Author Topic: QE2 Helicopter deck  (Read 10784 times)

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Cruise_Princess

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QE2 Helicopter deck
« on: Aug 22, 2010, 07:08 PM »
Have you ever seen a helicopter actually land on the deck on QE2.?    .Came across this piccy in my files whilst sorting out...sorry I can;t remember where I found it online somewhere as had it for a long time......but it's amazing to see the chopper sitting on the deck....
« Last Edit: Aug 22, 2010, 10:17 PM by Cruise_Princess »

Online cunardqueen

Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #1 on: Aug 22, 2010, 08:00 PM »
In the days of Trafalgar House, the Chairman Sir Nigel Broackes landed his helicopter on the deck, somewhere Iv seen a photo but for the life of me cant remember where it was.
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Offline Imonlygoingforone

Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #2 on: Aug 22, 2010, 08:53 PM »
The last time I recall seeing a helicopter on deck was off Australia (Melbourne I think) on the WC in '99 for a medivac.


Offline highlander0108

Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #3 on: Aug 23, 2010, 12:27 AM »
Have you ever seen a helicopter actually land on the deck on QE2.?    .Came across this piccy in my files whilst sorting out...sorry I can;t remember where I found it online somewhere as had it for a long time......but it's amazing to see the chopper sitting on the deck....

From the bottom of the pic, it is from www.beyondships.com, which is an excellent Cunard resource of QE2 and the current ships. 

Imonlygoingforone, do you recall if the ship was slowed to a crawl in order for the  helicopter to land and take off?  As you know, this is a potentially dangerous procedure.
"There will never be another one like her" QE2's last Master Ian McNaught
My Blog:  http://qe2-prideoftheclyde.blogspot.com/

Offline Chris

Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #4 on: Sep 06, 2010, 11:37 AM »
The area was later altered slightly to include "Funnel Bar" - I wonder if that would have hindered any heli-landings?
🎥 Check out my QE2 & Cruise Ship Videos: https://www.youtube.com/chrisframeofficial/

Offline Bob C.

Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #5 on: Sep 06, 2010, 03:02 PM »
Great topic, at least for me being a heli pilot.  Does anyone know if the deck was strengthened for helicopter landings? If so was it built that way or perhaps strengthened during the 86/87 refit? 

I have heard about a few hover pick-ups and seen a picture or two of smaller helicopters landing; however, normal deck loading (especailly an aluminum deck) would not accomodate such a heavy machine so I assume there may have been a few beams added to the deck structure.


Offline Michael Gallagher

Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #6 on: Sep 06, 2010, 05:55 PM »
Bob

Does this make any sense to you as I haven't a clue ???

The aluminium of the helicopter landing area was 30" thick, transverses are spaced 5'3" apart and both beams and deck planking run fore and aft. John Brown calculations in 1969 suggested that to avoid permanent deflection of the plating the static load applied by a single wheel should "not exceed anout 3,000 lbs". The deck should withstand a load of about 20,000 lbs on any square foot. minimum take off for helicopters in the Westland range run from 5,500 lbs for the Wasp to 13,500 lbs for the Wessex HU.S.

The Helicopter Deck was considered usable by small helicopters only particularly when fitted with wheels. If the skids are fitted and the helicopter lands with skids athwartships (ie across the longitudinals) the load per skid could be about 3,000 x number of beams crossed by the skid.

 ???  ???  ???

Magic Pipe

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Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #7 on: Sep 06, 2010, 07:21 PM »
Was the QE2's helicopter deck fitted with a fixed foam fire fighting system?  Today such a system is required for shipboard helicopter facilities, but QE2 may not have had this.

Offline highlander0108

Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #8 on: Sep 07, 2010, 12:15 AM »
Bob

Does this make any sense to you as I haven't a clue ???

