Ark Royal Visit Options

[Lennox]

dunkey, I thought it was a lovely photo, it is shocking to mew that it has been 25 years since the Faulklands war.
Can you tell me something , ( within your ususal bounds) what version ? of the Ark Royal is this.?
I am sure this is not the same one that was built in the late 30's early 40's
just as a by the way . have you been on the Royal Yacht ,now sitting in Leith? I have and it very confining inside. the living area's are ok but the crews area's were very very small.

[dunkey]

To be honest Lennox I don't know what version it is, all I know is that the original Ark was built by Noah and it did not go in to service with the Royal Navy.

Ian would probably be able to fill you in.

I have not been on the Royal Yacht but I have pictures somewhere just before she came to Scotland, she was docked at Tower Bridge.

[iancameron]

its the 5th Ark Royal the navy has had. This is an old photograph of the 3rd one


It was involved in sinking the bismark, the flight deck was about720feet long

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[stuarty]

just a note to all ex forces personnel if you were in service before 1984 i was informed by another gg member that we are entitled free to apply for a veteran's lapel badge it looks very nice so go to forces peep go to forces veterans on internet oh and dunkey i joined the wraf and if a was to point a gun at somebody in conflict i would have as i was a great markswoman top grades infact but never got recodnised due to the whay was called the ex factor if u were a male you got crossed guns but the females never so dont make us women angry you wouldent like me angry bang

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[iancameron]

A look along the flight deck of the Ark

[iancameron]

Stuarty yes you can apply for the veterans badge, I think you can fill the forms in on line, from the veterans agency web site

[stuarty]

i know ian a was making others aware of the badge i feel i should let my ex husband know but if i tell him he is so stubborn he wontvapply for it the numpty ha ha the ark royal was a fine carrier and a floating airfield in the sea as was so many of the craft in my time the one that got me was the american galexy aircraft it was a flying werehouse it took my breath away
a flew in a vc 10 and a flight on a nimrod god was that a hold onto your stoumach aircraft a watched the parade yesterday and a recodnised a few paras and marine commandos it was good to be reminded

[dunkey]

A look along the flight deck of the Ark

Here is that the wee boy on guard alang there at the end.

How many planes and helicopters did this Ark Royal hold?

[iancameron]

It normally holds 15, a mixture of fighter/ strike aircraft and helecopters, getting a bit old now as she was commissioned in the 1980s
She went into refit in 2006 and now Ark Royal can now carry up to 400 troops and RAF Chinook helicopters, as well as Army Apaches and Navy Sea King and Merlin helicopters. Ark Royal officially rejoined the fleet in December 2006. This allows her to take on additional commando and helicopter carrier roles as well as maritime strike, and command and control platform.

[dunkey]

I got a photo of a helicopter on deck but I was actually surprised at how small it was, I was expecting it to be a lot bigger.

How do they stop the planes coming back, is that really a big elastic band we see in the old films. Are they all vertical take off now.

Did the Ark Royal go to the Falklands?

[dunkey]

Seeing we are discussing the Falklands ah'll just stick this picture in. Falklands Memorial taken yesterday.

Honest tae god Ian, only photies of traffic wardens fae noo on, cross ma heart an aw that sort of stuff

[iancameron]

No she didnt, HMS Hermes did, ( great ship, served on her for three years, not Falklands)
the Ark Royal is the last of the catapult and arrester gear carriers in the RN.

The protrusions on the bow and at the end of the angled deck are "Strop Catchers". This recovered the wire strop that connected the aircraft to the catapult for further use instead of being lost in the sea. ( I had to put these buggers on,not a very nice job )
Two catapults. One on the bow and one the Waist (end of the angled deck)
Four arrester wires. Number 3 wire was the target wire for deck landings. They were steam operated. Before the strop catchers were fitted they just flew off the end of the ship.
Yes our carriers are small in comparison to the USA, s, the Ark is about 750ft long, but the two new ones that are being made will be 950ft long and weigh about 60,000tons.

[Lennox]

You know ( okay you don't ) but in another lifetime , that would have been my dream job to be working on the flight deck af an aircraft carrier.. Ijust think that would be a great job.

[Oor Wullie]

This is an old photograph of the 3rd one

It was involved in sinking the bismark, the flight deck was about720 feet long

She also carried the aircraft that downed the first German plane in WWII