Carrier update March
There are fewer than 100 days to go until the new aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth is named by Her Majesty The Queen in Rosyth. The Carrier Alliance have begun a countdown. In the coming weeks, employees from across the country will share their stories, on the Alliance’s You Tube channel, of how they have contributed in different ways to the success of our Carriers.
Link to The Daily Telegraph article which includes video of interviews with Steve Carroll, QEC Systems Delivery Director and Captain Simon Petitt RN.
The aft aircraft of Queen Elizabeth carrier lift was lifted into position 28 February 2014. The forward aircraft lift will be fitted before the naming ceremony. Each of the two huge aircraft lifts can move two Joint Strike Fighters from the hangar to the flight deck in 60 seconds. They’re so powerful that together they could lift the entire ship’s crew.
The jig has been removed from the ski-jump ramp and integration of the aft end into the flight deck has commenced. Before the naming ceremony, the ship will be painted the Royal Navy’s trademark grey – she’s currently a mix of cream, grey and a reddish brown. Each ship has 1.5 million m2 of paintwork, which is 370 acres or slightly more than acreage of Hyde Park. HMS Queen Elizabeth will be 65,000 tonnes at full displacement – over three times the size of the current Invincible Class Aircraft Carriers.
Prince Michael of Kent became the latest in a line of Royal visitors on 9 March 2014.
Downloads below include the Winter 2013/14 edition of Carrier Waves and the four weekly updates for March giving more detail on the construction of both carriers.