HMS Eagle (R05)
Harland & Wolff, Belfast
1. Oktober 1951-1972
44 030 t Maximum: 54 190 t
246.8 m after reconstruction 257.6 m
34.34 m Flight deck: 48.2 m after modification: 50.5 m
10.2 to 11 m
2750 man incl aircrew
152,000 PSW 4 waves:
- 8 Boiler (3- drum type)
- 4 sentence Parsons steam turbines with single gear
31.5 kn
6,000 sm at 24 kn
39-80 2 hydraulic catapults
The HMS Eagle ( R05 identifier ) was one of two built aircraft carriers of the originally planned four ships Audacious class of the Royal Navy. The Eagle served from 1951 to 1972 in the British navy.
History
Construction
Originally HMS Audacious as planned, the carrier was laid on October 24, 1942 at Harland & Wolff in Belfast to Kiel. With the end of World War II was no longer a need for more carriers and plans have been changed. The ship was in January 1946 the name Eagle, the actually another carrier should receive, which was built in 1944, but canceled in early 1946 and scrapped. The launch of the Eagle then took place on March 18, 1946, was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 5 October 1951.
Use
The design work was completed in the spring of 1952. The air group of the support consisted of 60 aircraft types Westland Wyvern, Douglas A-1, Hawker Sea Hawk and De Havilland Sea Venom. From June 1954 to February 1955, the Eagle has been modernized, she received a slightly angled flight deck. After modernization, she was transferred to the Mediterranean, where it was in 1956 involved in the fighting during the Suez Crisis.
On May 11, 1959, the Eagle was decommissioned and went into Devonport in October into the dock, where it was until 1964 modernized and completely overhauled. She received new radars, the machinery has been improved and enlarged the island. The flight deck was angled at 8.5 ° from the ship's axis and new aircraft catapults and arresting cable systems installed. In addition, the carrier was equipped with starters for Sea- Cat - air missiles.
The air group now consisted of 45 aircraft types Blackburn Buccaneer, Sea Vixen De Havilland and Fairey Gannet, after recommissioning in 1967, the use of F- 4 Phantom was planned. Ultimately was omitted for political reasons on this aircraft type.
Fate
The British Government had, however, already mid-sixties decided to shrink the carrier fleet and shut down the Eagle. The carrier in early 1972 was therefore mothballed in Devonport and served the sister ship HMS Ark Royal as spare parts. In 1978, the Eagle was finally sold and scrapped in October.