Drew3630, a catapult would only allow space for 2 football pitches.

I didn't even know what a "football pitch" was until I read this thread.
From the BBC:
Pitch dimensions
Did you know that not all pitches are the same size?

The length of a pitch must be between 100 yards (90m) and 130 yards (120m) and the width not less than 50 yards (45m) and not more than 100 yards (90m).

And what about where most of the action happens - the penalty box?

Dimensions of a football pitch
It is also known as the 18-yard-box, with the smaller area - marked out inside it - called the six-yard-box.

This is where some of the world's best strikers earn their living.

And for all you penalty takers - or savers - out there, the most famous spot in football sits 12 yards (11m) from goal.

Last, but not least, that wooden thing at each end of the pitch they call the goal.

Think you know how big it is? It's eight feet high (2.44m) and eight yards wide (7.32m).

God bless Her Majesty. After Sir Winston Churchill, the single most important person of last century (notable ties: Ronald Reagan and John Paul II).

quote:

Originally posted by drew3630:
Does anyone know why the Brits decided on a ski jump rather than a catapult? Costs maybe?

The UK was looking to build the most economical carrier, while being able to participate in US carrier operations, finding systems that weren't manpower intensive was paramount as they're facing budget constraints and manning shortages. Carrier catapults are costly to maintain and operate. You also need a power plant to produce enough steam to operate the cats. Older US carriers were boiler fired, current carriers are nuclear, both utilize steam as the base energy of their propulsion and engineering; regardless both are man-power intensive. The QE, like the new America-class amphibs use a combo of gas turbines and diesel engines.

With all due respect. If that is the young Queen. She is beautiful. I mean, really beautiful. God Bless her.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
With all due respect. If that is the young Queen. She is beautiful. I mean, really beautiful. God Bless her.

To many of us she still is.

tac

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:

quote:

Originally posted by drew3630:
Does anyone know why the Brits decided on a ski jump rather than a catapult? Costs maybe?

The UK was looking to build the most economical carrier, while being able to participate in US carrier operations, finding systems that weren't manpower intensive was paramount as they're facing budget constraints and manning shortages. Carrier catapults are costly to maintain and operate. You also need a power plant to produce enough steam to operate the cats. Older US carriers were boiler fired, current carriers are nuclear, both utilize steam as the base energy of their propulsion and engineering; regardless both are man-power intensive. The QE, like the new America-class amphibs use a combo of gas turbines and diesel engines.

In addition to the above, VTOL/STOL a aircraft can vector thrust and don't need a catapult to launch off a carrier.

quote:

Originally posted by drew3630:
Does anyone know why the Brits decided on a ski jump rather than a catapult? Costs maybe? It's not like they lack experience with aircraft carriers like the Chinese. The Royal Navy was operating catapult aircraft carriers with F4s until fairly recently.

I think the only other navy besides the USN operating a catapult equipped aircraft carrier is the French.

The new Chinese carriers will have electrical cats.

Be interesting to see how that turns out.

quote:

Originally posted by Steyn:
God bless Her Majesty. After Sir Winston Churchill, the single most important person of last century (notable ties: Ronald Reagan and John Paul II).

I can't agree that the Queen is all that important. I like the Queen, but she doesn't matter much in the scope of history. Churchill is certainly the most important Briton, maybe the most important ever, and could be the most important person of the 20th century.