Airfix unveil Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier.

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Came across this on Airfix's site, which may be of interest.

http://www.airfix.com/news/airfix-unveil-specially-commissioned-queen-elizabeth-aircraft-carrier-model/

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

A specially Commissioned Model

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Interesting, I imagine they will sell a good few of those. Doesn't look very viable as an R/C conversion though!

Colin

[Peter FitnessParticipant @peterfitness34857]

It will be interesting to see if Airfix go ahead and make a production model. The model shown in the photo is made by Dave Coventry using parts from other Airfix kits. Given the fact the the carrier is new to the Royal Navy, Airfix may well see a marketing opportunity.

Peter.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Be silly not to, eh? All the work has been done regarding model design. Go very nicely with their T45.

I have a hankering to make one, y`know..if I can find some aircraft first…

Ashley

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Now that's rather nice at 1:350 yet some how at 1:72 or even 1:96 it would be quite a monster of a model . How long before we see a GRP hull I wonder ? A 1:96 scale QE with a full air group of F35s before 2020 , it could only be done as a model !

Dave

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Dave

I am just starting to draw up model of the QE and at these early stages it is at 1:64. A big thanks for all of the photos that you sent me as they are proving to be an invaluable source of detailed information.

All

How big will the model be?

The full size QE is 280m long, 70m beam (at the deck) 39m beam (at the waterline) 11m draft………get your calculators out and start head scratching…….answers on a postcard to Mr B Abell, 10 Downing Street, London.

Paul

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Paul
You're going to get through a lot of A4 sheets printing out a hull over fourteen feet long – and won't you need a shed extension to build it?
I remember when I drew the fuselage plan for the T240 model aeroplane. I had to put an extension on one side of the drawing board – which was already 60" x 40" – and the thing was so big that I had to stand outside the shed in order to be able to see both ends of the plan at once. That model wasn't quite half as long as yours.
And motors???
DM (Scratching head as he retires into workshop)

Edited By Dave Milbourn on 05/07/2014 19:09:43

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Airfcraft, it needs to be scaled to a size you can get aircraft to put on it, or there will be an issue making loads of planes and so on.

Ashley

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Dave

I am thinking of building it in sections so there shouldn't be any problems with working in the existing shed as for motors I haven't got that far yet but I suspect that some form of car starter motor (motors) might do the trick, failing that a couple of 75cc Briggs and Stratton 4 stroke engines will do nicely.

Transport and launching of the completed model does need thinking about, basically there are two options… the first is to transport it in sections and build it up at the lake side, the second option is to transport it as one complete unit for which I would have to build a trailer (which would also launch the boat)

For transport and launching instead of thinking in terms of a model it might be better to think of the boat as an oddly shaped dinghy and then consider the transport, launching and storage options.

Ashley

I agree that choosing a scale should reflect the size of commercially available aircraft kits…..I hadn't intended to place aircraft on the deck so scale isn't that critical.

As a point of interest which scale would you choose?

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Paul

Get yourself down to Llandudno boating lake on the West Shore, and if you are lucky, you will see a similar model aircraft carrier about the same size too

You could probably trace the owners address through the Council Dept?

As for motors?……Have you considered using one PT?…..Ha!Ha!

Bob

ps……Have you got Lady Jane's permission for this outlandish build?

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

This was about six years ago

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

I had thought of using PT as a source of both power and ballast but then there would be a very high risk of the power source running out of puff and the ballast being too excessive.

Lady Jane doesn't mind what I do as long as I am enjoying myself in fact Jane will be proof reading the drawings for me.

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

What about an LJ power plant then?

And what about the famous plank hull?……..I posted a plank hull boat about two weeks ago and I think you've overlooked it?

I think the plank hull may be a good idea in your case?

A 13 foot hull will take some ballasting!

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Paul. Not sure about the scale. My concern would be about the aircraft as for me this is the main interest on an aircraft carrier (by that I mean the detailing, not that you have made a nicely put together vessel ettc etc..and also thats what the public and i suspect other boaters like to see).

HOWEVER, this is a new aircraft type and so is not widely avalable yet. My Invincible was made to be 4 foot long simply as this is a shett length of thin ply. the aircraft, harriers, are about three inches long. The vessel is perhapos a foo too short for the aircraft. HMS qe is about twice as long as Invincible…but I cant fit a 10 foot boat in the car, or two 5 foot section.

I think a 5 foot model would do me, the 5 foot LCT4 fits in the car ok and there is some width left.

As far as I know car starter motors, although powerful, ,will overheat rapidly under constant use.

Plank or flat shallow/no-draught design the way to go, after seeing the amount of ballast Trevor needed for his 6`6" corvette.

Ashley

Edited By ashley needham on 06/07/2014 08:44:48

[Trevor HollowayParticipant @trevorholloway99134]

I'm still considering free flooding ballast tanks for the corvette to lessen the amount of portable ballast. – hopefully at least 5 – 6kg worth.

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Hi Paul a QE at 1:64th would be perfect for Ellesmere port Boat Museum , it's almost the home of super scale . the largest model to sail at the Boat Museum was Duncan Cameron's 29ft carrier HMS Invincible .

Dave

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Nice cutaway drawing and schematic in this months Navy News. Good comparison drawing to Invincible and Nimitz. Deck plan nice and QE is nice and straight sided.

Deck area only 20% less than the Nimitz BUT having cats and an angled deck, the Nimitz probably only has the same actual useable deck area especially for combat flying.

Airdraft, and I am in.

Ashley

[The Long BuildParticipant @thelongbuild]

Pretty sure that the 2nd Picture is not the Queen Elizabeth, that was taken at the Ellesmere port boat Museum.

[Tony HadleyParticipant @tonyhadley]

Returning to the original post, Airfix (and their model) paid a visit to the new carrier.

http://www.airfix.com/news/airfix-visits-the-hms-queen-elizabeth/

[Charles OatesParticipant @charlesoates31738]

Paul, you could install some pedals, and climb in!

Edited By Charles Oates on 06/09/2014 00:13:31

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