Geoff_BI think LB04 is actually due next spring as they needed to clear the assembly hall at Govan of LB03 so they can get the rings joined on LB04.
I have a feeling LB02 is the next lower block due and i think thats this month, plus of course CB03 sections are done by A&P so those will probably be the next to be transported.
One of the videos of L03 when it was completed emntioned when the next 2 blocks were due.
Geoff_BHello again,
http://www.wonderlandmodels.com/products/airfix-176-bedford-ql-trucks/
Would these trucks have found themselves on WW2 RAF Bomber Airfields and if so what configurations and colours would they have worn.
Looking for a suitable truck that would transport an lanc crew to dispersal.
Regards,
H.
Well if you watch “Appoinment in London” with Dirk Birgarde about a Lancaster Bomber pilot getting close to his mission quota you can see the Bedford Troop carrier dropping off multiple Lancaster crews. So yes the troop transporter were used for crew dispersal
Geoff_BYeap Matt its just a couple of US Senators raising a stink about possible threat to reduce the F-35 program as its built in thier states, in much the same way the Washington state lobby did with Boeing over Airbus in the Tanker farce.
There is going to be alot of this in coming months as lobby groups attempt to ring fence and protect their pet projects rather than face up to how they actually manage to get their finances back from the brink.
The F-35 program has still got along way to go and faces its own technological challenges to get the aircraft with the capabilities promissed, and now it faces a much tougher challenge to do this without breaking the bank in an area of contracting budgets but increasing needs.
Thats why the Department of Navy has instigated the study to see if the both F-35s are really critical and a must have to both its Naval Air Arms (USN, USMC) or that capability can be met with cheaper alternatives, lesser numbers or just the one F-35 variant. The USAF doesn’t really have much is the way of viable alternatives so the F-35A as its legacy aircraft are older and in need of replacement now so its own budget studies will look at numbers.
Its all happening at a very bad time for the F-35 program as its not far enough along in its development to say its a proven product, so whilst exspensive its still does all it was meant to acheive. Instead its at the start of its flight testing envelope, the flight model is basic and they are still ironing out design issues with the structure and mechanics. From the Naval aspect i suspect the F-35B sea trials due onboard USS Wasp this Autumn will prove to be critical, should they sail through with flying colours then the USMC will be vindicated in their faith with the type however should they prove troublesome, unreliable and have an adverse effect on the host ship then the USN aviation will be sharpening its knives
Geoff_BLooks like pressure has been put to cancel the purchases of the F-18 and not to go for the strategy of buying F-18’s as stop gap until the UCAV’s are ready. Fight is on to accelerate or push for the purchase of the F-35C.
this makes more sense then the UCAV approach UCAVs a relatively new technology that have not even been fully developed or tested. If the Navy and the USG decide to kill F-35C and buy more F-18s until the UCAVs are ready the US force projection would look rather dampened. Not to mention the cost and time of quickly bringing out a navy F-35 (resurrecting the C) if the UCAV’s do fail.
What ?
No some US Senator from Ft Worth is demanding no more money be spent on Super Hornets from the F-35 program to protect his hopeless voters or he wont santion Ashton Carters nomination as deputy for Defence. I don’t think you will find the existing top up order of Super Hornets cancelled as then the Boeing pet Senators would raise up a stink.
Actually the fate of the Naval variants falls to a range of studies instigated by Robert Work to investigate the best use of Naval Warfighting Aviation over the next 12 years in terms on cost benefit analysis based on three diferent level of budget cuts. We won’t hear what their conclusions are till Feburary as it will depend on the level of cuts they will have to face.
Geoff_BInteresting article Mike. Would be nice to see that circulated in wider media
Yeap nice to see Richard comment on it and an interesting observation
Geoff_BI certainly intend to be there, and raise a Guinness or two to the grand lady!:)
Dunno, this whole project just seems to be perpetually hanging by such a thread – I really do get the impression that Fox is doing a man’s work behind the scenes re CVF – and there’s a slim chance that some important procurement decision might be decided by how many tens of thousands of folks turn up to cheer upon QE’s launch… you never know….
EDIT: She’ll be launched by HRH right?
I doubt they have planned that far ahead regarding the launch, the Princess Royal started the ball rolling so she may be called upon to christen the ship in honour of her mother as the launch is not scheduled till 2014.
