Author Topic: QE2 Helicopter deck  (Read 11882 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 »

Offline 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.
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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?
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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.


Online 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.
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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. »

Online 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
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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

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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.

Online Rob Lightbody

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Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #15 on: Sep 13, 2010, 08:46 PM »
Myles has kindly lent me some old Cunard VHS tapes.  One of them is for Cunard's 150th Anniversary "The Only Way to Cross".

In it, Sir Nigel Broackes, Trafalgar House Chairman, lands on the helicopter deck while QE2 is underway.  Screen shots attached!
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Offline Louis De Sousa

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Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #16 on: Jan 23, 2011, 06:57 PM »
Quote
Myles has kindly lent me some old Cunard VHS tapes.  One of them is for Cunard's 150th Anniversary "The Only Way to Cross".

In it, Sir Nigel Broackes, Trafalgar House Chairman, lands on the helicopter deck while QE2 is underway.  Screen shots attached!

During this time i was a Deck Steward on Heli Deck, i was part the team that stacked all those loungers away and secured things down.

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Offline Rod

Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #17 on: Oct 13, 2011, 06:45 PM »
I think you will find that ANY ship built in the UK, for a UK company, using government loans, MUST be built to conform to Government specs to be able to convert that ship to be suitable for government use during time of war. QE2 was no exception.
Plans exist for the conversion of the QE2 to an Armed Merchant Cruiser if war is declared. Obviously these plans were not used during the Falklands because of time constraints. During the Falklands they put a heli deck on the front without strengthening because the strength was already there to take a 6' gun. Back end same thing using the swimming pools that were empty.

As for the helicopter deck it was capable of taking the largest helicopters in use at the time of design. Equivalent of a Wessex.

Interesting story here. QE 2 had a helicopter deck....so they decided to send 2 people to school to use the paddles to guide the helo's in. BUT, the first time a helo landed, both theses people were on vacation so one of the Masters at Arms volunteered to do the job.....the helo came out and the MAA started...the bridge got a frantic message from the pilot..."Get that idiot of my landing site!"
Interesting about the Trafalgar pics...the helo landed backwards.
« Last Edit: Jul 25, 2024, 09:46 AM by Lynda Bradford »

Offline Rod

Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #18 on: Oct 13, 2011, 06:47 PM »
OH. Forgot. Firefighting was supplied by 2 fire teams wearing the aluminium suits using portable foam inductors.

Offline Alan Snelson

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Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #19 on: Jul 30, 2013, 01:08 PM »

Tony Secker, I have mentioned you on here several times. My best pic of QE2 was one you took, I believe in Gerainger, you managed to be able to hijack boats to your hearts content! for piccy taking, or as on photog described it....."Painting portraits with light", but this pic you took and you blew it up for me was of the ship in the fijord......but with the ships reflection in the fijord you could turn it upside down and not tell the difference. Sadly the sun got to it a bit. Welcome aboard to you too!

Tony had a bit of a penchant for helicopters too and was equally adept at arranging them as he was at getting hold of small boats. One occasion on the '81 world cruise he wanted to get a picture of QE2 leaving Hawaii with the Aloha tower in the background. The only way to do this was by helicopter, but he was not able to get the necessary permissions for the helicopter to land on board for him to get off after taking his photos.

So Tony, who was never one to let anything get in his way, simply agreed with the pilot that he would jump from the helicopter whilst it hovered a couple of feet from the deck. Probably a more dangerous manoeuvre than landing on deck but that was the way it had to be. Sadly no photos in my small collection but if Tony still visit the forum I'm sure he must have some.

I have more tales of Tony and myself with boats and helicopters which I will share soon.
« Last Edit: Jul 30, 2013, 01:44 PM by Alan Snelson »
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Offline Kevin Jackson

Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #20 on: Feb 20, 2017, 10:37 AM »
Hi
My name is Kevin worked onboard as a Student Cook from July 26th 1984 to April 5th 1987.

I can remember Elton John arriving by helicopter and landing shortly after the QE2 left Southampton when we were in the channel.

I actually served him a salad on the trip as I was training in the Queens Grill midships on Boat Deck.

He had a penthouse onboard.

The helicopter deck was a place where the crew used to sunbath when off duty.

I can also remember on a transatlantic trip to Newyork the QE2 was in a force 11 storm I stood in the door way to the helicopter deck just under the funnel casing what a sight it was the waves seem to tower over the bridge as the ship made its way through the rough sea and the sky was so black.

Yet the QE2 was very stable, pitching slightly thanks to the stabalizers what would we have done with out them.

It was these that allowed all the dining rooms to be so high up on the upper decks for that great sea view.

Regards,

Kevin.

Offline Lynda Bradford

Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #21 on: Feb 20, 2017, 11:37 AM »
Brilliant memories and that must have been quite an experience serving Elton John in the Queens Grill. Thanks for sharing Kevin
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Offline Kevin Jackson

Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #22 on: Mar 20, 2017, 08:41 PM »
Hi Lynda

Many thanks for your reply.
Thankyou very much also for the Badge.
Paid with thanks and will cherish it for the rest of my life.
Kevin

Offline Rod

Re: QE2 Helicopter deck
« Reply #23 on: Mar 21, 2017, 03:49 PM »
Slightly off topic....
Elton John....my first wife became Elton Johns wife, remember her? Renata?  Personal beautician. Every Saturday when I was on leave I would drive her up to his farm outside Windsor and wait while she administered to Renata. Had breakfast with Elton John on several occasions. Bloody Mary's.