T
aller than the Niagara Falls with room
for four jumbo jets, the HMS Queen
Elizabeth is a true naval goliath. The
construction called for six shipyards and
10,000 workers, and it’s kitted out with state
of the art facilities and tech. As well as a
cinema and g ym for the 1,600-strong crew to
unw ind in, the carrier w ill have the capacit y
to accommodate up to an incredible 40
aircrafts, including the world’s most
advanced stealth bomber family, the F35
Lightning II.
In a combat situation it can call on a set of
20mm guns, which are part of an automated
Phalan x CIWS (close-in weapon system) that
will protect the craft from missiles. If fl ight is
preferred to fi ght, the two Rolls-Royce MT30
gas turbines and four diesel generator sets
give the ship a power of 109,000 kilowatts
(146,171 horsepower). That’s enough to power
a small cit y! The engines givesthe vessel a
top speed of 25 knots (46 kilometres/29 miles
per hour) and a range of 16,000 kilometres
(10,000 miles).
Incredibly heav y ships – like the Elizabeth- can still fl oat because when the boat is
pushing down, the water pushes up. As long
as the vessel is not as heav y as the water it
has displaced, it will fl oat – a principle called
buoyancy. This particular ship will begin sea
trials in the summer of 2016. To achieve this,
it will have to will have to disembark from its
current location in Rosyth Dockyard in
Scotland by going under the Forth Bridge.
This can only be done at low tide as the HMS
Queen Elizabeth is simply too much of a giant
to clear it at high tide!
Take a look inside the Royal Nav y’s biggest ever vessel
HMS Queen Elizabeth
A cross-section across the length
and breadth of the carrierShip shape
Aircraft carrier
40 aircraft can be held
on the ship with up to
75 taking off and
landing every day.The bridge
The control centre of
the ship was built in
Portsmouth and sailed
by barge to Rosyth to
be connected to the
rest of the ship.Weapon defence systems
To defend itself, the Elizabeth is
equipped with a state-of-the-art
defence system known as Phalanx.Living space
1,600 bunks are available for the
small army of staff. These rooms
take up nearly all of this deck.Engine room
The ship will utilise a 109,000kW
(146,171hp) power station to
power the ship’s electronics.Jet power
Two Rolls Royce MT30 gas turbines
(based on the same parts used in a
Boeing 777) power the engine
along with four diesel engines.Before the Queen Elizabeth
class was even a twinkle in the
Royal Nav y’s eye, the Invincible
class ruled the waves. The fi rst
of this class of light aircraft
carrier was the HMS Invincible
itself, which was fi rst
commissioned in 1980.
Followed by the HMS Illustrious
and HMS Ark Royal, the vessels ser ved during the
Falklands War and the Bosnian War and assisted in the
2003 invasion of Iraq. The Illustrious is the only ship of the
class still in ser vice but it is due to be retired in the near
future. It will possibly be turned into a tourist attraction in
Hull, hosting events and exhibitions on the River Humber.The Invincible class
MILITARY