Posted on 06/17/2018 1:05:50 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Britain's six Type 45 destroyers, described as the backbone of the Royal Navy, spent 80 per cent of last year in dock.
The ships, costing £1billion each, need a multi-million pound refit after repeatedly breaking down in the Persian Gulf. But the work is not due to start until 2020.
Two of the cutting-edge warships, HMS Dauntless and HMS Defender, did not go to sea at all during 2017 – which had been hailed by officials and ministers as 'the year of the Navy'.
All six warships, which entered service from 2008, were made with an engine system which cuts out in warm seas, leaving sailors stranded for hours in total darkness.
Britain's six Type 45 destroyers, described as the backbone of the Royal Navy, spent 80 per cent of last year in dock
This led to fears that these key vessels – designed to shield the rest of the fleet from air or missile attacks – had become 'sitting ducks'.
HMS Dragon spent 309 days in Portsmouth last year, followed by HMS Daring with 232 days and HMS Diamond with 203.
HMS Duncan spent the most time at sea, but was still in dock for 197 days.
From January to March this year, HMS Daring, HMS Dauntless and HMS Defender have not left port.
Shockingly, engine-makers Rolls-Royce claim the Ministry of Defence did not tell them the 8,000-ton vessels would spend long periods in warm waters so they were not designed to operate in the heat.
Insiders say a shortage of manpower, Christmas leave for sailors and routine maintenance had also been factors that kept the ships at Portsmouth.
Lord West, former head of the Navy, said: 'It is a disgrace that work on these ships has not been done as a matter of urgency.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Dude, Google ‘’Hadley-Page’’ and tell me you’re not looking at a four engine British bomber. The British named their bomber aircraft after their designers. I was being humorous for Christ sake.
“...Google ‘’Hadley-Page’’ and tell me you’re not looking at a four engine British bomber. The British named their bomber aircraft after their designers. …”
Not sure what searching on “Hadley-Page” would produce, but searching on “Hndley Page Aircraft” (my poor spelling notwithstanding) located a list of over 40 designs: biplanes, monoplanes, single engine, twin engine, four engine; bombers, airliners, trainers, transports, and research aircraft; piston/prop machines and jets (complete with a correctly spelled heading and everything). The company’s Halifax of World War Two may be their best known bomber design: wasn’t restricted to air bombardment missions, got used as a glider tug for Overlord and other airborne operations.
Not sure who Halifax was, in British history. But the list did include “Hercules”, “Hermes”, “Hamlet” and “Hyderabad” - not airplane designers, at least not that I was aware of.
Hamlet did design an aircraft, the B-2. I could be wrong about that, though. B-2 or not B-2, that is the question...
Do what I did . Google Handley-Page’’
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