Aircraft Carrier on the Move
The 6,000 tonne hull section of HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, known as Lower Block 02, will set off on its four day journey to Rosyth on Monday 21 May. The forward section of hull has been moved out of BAE Systems’ production facility at Portsmouth and loaded onto a huge sea going barge in preparation for the journey. On Friday 25 May, a team of 50 cyclists from across the Aircraft Carrier Alliance will take on a gruelling challenge to mark the occasion, cycling 500 miles from Portsmouth to Rosyth in an attempt to complete the journey in a faster time and raise money for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity. To follow and track the block’s journey to Rosyth, visit http://www.shipais.com/.
6,000 Tonne Carrier Block Prepares to Leave Portsmouth
The public in Portsmouth caught their first glimpse of the giant forward section of HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH today, as it was loaded out of the hall at BAE Systems’ facility at Portsmouth Naval Base in preparation for its departure to Rosyth. Using a fleet of remote controlled transporters, a team moved the 6,000 tonne section, known as Lower Block 02, across the shipbuild hall and onto a sea-going barge, ahead of her 600 mile journey to the east coast of Scotland where the aircraft carriers will be assembled in dry dock.
Work Advances on HMS Queen Elizabeth
Glasgow, Scotland - Construction of the HMS Queen Elizabeth, the first of two new aircraft carriers being built for the UK Royal Navy, took a significant step forward today, as the two giant sections of Lower Block 04 (LB04) were brought together for the first time in a precision move at BAE Systems’ Govan shipyard. Almost the full length of a football pitch, the structure and largest section of hull under construction is so large that it stretches beyond the doors of the ship build hall in which it sits.
8,000 Tons of Steel vs. 50 Cyclists
The huge mid section of the UK’s first Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier will leave BAE Systems’ shipyard at Govan today, starting a 600 mile journey by sea to Rosyth, where the aircraft carrier will be assembled. Over 50 cyclists also left the yard , tracing the path of Lower Block 03 on land in an attempt to ‘beat the block’ to its final destination on the Forth and raise money for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity. Minister for International Security Strategy, Gerald Howarth…
Construction Continues on Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier
Construction of the first Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier took a significant step forward today, as the final rings of the forward hull section came together for the first time at BAE Systems’ facility in Portsmouth Naval Base. Two huge ring sections of Lower Block 02 were joined together in a 30 minute move involving 26 remote controlled hydraulic transporters. Workers carefully manoeuvred a 3,700 tonne slice of the block over 25 metres across the company’s production hall, where it was carefully lined up to join the rest of the hull. The hull block is made up of five rings in total, with the first rings joined in April, today’s move marks the end of the three month process.
