CVF Construction

[serge]

good photos cockneyjock1974,thanks,i was getting eager to see her in the water,looks like they waited till today so you could be there! i assume there going to wait till tomorrow to actually put her in the dock,cant really see them doing it the the dark-that would make all a bit nervous!

[cockneyjock1974]

good photos cockneyjock1974,thanks,i was getting eager to see her in the water,looks like they waited till today so you could be there! i assume there going to wait till tomorrow to actually put her in the dock,cant really see them doing it the the dark-that would make all a bit nervous!

Hi Serge, cheers! Yes its sitting just outside the dockyard and should be towed in tomorrow. Glad u liked the photos mate

[Geoff_B]

Thanks CJ, sterling work there to capture the unloading.

I suppose they will have been prepping the dock prior to flooding and are now awaiting the next daytime hightide to bring in the block.

G

[cockneyjock1974]

[QUOTE=Geoff_B;1794577]Thanks CJ, sterling work there to capture the unloading.

I suppose they will have been prepping the dock prior to flooding and are now awaiting the next daytime hightide to bring in the block.

Thanks Geoff

[tsz52]

I have to thank you as well CockneyJock for the great pics - what a thing for you to be able to document!; almost enough to bring a sentimental tear to the eye eh?

[Prom]

Presumably when other blocks appear (LM02 or LB04, I don't know which way round she will lie in the dry dock) they will have to drag LB03 out again so that they can get the other one in.

Seems a lot of effrot, you wonder why they didn't get them to arrive in order

[cockneyjock1974]

I have to thank you as well CockneyJock for the great pics - what a thing for you to be able to document!; almost enough to bring a sentimental tear to the eye eh?

Cheers tsz52, yes I'm kind of building a photo diary of the build and it's a pleasure to share them with like minded people.

She's sitting just outside the dockyard at the moment. Forgot to mention the dry dock was already flooded yesterday.

[cockneyjock1974]

Presumably when other blocks appear (LM02 or LB04, I don't know which way round she will lie in the dry dock) they will have to drag LB03 out again so that they can get the other one in.

Seems a lot of effrot, you wonder why they didn't get them to arrive in order

I'm guessing here Prom but I think LB03 was built 1st for a reason, it coincides with the blocks from A&P and i assume the sponsons from Babcock. After watching the effort yesterday, pulling lb03 out of the dry dock into the basin and back again should be a lot easier than dragging it half way round the Forth, which is essentially what they did lol.

[Bager1968]

To be honest the RN got their first, a Prince of Wales has been in service with them long before the Vietnam war.

Changing to PofW as an acronym is only going to lead to confusion in the forum, calling it PoW here is not meant to mean nany offense to this American organisation or the Royal Family...actually I doubt it has crossed anybodies minds up to this point.

* HMS Prince of Wales (1765) was a 74-gun third-rate launched in 1765. She had been originally planned as HMS Hibernia, but the name was changed prior to launch. She was broken up in 1783.

* HMS Prince of Wales (1794) was a 90-gun second-rate launched in 1794 and broken up in 1822.

* HMS Prince of Wales (1795) was a 38-gun transport purchased in 1795, and still on the records in 1801.

* HMS Prince of Wales (1805) was a 14-gun sloop launched in 1805. Her fate is unknown.

* HMS Prince of Wales (1860) was a 121-gun screw-propelled first-rate launched in 1860. She was converted to a training ship and renamed HMS Britannia in 1869, hulked in 1909 and sold in 1914. She was finally broken up in 1916.

* HMS Prince of Wales (1902) was a Formidable class battleship launched in 1902 and sold for scrap in 1920.

* HMS Prince of Wales (53) was a King George V class battleship launched in 1939 and sunk in a Japanese airstrike in 1941.

* HMS Prince of Wales (R09) will be the second of two Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers and is scheduled to enter service in 2018.

The acronym PoW has been used since early WW2 for the battleship launched in 1939 (if not for any of the earlier ships, which it may well have been), and has been used in innumerable books, newspaper stories, and other media since then.

It is also used in that context throughout the internet, in addition to mention of the new carrier.



As a "Royal Navy-savvy" American, I have always just dealt with it, determining the meaning from context.

It has never occurred to me that anyone might get upset... if anyone should, it would be the RN, considering how many British sailors still lie in the hull of the 1939 PoW on the ocean floor.

[Geoff_B]

LB-03 is the smaller of the mega blocks, LB-02 being built at portsmouth is the slightly longer fwd section of the hull and i think is nearly complete whicj is due for delivery in the Autumn. Whilst that's being completed and shipped LB-03 will have the CB-03 decks recently completed by A&P fitted along with the sponsons built at Rosyth. LB-03 will then be moved out so LB-02 can be placed in the dock with completed block 03 behind it then they join the blocks and add the LB-01 bows block delivered last year.

Whilst all that comes together LB-04 is completed on the Clyde and shipped round next year.

I think they were built in that order to maximise the use of the covered building sheds at Govan and at Portsmouth.

The Build CGI video on the ACA website gives the animation of how the blocks will come together.

[Geoff_B]

Any indication of when LB-03 is due to be positioned in the dry dock to allow assembly to start ?

For that matter can anybody recal when the LB-02 was due for completion at Portsmouth as i seem to recall it was supposed to be this Autumn and i imagine they will need to clear the assembly hall so they can get on with the next bits.

[cockneyjock1974]

Before and after shots, she's in the drydock. Now it's A&P's turn

[Liger30]

Thank you so much for the images, cockney, as always!

Would it be a problem for you if i used a couple of your photos on my Blog? I'm trying to follow the CVF story, build phase included, and an image of LB03 into the dock and one in the water would really help.

