AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
of characteristics more commonplace
on merchant vessels have been adopted,
including a bulbous bow, fore and aft
shoulders, and a parallel middle body.
The end result is a hullform in which
these features have been optimised
in a balanced design with minimum
powering requirements at both cruise
and maximum speeds. A transom flap is
also included in the final design to reduce
resistance and reduce fuel consumption.
The ‘Delta’ design offers a flight deck area
of slightly over 16,000m
2
(well over twice the
deck estate of two Invincible class CVSs).
In the baseline STOVL configuration, the
flight deck will have a single launch runway
with a bow ramp of approximately 12degs.
The philosophy underpinning the CVF design is that of a platform built to essentially A recovery deck offset to port has five
commercial design standards, with naval engineering standards only applied where landing spots positioned across its length
judged absolutely necessary. for forward facing landings, plus a sixth
spot on the starboard quarter for helicopter
landings only.
satisfaction of the Sea Technology The philosophy underpinning the A requirement for through-life
Group, the revised Design ‘Delta’ was CVF design is that of a platform built to adaptability vis-à-vis aviation operations
taken forward in December 2003 for essentially commercial design standards has driven requirements for a flight
further engineering development and with naval engineering standards only deck of sufficient size, strength, and
risk reduction. applied where judged absolutely necessary configuration (most notably an angled
Accordingly, Design ‘Delta’ has been (for example, aviation, magazines, the deck) together with space, weight, power,
significantly matured and refined over mission system, and damage control and and cabling provisions for the installation
the last four years. The Issue N General fire-fighting). The structure, designed to and operation of launch and recovery
Arrangement – essentially marking the Lloyd’s Naval Ship rules, is of all-steel machinery with minimal structural
transition to Stage 2 detailed design construction, using a mix of fabricated alteration. Significant volume has been
activity – was signed off by the Ministry ‘T’ bars and offset bulb plate stiffeners reserved for auxiliary boilers should the
of Defence and the Aircraft Carrier (Lloyd’s and the Naval Authority have decision be taken to fit steam catapults.
Alliance in March 2007. been continuously involved through the This same space could also
At 284m in length overall, a beam of structural design development process). accommodate the machinery associated
39m (at waterline), a flight deck width Ease of build has also been a major with an electromagnetic aircraft launch
of 73m, and a deep displacement of design consideration. Scantlings have system, seen by most in the Royal Navy’s
approximately 65,600tonnes at start of been rationalised, over 75% steel weight marine engineering community as
life, the CVF ‘Delta’ design will be the consists of flat stiffened panels, and pipe the preferred longer-term solution for
largest warship ever to enter Royal Navy tunnels, pipe and cable passageways, and assisted air vehicle launch. In the latter
service. There are nine decks constructed service trunks are incorporated to ease case, provision in the design allows for
from 19 transverse watertight sections, system design and installation. Finally, an additional diesel generator to increase
large sponsons over approximately three the ‘Super Block’ build strategy – which the ship power budget.
quarters of the ship length, and over 2500 will see the lower hull blocks of the ship Two deck-edge elevators, each able to
compartments. fabricated and largely pre-outfitted at accommodate two JCAs or a Chinook
A need to bear down on cost, combined facilities in Barrow, Glasgow, Portsmouth, with its rotors spread, will service the
with a compressed delivery timescale, has and Rosyth – has been designed to match flight deck and hangar. The size of the
determined a largely conservative design UK facilities nationwide. hangar space itself - 163m in length with
approach that has sought to reduce The CVF hullform itself has been a breadth of 29m and a height of 7.1m
programme risks as far as is practicable subject to extensive testing and iterative (9m in the high hat area) - provides
to meet the requirement. That said, some refinement, the final design incorporating capacity for the stowage of up to 20 JCA
innovative system solutions have been a full bodied hull more characteristic of aircraft.
adopted in areas where the appropriate a large, modern merchant ship. Indeed, One distinctive feature is the twin
technology has been judged sufficiently to address the hydrodynamic challenges island arrangement. It is argued that
mature. posed by these design features, a number this configuration offers optimised
12 Warship Technology January 2008
WT Jan - p11+12+13.indd 12 08/01/2008 10:24:09
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