I think you’ll find its more the Press and their supporters in the Army & Air Force who try to belittle the carrier project as currently they are top dog. However those in Whitehall know Carriers are the future spearhead of british overseas operations and thus influence and thus their crutical role in the SDSR.
The problem is that in the next 8 years the Army will withdraw from Afghanistan and Germany and take up garrison roles in the UK. Their only deployments after that point is a stint in the Falklands, Cyprus or exercises with Allies. No government will commit Land forces to another overseas operation unless its on humanitarian grounds or quick fixed term actions and those generally those duties will generally fall to the Royal Marines, The Parachute Regiment or the Air Mobile Brigade who are best trained and fitted out for those jobs. Thats why the Army are busy playing down regular losses and trying to show the positive impact of their action in Afghanistan as come 2016 they go from active duty to very dull & boring garrison duty for the rest of their commisions. We simpliy won’t need 100,000 troops as they will have nothing to do. A similiar situation falls to the RAF, they only have to defend the UK & Falklands, the rest of the fleet falls to supporting the Army and their are going to be in the UK, whilst its the Royal Navy going to look after our interests and protect our trade routes, thus the carriers and the focus on the Type 26 to follow on ASAP
Geoff_BBills done an article now going into the details of the USN possibility of cancelling one of the F-35 variants as a cost cutting exercise. However whilst that would probably fall under the F-35 thread the quote from a UK source on possible F-35C cancelation by the USN was rather interesting !:-
The largest international JSF partner, the U.K., changed its plans in October 2010, switching from the B to the C model. If the F-35C were to be canceled, the U.K. would withdraw from the program and “look for a European solution” to its requirement for a carrier fighter, a senior U.K. official said in Washington earlier this month. Italy is the only international partner that plans to operate the F-35B.
Interesting, i would have assumed the F-18E/F would have been the first choice as back-up !!!!!!! – Naval Typhoon again as a full CATOBAR aircraft or would the RN end up with Rafale B to keep our neighbours happy ?
Geoff_BAny 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.
Geoff_BAs SpudmanWP said, its in the gigantic “moderator-mandated, all-in-one, only F-35 thread allowed” encyclopedia he linked to.
I’m surprised this thread has lasted a full day without being locked by Grey Area.
I suppose he is on vacation, and took his “only one F-35 thread ever” policy with him.
Grey Area retired from being a Mod AFAIK as got fed up of herding cats !
Geoff_BLB-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_BThanks 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
Geoff_Bcan we not look to bespoke UAV types for this? After All there is at least 10 years before they will be needed in any great numbers.
Less support and personnel and general footprint i would have thought. Doesn’t that seen cleaner than dragging ageing airframes into the RN with all the high support costs that entails?
It may be one of the options under consideration, but considering the timeframe its taking just to get homegrown UCAVs suitable for RAF strike use it will be sometime before they can transpose those lessons into a sea going carrier capable UCAV. Even the BAE Taransis is just a concept demonstrator and the next step after that is a joint effort with Dassault, the USN are only just getting to grips with testing the X-47B from a Carrier.
Therefore its likely to take some time to get a UCAV we can trust to operate off the carrier to provide tanker and/or AEW functions that are required.
I suspect they will look at Hawkeye’s in a joint unit with the French in the 2015-2025 period with the hope of a UCAV joint replacement circa 2030.
It is a pity the S-3 is going out of service, as it could have acted as a tanker, COD and possibly the basis for an AEW aircraft using the Cerberus radar but as its being withdrawn from the USN the maintenace would be prohibitively expensive. 🙁
Geoff_BThat’s something I always wondered about: how come the carriers will last for 50 years, when the normal lifespan of a warship is just 30 years? Are the carriers being built to higher standards? Or better quality steel?
In effect yes, they have learnt alot about the science of ship building, the design and the materials used. The USN carriers are built to the same standards so they will be using the lessons learnt from them.
I think thats why the bought all the steel in one go for both ships to ensure it was to a specific standard.
Geoff_BShe’s in the water about a deck is below the surface, this is amazing will post pics later.
Look forward to seeing the pics 🙂
Geoff_BIf you look carefully at the videos moving LB03 you will see the answer, the block is built on a series of widely spaced jacking points. The lift truck slides between those points.
I think one of the earlier videos where they moved a ring from the other hall to join with the rest of LB03 showed the process with the jacking trucks.
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