vercoe? Oh, man, that name is just begging to have a song written about it. Maybe a bad omen for this maiden voyage?
Still waiting for the F 35 I guess.
It will be able to fly the F35, if we ever get the damned thing working.
Meanwhile, you have to like a ship that was launched with a bottle of single malt scotch, instead of champagne.
“sets sail”
leaves port?
Hopefully they will not load it fully but leave off excess weight, which can be transported aboard after having left the dockyard and narrow confines.
If this boat is not nuclear powered it is a waste of money.
And I would mention that I feel slightly bad about mentioning this.......but.....
.....She’s got a HUGE ass.
Nope, not nuclear - from WIKI.
The Ministry of Defence decided not to use nuclear propulsion due to its high cost,[47] so power is supplied by two Rolls-Royce Marine Trent MT30 36 MW (48,000 hp) gas turbine generator units and four Wärtsilä diesel generator sets (two 9 MW or 12,000 hp and two 11 MW or 15,000 hp sets). The Trents and diesels are the largest ever supplied to the Royal Navy, and together they feed the low-voltage electrical systems as well as four GE Power Conversion’s 20 MW Advanced Induction Motor (arranged in tandem) electric propulsion motors that drive the twin fixed-pitch propellers.[48]
“It wii take...nerves of steel”
But what about hearts of oak?
Seems under powered compared to my old ship Independence
All electric ship with AIM is very efficient.
80MW of propulsion in azipods is plenty
How many Muslims are in that 700 crew?
I know I am too literal but when I see “set sail” I expect sails to be involved.
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