HMS Queen Elizabeth R08 (CVF)

[PR19_Kit]

Unless, of course, they use my idea of a shortened catapult plus a ski-jump bow, ala my Canadian CVV design...

How does that work then? Do they fire the aircraft up the ski-jump with a low power cat (it's noticeably shorter than the other one), or is the 'jump just on the port side of the bow? That would surely limit the span of the aircraft they could launch from the 'bow' cat.

[Thorvic]

Nah i think thats a full width ski jumps, the short cat gets the speed up and the jump points it in the right direction to stop the dip as they shoot off the edge of the deck.

(Would Any be pondering creating a CVV via a Kuznetsov kit by any chance ?  )

[anthonyp]

Nah i think thats a full width ski jumps, the short cat gets the speed up and the jump points it in the right direction to stop the dip as they shoot off the edge of the deck.

(Would Any be pondering creating a CVV via a Kuznetsov kit by any chance ?  )

You're dead on there, Geoff   

I actually have one of those dinky 1/1200 JFK's that I was going to angle the forward end of the flight deck up on to accomplish this.  Then move to 1/700 and butcher a Kuznetsov and a 1/800 Kitty Hawk class to see how it looks in my "standard" ship scale.

If you look at the above pic, the forward cat stops at the beginning of the ramp.  Heck, you don't even need a full C-13 for the forward one, you could recycle an older C-11 cat and put it there since it's basically a "starter motor" and would do enough in a short amount of space to allow good sized loads to be launched off the bow.

[Thorvic]

Just realised there are no images of the completed build, of course when completed in November 2010 it was a Project Cancelled as the UK govt in the SDSR 2010 had opted to switch to the F-35C and a CATOBAR carrier, now in May 2012 they have reverted back to the F-35B & STOVL.

[NARSES2]

Now that is nice Geoff 

[PR19_Kit]

That's going to be one BIG ship!  

[Sentinel Chicken]

Excellent work there. Looks like it was a kit build. And it's one of the few builds on this board that started out real world, then became a whiff, then ended being real world again! And I thought the USAF had procurement issues.

[Nick]

Lovely piece of work there mate!

Just curious about the Merlin AEWs, I thought the RN were going to use Sea King ASaC Mk.7. Has that changed?
Also, what about the ASW role?

[Thorvic]

Lovely piece of work there mate!

Just curious about the Merlin AEWs, I thought the RN were going to use Sea King ASaC Mk.7. Has that changed?
Also, what about the ASW role?

All Sea Kings retire in 2016 including the ASaC MK7, the current plan is to use a bolt on system to the Merlin HM-2 which also provide the ASW cover. MASC went into limbo with the switch to CATOBAR as they relised they had the time and the capability to explore a greater variety of systems. With the switch back to STOVL the pressure is back on and its likley the ASaC gear will be stripped off the Sea Kings, fitted to a palet system and configured for use on a Merlin

[PR19_Kit]

With the switch back to STOVL the pressure is back on and its likley the ASaC gear will be stripped off the Sea Kings, fitted to a palet system and configured for use on a Merlin

I'm planning the conversion in 1/72 scale already. 

How much do you bet they use the RAF HC3s for that mod? They could hang the scanner over the rear door and lower it when needed. Didn't we have a thread about exactly this a while back???

[Thorvic]

With the switch back to STOVL the pressure is back on and its likley the ASaC gear will be stripped off the Sea Kings, fitted to a palet system and configured for use on a Merlin

I'm planning the conversion in 1/72 scale already. 

How much do you bet they use the RAF HC3s for that mod? They could hang the scanner over the rear door and lower it when needed. Didn't we have a thread about exactly this a while back???

They can't the need th Merlin HC3 to become the Junglies for the Royal Marines, the idea is that thw AEW kit will be a bolt on conversion that can be configured in the ships hanger.

Personally i would prefer they used the 8 Merlin HM-1 aircraft that are not earmarked for HM2 conversion, although in an ideal world they would actually order additional aircraft from Augusta Westland to fulfill the AEW role and some additional Junglies at the same time

[Thorvic]

http://home.janes.com/events/exhibitions/dsei2011/sections/daily/day4/searchwater-radar-aimed-a.shtml

Here you go Kit

[PR19_Kit]

http://home.janes.com/events/exhibitions/dsei2011/sections/daily/day4/searchwater-radar-aimed-a.shtml

Here you go Kit

Thanks for that, but it isn't half ugly! 

I'd have thought that putting a similar installation on the centre line where the ramp would be, if it had one, would be a better solution but perhaps there's all sorts of stuff already there.

[Joe C-P]

Nah i think thats a full width ski jumps, the short cat gets the speed up and the jump points it in the right direction to stop the dip as they shoot off the edge of the deck.\
(Would Any be pondering creating a CVV via a Kuznetsov kit by any chance ?  )

I have a Kuznetsov that someday will become an EU Navy carrier with Harriers, various helos, and European electronics.

[Gondor]

I am probably wrong as I am not a naval buff, but didn't the landing areas for helo's have a circle painted on the decks or am I out of date?

Gondor