Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

[-Eddie-]

QE to now depart earlier!


Live stream:

[benny14]

Livestream - https://www.pscp.tv/w/1OyKAQrqkwWKb

[benny14]

Anyone know which SSN left Plymouth today? Was it the allied one?

[SKB]

Spice Island, Portsmouth Harbour.


(ships, planes & gaming) 18th August 2018

From the Gosport side

(Steve Carter) 18th August 2018

Pompey beat Oxford 4-1 btw.

[sea_eagle]

Still no phalanx or 30 mm DS30M mounts to be seen. I don’t suppose she’ll be facing any security threats off the US seaboard

I understand they have been fitted and are the latest stealth versions.

Surprised too the paintwork needed a touch-up here and there, after all she has not just returned from a lengthy deployment? Perhaps this new slippery paint just slips off too easily?

Amazing to think she has been in Portsmouth for a year and great news to see her sail to the USA for the serious trials. After all this is what she was planned, designed, built and made for.

[sea_eagle]

Anyone know which SSN left Plymouth today?

I understand she is accompanied by 3 boats of the Astute SSN fleet.....
However I am not allowed to name them.

[SKB]

One last photo I took as QE entered the Solent. The carrier, and if you look closely, photographer Shaun Roster's drone!

QE SKB 18Aug2018.jpg:large

[sea_eagle]

One last photo I took as QE entered the Solent.

Surprised no one mentioned the new aft torpedo tubes fitted while she was in port this time.

[SKB]

Not joking, but there were almost as many people out this evening as there were for her first arrival last year. Out towards the Isle of Wight, a few huge cruise ships seemed to be hovering around waiting to catch a glimpse of the QE. The local sea traffic was very busy, with several ferries and hovercraft caught up in a Spithead jam, rushing around to get in and out of Portsmouth Harbour before the channel was closed. Some ferries were crossing across each others paths with some angry sounding horn blast exchanges. Other sounds heard, the faint sounds of the Royal Marines band aboard the QE when she came out into view, I heard the band playing their new "HMS Queen Elizabeth March" live from the centre of the flight deck. Which I've included here:

HMS Queen Elizabeth March - HM Royal Marines Band


Shame that QE's bow still looked a mess. When they stop off Cornwall, perhaps they'll finish the painting?
Oh, and a little snippet from today's other major event:

Portsmouth 4-1 Oxford United

[bobp]

Amazing to think she has been in Portsmouth for a year and great news to see her sail to the USA for the serious trials. After all this is what she was planned, designed, built and made for.

A year goes by very quickly, your statement isn't entirely correct as she has already been to sea this year, for Helicopter trials and a visit to Gibralter. To me what is exciting is the forthcoming F35B trials as well as the Royal Marines she is carrying to a exercise in the US and 700 tons of aid just in case its needed in the Carribean. Four months at sea will surely test its crew and systems to the maximum.

[bobp]

Shame that QE's bow still looked a mess. When they stop off Cornwall, perhaps they'll finish the painting?

Lovely music from the Band of the Royal Marines. I imagine they will be very busy when the QE enters Norfolk Naval Base and later New York Harbour. Shame about that dirty streak but I doubt that it will get painted over while she is doing Helicopter trials.

[SKB]

Another view of QE's departure, viewed from the top of the Long Curtain, part of Portsmouth's moat fortifications.
The two flags flown from the Square Tower are the red flags of the Kingdom of Wessex, and the blue flag of the City of Portsmouth.

(Pete Coote) 18th August 2018

And just in front of the Long Curtain, quite near to Clarence Pier funfair.

(Mechanicalheartbeat) 18th August 2018

[Opinion3]

What a weird facebook picture posted above. The QE is entering the harbour looking as if it can head out to sea.......... Which I can assure you would only be possible if it could travel over land! Completely bizarre as it is from the Naval Base itself.......

[SKB]

QE's R08 Ships Cat has been replaced by a new "Tweeto" !

