Vickers Versatile Aircraft Carrier and 1983 Light Fleet Carrier

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Displacing 13,200 tons, space for 16 aircraft. 15deg ski jump. For peacetime operations a helicopter operates from the rear deck, in wartime the rear deck would be built up with containers to lengthen the flight deck. Length 604 ft.

Source:

Flight International, 12 Jan 1980.

 

[Just call me Ray]

Re: Vickers Versatile Aircraft Carrier

For peacetime operations a helicopter operates from the rear deck, in wartime the rear deck would be built up with containers to lengthen the flight deck.

If I may be frank that seems dumb. Why not have a flush deck in the first place? It's not like there's something magical preventing the operation of helicopters from the flight deck.

 

[smurf]

Re: Vickers Versatile Aircraft Carrier

Peacetime helicopter into a hangar without a lift?

 

[TinWing]

Re: Vickers Versatile Aircraft Carrier

Peacetime helicopter into a hangar without a lift?

Actually, it's not a bad idea, removing the need for the aft lift and allowing the sole forward elevator to be reserved for fixed wing V/STOL operations. Flight deck area is invaluable, especially for V/STOL deck runs, so I would have questioned the sacrifice, but the reasoning - however flawed in retrospect - behind the clipped deck VVAC is finally clear.

 

[TinWing]

Re: Vickers Versatile Aircraft Carrier

Displacing 13,200 tons, space for 16 aircraft. 15deg ski jump. For peacetime operations a helicopter operates from the rear deck, in wartime the rear deck would be built up with containers to lengthen the flight deck. Length 604 ft.

Source:

Flight International, 12 Jan 1980.

Here is the full article:

http://www.flightglobal.com/PDFArchive/View/1980/1980%20-%200090.html
http://www.flightglobal.com/PDFArchive/View/1980/1980%20-%200091.html
http://www.flightglobal.com/PDFArchive/View/1980/1980%20-%200092.html

I will modify the title of this thread to reference the later 24,000 ton Vickers "Light Fleet Carrier" proposal, which seems to have been a post-Falklands evolution of the VVAC concept.

 

[TinWing]

Here is the single page article on the 1983 24,000 ton Vickers "Light Fleet Carrier" proposal:

http://www.flightglobal.com/PDFArchive/View/1983/1983%20-%201847.html

There is only a profile drawing, and sadly, there is very limited information.

 

[avatar]

I think this may have been an inspiration for the Korean dokdo class ... in terms of concept ..... especially economising deck space with the seemingly peculiar aft arrangement.

 

[JAZZ]

24,000 ton Vickers "Light Fleet Carrier" proposal - photo of model below

LOA 202m
LWaterline 190m
OA Beam 32m
Draught 8m
Displacement Deep - 23,000 tonnes

Make speed 25kt
Crusing 18kt
Range @ 18kt 10,000nm

Escort replenishment - additional fuel 6,000 tonnes

CODOG twin screw
4 X Spay SM 1A gas turbines arranged in pairs
63,600bhp under temerate conditions

Crew 650

Armament - 18 Sea Kings or 15 Sea Harriers and 2 Sea Kings
2 x VM40 lightweight Sea Wolf - and tracking/illumination radars
Plessey AWS-5 surveillence
Plessy AWS-4 BH search radar
2 x type 1006 nav/surface radar
Ferranti CA AIS type 450 display and data handling
Graseby GI-750 search/attack sonar
Type 2015 expendable bathythermograph
Decca cutlass ESM with ECM option