Carrier update May

In mid-May the anchor chains for HMS Queen Elizabeth were transported by road via seven heavy goods vehicles from the Central Warehouse in Wincanton to Rosyth. The chains which weigh in at 162 tonnes for Ship 01 had been stored at the central warehouse instead of the manufacture which saved the programme over £65k for the two chains. 

Painting of the first Queen Elizabeth carrier continues. Images show the bows just before and after the scaffolding came down, plus a cgi image of the islands as it will be after the scaffolding is removed. 

Britain’s biggest warship is now Britain’s tallest warship as HMS Queen Elizabeth reaches her maximum height with the addition of her final mast, the top section of which can be lowered to pass under bridges. From the tip of the newly-installed pole mast to the keel, the gigantic carrier now stands 73 metres (239ft) tall – eclipsing Tower Bridge, Nelson’s Column and, if it were possible, a Hunt or Sandown-class minehunter turned on its end. With a draught of just shy of ten metres (33ft) it means the aircraft carrier – due to be officially named by Her Majesty the Queen at Rosyth on July 4 – will tower 63 metres (206ft) above the waterline. 

You can watch an excellent You tube video of Cdr Kieran O'Brien RN, Head of Maritime Aviation Systems Group describes the QE programme which Includes a lot of new cgi footage of a carrier operating at sea.

Lightning IIs will provide us capabilities we have never had before, says Peter Craig at BAE Mission Systems in this fascinating You tube video which includes new cgi material. (This video link also appears in F-35B update May 2014)

All the Carrier Alliance videos are available on their You Tube video channel.