This is the page where they will end up to, if you are fine with it: http://ukarmedforcescommentary.blogs...el-future.html

[cockneyjock1974]

Thank you so much for the images, cockney, as always!

Would it be a problem for you if i used a couple of your photos on my Blog? I'm trying to follow the CVF story, build phase included, and an image of LB03 into the dock and one in the water would really help.

This is the page where they will end up to, if you are fine with it: http://ukarmedforcescommentary.blogs...el-future.html

Hi Liger it would be a pleasure, I actually follow your blog anyway so please help yourself.

[Liger30]

Thank you, and twice then! Glad to hear you follow my little rants online!
I'm gonna update the CVF page immediately, then.

[cockneyjock1974]

Thank you, and twice then! Glad to hear you follow my little rants online!
I'm gonna update the CVF page immediately, then.

Just saw them on your blog lol, thanks Liger

[Fedaykin]

You have a good blog Liger30 your fascination with our armed forces certainly make you an honorary Brit.

I'm in the south of Italy week after next for a holiday, trying to find out what interesting historical military sites to visit aside from the Roman stuff. Also I have taken out the full Super damage excess waiver for the hire car, I have heard its essential down south of Rome as drivers down their have a unique driving style that ensures dents in your hire car!

[Liger30]

Thank you!

[cockneyjock1974]

I cant believe they have removed the Bae Systems/ACA logo off LB03 already. Thats fast work Babcock

Okay people your opinion please, I know we are going for the F35c and I know we have already invested £2 billion of tax payers money in the project with good projected returns and I am happy about this of course. However if you were hypothetically in charge of aircraft procurement/budgets for the Navy and it was put to you that you could have 60 F18 Hornets exclusively for the FAA, plus FAA pilots, 4 Hawkeyes and both carriers converted to cats and traps instead of the F35.

Would you take it?

[Liger30]

I would sign the contract even if i had to sign it with my blood.

[cockneyjock1974]

I would sign the contract even if i had to sign it with my blood.

So would I Liger and then we could sneek in some navalised Taranis's in the future.

[Liger30]

Exactly.
Next, i'd want more Tomahawks in stock, and VLS cells for them on Type 26 as well, to give improved land attack reach.

[cockneyjock1974]

Exactly.
Next, i'd want more Tomahawks in stock, and VLS cells for them on Type 26 as well, to give improved land attack reach.

Agreed

[serge]

Thanks for posting the photos cockneyjock1974,it may sound a stupid question but is that part of LB01 bow section on the left of the crane,just below the babcock sign on the building? its good to see her finaly in the dock,i was half expecting to see a time lapse video of the process on the ACA website but alas no,yes i would dearly love to see royal navy on the planes,even half the number of superhornets you sugested would be awsome!!! not to mention the hawkeyes with RN on the sides,

[cockneyjock1974]

[QUOTE=serge;1795492]Thanks for posting the photos cockneyjock1974,it may sound a stupid question but is that part of LB01 bow section on the left of the crane,just below the babcock sign on the building?

Hi Serge, I think it might be but not sure. the structure covered in canvas on the right hand side gable end is the top half of the bulbous bow that came up last year. so if your theory is correct then pretty much most of LB01 is complete.

[serge]

maybe if we are lucky the first deck plate CB 03a? will be put on at the end of september? that would be nice to see,its a big airfix kit !!

[cockneyjock1974]

maybe if we are lucky the first deck plate CB 03a? will be put on at the end of september? that would be nice to see,its a big airfix kit !!

It sure is, I will try to get some shots of the flight deck coming up from Newcastle. The problem I have despite using a 10x zoom camera is that to get the best shots I have to be on the wrong side of the river. If I went to the north side you wouldn't see anything as RNB Rosyth is in front of a hill. I can get shots from the bridge but its even further away than where I am, however i'm glad to get the shots that I do.

These people back in 1909 knew their stuff in terms of building a navy base.

[Prom]

Okay people your opinion please, I know we are going for the F35c and I know we have already invested £2 billion of tax payers money in the project with good projected returns and I am happy about this of course. However if you were hypothetically in charge of aircraft procurement/budgets for the Navy and it was put to you that you could have 60 F18 Hornets exclusively for the FAA, plus FAA pilots, 4 Hawkeyes and both carriers converted to cats and traps instead of the F35.

I'm going to stay out of the RAF Navy argument (for now at least). But if it is a straight 60 F18s vs 60 F35c then I would take the F35c easily.

If however it is 60 F18s plus both ships CATOBAR plus 4 Hawkeyes vs 60 F35C plus only one ship CATOBAR and no fixed wing AEW then I would switch.

But that is a pretty loaded set of scales tbh

[cockneyjock1974]

If however it is 60 F18s plus both ships CATOBAR plus 4 Hawkeyes vs 60 F35C plus only one ship CATOBAR and no fixed wing AEW then I would switch.

But that is a pretty loaded set of scales tbh

Yeah its pretty much a no brainer Prom I must admit. Incidently I would like the RAF to get F35's anyway for their FOAS requirement.

My biggest fear and probably most other peoples as well, is that come 2015 we are still in an economic mess and only end up getting the one carrier (converted). However I am optimistic and think we will get both converted come 2022.

I actually rate Dr Fox and feel he understands that with these 2 carriers we will be pretty much the 2nd most powerful Navy on the planet, certainly in terms of force projection.

[serge]

all the photos you post are greatly appreciated cockneyjock1974,im sure your scrapbook your creating will be awsome by 2014 not to mention a wee bit heavy !!! the F35 would be preferable to the hornet on a one for one basis but the hornet still is pretty good i think.