Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier sets sail tonight

[Big Spender]

Anybody in the Ednburgh, Lothians or Fife area going to go down to the water to see her sail tonight?

Currently expecting her to leave the dock basin at around 1730 high tide. She'll then be anchored out in the river until aroun 2330 low tide to sail her under the bridges.

 

[dcsarge]

I would love to see her set out but as I live at the wrong end of the country I will wait for her sister ship to make home port in this part of the isle.

 

[Armageus]

It will need precise calculations and nerves of steel. At high tide, she will be guided through a narrow exit in the harbour. This has been widened but still only allows 14 inches either side to spare.

No pressure then

http://news.sky.com/story/royal-navys-largest-ever-warship-hms-queen-elizabeth-sets-sail-10927338

 

[dcsarge]

Full speed ahead it is then .

 

[Big Spender]

No pressure then

http://news.sky.com/story/royal-navys-largest-ever-warship-hms-queen-elizabeth-sets-sail-10927338

and 50cm clearance between the bottom of the ship and the river bed :O

 

[Tefal]

shes obviously going to scrape the silt, but im sure inches of steel will survive

 

[Big Spender]

I would love to see her set out but as I live at the wrong end of the country I will wait for her sister ship to make home port in this part of the isle.

I can see her where she is docked now from where i work. Will be heading to a local vantage point to watch it manoeuvre out the basin then down to the water front close to where she should be sat waiting.

 

[Greebo]

Left hand down a little......

 

[Big Spender]

UK Defence Journal on facebook will be doing a livestream on facebook of her travelling under the bridges around 2330 tonight

 

[ghutchison14078]

Been on that ship a few times, my employer used to have the contract for all the printers and copiers at the Rosyth base - she's a big un!

 

[Big Spender]

The lines have been dropped and gangways removed, she's ready to go!

 

[StriderX]

Is this the mothballed one?

 

[iamthenugget]

UK Defence Journal on facebook will be doing a livestream on facebook of her travelling under the bridges around 2330 tonight

nice i shall tune in for that, thnx for posting that as i didnt know

 

[ghutchison14078]

20 quid says they crash it into at least one of the three Forth bridges

 

[ghutchison14078]

Is this the mothballed one?

No, but I believe the second carrier (Prince of Wales) will probably get mothballed, or sold.

No planes for the first one yet anyway...a carrier without jets...derp!

 

[Firestar_3x]

No planes for the first one yet anyway...a carrier without jets...derp!

Joint Operations with the US.

 

[Woden]

No, but I believe the second carrier (Prince of Wales) will probably get mothballed, or sold.

No planes for the first one yet anyway...a carrier without jets...derp!

If only we had some sort of STVOL jet we could have used as a stop-gap. Even something from the 80s would do.

 

[ghutchison14078]

If only we had some sort of STVOL jet we could have used as a stop-gap. Even something from the 80s would do.

Would love to see the Harrier brought back, maybe update the airframe and avionics to make it suitable for modern roles.

But no, lets spend billions on a broken, delayed and overpriced 'murican jet from Lockfail Martin.

 

[Big Spender]

If only we had some sort of STVOL jet we could have used as a stop-gap. Even something from the 80s would do.

I'm led to believe we have already taken delivery of a number of the F35-B's and they will be operating from the carrier from 2018?

 

[ghutchison14078]

I'm led to believe we have already taken delivery of a number of the F35-B's and they will be operating from the carrier from 2018?

Last I heard was the full test flights were being delayed until 2018 by Lockheed; so who knows when UK will actually get any of them delivered for operational use..202x?