The aluminium of the helicopter landing area was 30" thick, transverses are spaced 5'3" apart and both beams and deck planking run fore and aft. John Brown calculations in 1969 suggested that to avoid permanent deflection of the plating the static load applied by a single wheel should "not exceed anout 3,000 lbs". The deck should withstand a load of about 20,000 lbs on any square foot. minimum take off for helicopters in the Westland range run from 5,500 lbs for the Wasp to 13,500 lbs for the Wessex HU.S.

The Helicopter Deck was considered usable by small helicopters only particularly when fitted with wheels. If the skids are fitted and the helicopter lands with skids athwartships (ie across the longitudinals) the load per skid could be about 3,000 x number of beams crossed by the skid.

 ???  ???  ???
I think there is a decimal point missing on the aluminum thickness.  I suspect it is more like .30" thick, which is a bit over 1/4" for the plating.  30" would be some serious aluminum there!  I am puzzled by the small helicopter with wheels comment.  One would think that having skids would distribute the load better, over more longitudnals and not oil can the deck plating with a concentrated point load.
"There will never be another one like her" QE2's last Master Ian McNaught
My Blog:  http://qe2-prideoftheclyde.blogspot.com/

Offline Bob C.

Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #9 on: Sep 07, 2010, 01:58 AM »
Even if there was a decimal missing, 3" is pretty thick deck plating.  However, a 30" logitudinal beam is not that far out of the question especially if it is aluminum.  These beams would run fore and aft and support the smaller traverse beams which were spaced 5'3" apart running athwartships (side to side). 

Bottom line the structure is designed to support up to 20,000 lbs per square foot with maximum point loads of 3000 lbs per wheel.  Pretty beefy construction.

The part about skid type helicopters (round steel tubes used instead of wheels - usually on small helicopters (e.g. Bell Jetranger)) just means that when landing the skids should be perpendicular to the 30" longitudinals - athwartships or side to side (port to stbd).
« Last Edit: Sep 07, 2010, 02:00 AM by Bob C. »

Offline Michael Gallagher

Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #10 on: Sep 07, 2010, 10:03 AM »
Apologies - I did mean to say .30"   ::)

Offline highlander0108

Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #11 on: Sep 07, 2010, 12:46 PM »
Apologies - I did mean to say .30"   ::)

Well we all know she well built, if not overbuilt by today's standards.  ;)  I suppose that if photos of a helicopter on deck are rare, then a video of helicopter landing are probably non-existant.  There must be footage of helicopters using the temporary landing decks in the Falklands War somewhere, though.
"There will never be another one like her" QE2's last Master Ian McNaught
My Blog:  http://qe2-prideoftheclyde.blogspot.com/

Offline Bob C.

Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #12 on: Sep 07, 2010, 02:01 PM »
Apologies - I did mean to say .30"   ::)

0.3 in plating seems pretty thin to me if we are talking aluminum and 3000 lb point loads but you never know. 

Offline mickey g

Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #13 on: Sep 08, 2010, 02:14 PM »
Was the QE2's helicopter deck fitted with a fixed foam fire fighting system?  Today such a system is required for shipboard helicopter facilities, but QE2 may not have had this.

Well there was this cupboard by the barby area on the port side of The Funell Bar deck  :)
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Magic Pipe

  • Guest
Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #14 on: Sep 08, 2010, 11:29 PM »
However, a 30" logitudinal beam is not that far out of the question especially if it is aluminum.  These beams would run fore and aft and support the smaller traverse beams which were spaced 5'3" apart running athwartships (side to side). 



The way the helicopter deck is constructed, the columns in the lounge support longitudinal girders that run fore-aft directly overhead of the railing of the lounge's second level.  Transverse beams, spaced at 5'-3" apparently, run between these longitudinal girders and continue to the side of the deck house, where they are supported by web frames.  As 5'-3" is too far for the aluminum deck plate to span on its own, there are probably smaller longitudinals that run between the transverse beams.  These longitudinals are probably spaced no more than 24" apart.  0.30" thick aluminum plating sounds right for that application.

On a new ship, there would need to be permanently mounted fire monitors that can spray foam, which from what I see, the QE2 never had.

 

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