Mar. 14 saw the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, an alliance of several ship building companies (namely BAE Systems, THALES, Babcock and DE&S) released a time lapse video of the installation of HMS Queen Elizabeth‘s first of two islands.
Image credit: Royal Navy / UK MoD
The hull of the carrier, which is nearly as large as a Nimitz class carrier, and will host F-35B STOVL (Short Take Off Vertical Landing) 5th generation planes, has almost been completed and the inclusion of one of the islands which had been constructed in Portsmouth and brought to Scotland by barge makes the hulk something resembling an aircraft carrier at last.
The two carriers (Queen Elizabeth & Prince of Wales) are being built in a modular fashion in several yards all over the UK and then shipped to Rosyth in Scotland to be assembled into the finished article.
This isn’t a new process but one that is used in the construction of cruise ships and other large ocean going vessels.
Here’s the computer generated video of the construction process
The real thing
Richard Clements for TheAviationist.com
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Shame the only aircraft we have to fly off it is the F35B. B in ths case standing for buggered.
Although of course we’re buying two, but only getting one. The other is straight into the moth balls.
Insane ? yes, we know…
If they fit a caterpault to it they may get conventional craft to take off from it….landing will be fun (fitting arrest or cables assumed)… Miss and up the ramp!
Failing that Brits could dust of a few harriers…the f35 just may not turn up
Laughs aside, did GB go for ramp type carriers again? This class of carrier has almost the same size hull as as Nimiz class carrier and could get a conventional airframe off a suitable deck. Just limits your aircraft selection and thus capabilities.
Wow! nice.