[Caribbean]

700 tons of aid just in case its needed in the Carribean

I heard a few days ago that she's taking in a Caribbean tour after the trials - does anyone know if that's confirmed? If so, I'm now gutted that I moved back to the UK this year

[SKB]

What a weird facebook picture posted above. The QE is entering the harbour looking as if it can head out to sea.......... Which I can assure you would only be possible if it could travel over land! Completely bizarre as it is from the Naval Base itself.......

I think you've mistaken that blue strap banner for the sea and horizon, the banner is positioned over the background of Portsdown Hill!

I heard a few days ago that she's taking in a Caribbean tour after the trials - does anyone know if that's confirmed? If so, I'm now gutted that I moved back to the UK this year

Aww. You miss island life? I happen to know a friendly little island, approximately 70 miles southwest of London that has very regular visits from the Royal Navy and isn't very far off the mainland of Great Britain. Its only a couple of metres above sea level, is easily accessible from three mainland road bridges and one railway bridge from the mainland, with train services to London Waterloo and Victoria. The weather is relatively mild, with above average temperatures, and very rarely ever snows, although it does have a hurricane season in autumn and winter. The natives are a bit uncouth, have a strong insular islander mentality and perceive mainlanders with suspicion and as 'foreigners'. They also have a strange half 'Ampshire, half Cockney dialect which uses some words unique to the island. It has two cathedrals and the natives regularly gather at another deeply religious site several times a fortnight in Frogmore Road for 'choir practice' and bell ringing, for which they are acclaimed. The island also boasts a good university, the greatest number of pubs per capita in the entire UK, and is the birthplace of a former Prime Minister (Callaghan), a renown author (Dickens), a famous engineer (Brunel) and a genius comedian (Sellers). Plus, it has an internationally infamous Sinfonia Orchestra. The island is called Portsea Island, it's where Portsmouth is built upon!

[PhillyJ]

Those of you who intend to drive down to see QE go out at 6pm, go NOW!

We went down about 15:30, parking was difficult near Old Pompey but got a spot and had some food/drink in Spice Island, it certainly got a lot busier the closer to 17:00 it got in the pub. Decided to watch the departure by the hot walls on the beach so the young un's could keep themselves amused by throwing skimmers into the sea, once HMS QE went past our older lad pointed out where he would be stationed should his deployment on HMS POW be confirmed. Another great day watching her leave Pompey, made more exciting by seeing an IOW car ferry enter the harbour the quickest I have ever seen prior to the shipping lanes being closed!

[SKB]

360° camera view

(Commuter Consultant) 18 August 2018

[Caribbean]

Aww. You miss island life ...... island is called Portsea Island, its where Portsmouth is built!

Yes, but could I get a work permit? Also, as you point out, language might be a bit of a problem. As for the tribal customs..........

[SKB]

QE is not visible, but RFA Tiderace has just left Portland.

(Photo: Bernie Benford, Tweeted by Navy Lookout on 20th August 2018)

[Aethulwulf]

Aww. You miss island life ...... island is called Portsea Island, its where Portsmouth is built!

Yes, but could I get a work permit? Also, as you point out, language might be a bit of a problem. As for the tribal customs..........

"Umm Qasr is a town similar to Southampton”, UK Defence Minister Geoff Hoon told the House of Commons in March 2003. “He’s either never been to Southampton, or he’s never been to Umm Qasr”, said one British soldier, informed of this while on patrol in Umm Qasr the next day. He added: “There’s no beer, no prostitutes, and people are shooting at us. It’s more like Portsmouth."

Portsmouth doesn't even have an Ikea.

[SKB]

Ikea is just a pretentious Argos, which also sells cheaply made chipboard and MDF flatpacked furniture.


https://www.shaunroster.com/MILITARY/HMS-QNEZ-USA/


(Shaun Roster Photography)

[Ron5]

Badge is too big.

[SKB]

Badge is too big.

The pennant number would have looked better there.

R08 pennant mod SKB.jpg

R09 pennant mod SKB.jpg

QE pennant mod SKB.jpg

[bobp]

Cough Private Navy I see