THE Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier has tried out its first refuelling in the water – but only in miniature.
Two highly-accurate models of HMS Queen Elizabeth and future tanker RFA Tidespring have been tested at the QinetiQ ship tank in Gosport.
The tanker model is 4.5 metres long, shrunk from the full-size 200 metres, while the carrier was reduced from its full-length of 284 metres to 6.45 metres for the model.
Tests in the Haslar tank were carried up to a simulated sea state six – with waves up to six metres – and the models also practised emergency breakaways and engine failures.
The test data will be analysed and used by the navy and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
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