News Navy gets its new toy!

[Notebook]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-hampshire-42228057

Summary
£3.1bn carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth to be commissioned in Portsmouth
It is the largest warship ever built for the Royal Navy
Queen attends ceremony
In total 3,700 guests invited, including Theresa May and Princess Royal
The White Ensign will be raised, meaning the carrier is formally in service

Just needs the flying bits now....

N.

 

[Urwumpe]

Now we need a mesh of this one for Orbiter....

 

[C3PO]

Now we need a mesh of this one for Orbiter....

For Orbiter? Wow! Those magnetic catapults must be powerful. :lol:

 

[Urwumpe]

For Orbiter? Wow! Those magnetic catapults must be powerful. :lol:

I thought for the Royal Navy DG... :lol:

 

[C3PO]

Listening to British media I think they will be lucky to get Swordfish, or maybe Gladiators. :lol:

 

[Notebook]

I'd be happy if it gets a squadron of these:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackburn_Buccaneer

 

[Urwumpe]

Well, what is wrong with the Sea Harrier? :embarrassed:

 

[Notebook]

Nothing, I just prefer the Buccaneer. Got a better name as well...

N.

 

[Evil_Onyx]

The Blackburn Buccaneer is one of my favourite aircraft. Fast and manoeuvrable in the muck. it is a pity the Navy had to get rid of them and the RAF found them so late it was pointless to upgrade them.

 

[Notebook]

This is a review of a book:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/...Phoenix-Squadron-by-Rowland-White-review.html

Haven't read it, so can't comment on its accuracy.
I vaguelly remember the episode, as Beleize/Guatemala Crisis was big in the news at the time.
How much affect a couple of aircraft would have, suppose it shows the flag and puts doubt in the other side.

Also remember it being a bit of a record re size of aircraft and the range of the mssion?

N.

 

[Urwumpe]

How much affect a couple of aircraft would have, suppose it shows the flag and puts doubt in the other side.

Well, it is a simple message: "Yes, you might doubt that these aircraft did more than just fly at their maximum range. But tomorrow at the same time, the aircraft carrier is 480 NM closer to you. And maybe very angry."

Also, those two squadrons of Buccaneers would have been a serious threat for the Guatemalan Airforce. Their best equipment at that time had been 13 Cessna Dragonfly Jets, barely a challenge for a Buccaneer and no threat to an aircraft carrier, and those had been delivered 2 years after the conflict... before, they just had a similar number of P-15D Mustangs.

 

[Notebook]

It was all very tense:
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id... buccaneers overfly us enroute belize&f=false

 

[Andy44]

Well, what is wrong with the Sea Harrier? :embarrassed:

Out of production since 1993, and the last one in service anywhere was retired in India in 2016. According to Wikipedia there is only one air-worthy example left, and it's privately owned in Maryland.

The Harrier II has been out of production since 2003, but there are still many in service with the USMC, and they are accustomed to operating aboard ships.

So if the RN really wanted Harriers (and they should), they could offer to buy the USMC airframes as the USMC replaces them with F-35s.

That would mean the RN would have modern, working, proven navalized STOVL jets, while the USMC will have jets which are merely...modern.

Of course that's all idle chit chat. Might as well talk about reviving the Yak-38 at this point. It's F-35 or bust for all those who bought into it.

 

[Notebook]

wandering further away, didn't know about this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Beard_(nuclear_weapon)

N.

 

[boogabooga]

Listening to British media I think they will be lucky to get Swordfish, or maybe Gladiators. :lol:

Much more value per Pound (Sterling) than anything you will find these days.

 

[Notebook]

Thought it would have lasted longer?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42406138

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Meh. I've come to expect such things in modern military acquisition programs.

They really don't build things like they used to. :dry:

 

[Notebook]

Its the cover-up that's a bit irritating. You would expect some problems with a new design, but why try and hide it?

N.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Its the cover-up that's a bit irritating. You would expect some problems with a new design, but why try and hide it?

N.

Pride.

 

[Notebook]

Guess so, but these kind of problems are nothing to be ashamed off. I wouldn't think any modern warship is 100% leak free?

N.