The Aircraft Carrier Alliance, U.K., reports that a plasma spray aluminum-titanium coating has been developed by British companies specifically to protect the flight deck of the new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers from the heat that results from the immense thrust of the engines of its F-35B Lightning II fighter jets.
The specialized thermal spray coating is being applied to sections of the vast flight deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth using a specially developed robotic spray that fires powdered metal through a jet of plasma at temperatures of almost 18,000°F. The molten droplets then flatten and quickly solidify, creating a tough but rough coating 2 to 2.5 mm thick that is bonded to the steel beneath. Approximately 2000 square meters of the 19,000 square-meter flight deck will be coated, with the work due to be completed prior to sea trials in early 2017.
The coating is made of a combination of aluminum and titanium powders, and can withstand temperatures of up to 2700°F. Developed in partnership with Monitor Coatings, based in Tyne and Wear, the material is expected to provide long-term protection through the 50-year life of the carriers. It is an important part of the work underway to prepare HMS Queen Elizabeth for sea trials this year and flight trials in 2018.
The QE Class ships, which include the Queen Elizabeth and the Prince of Wales, will each provide eight acres of sovereign territory to be deployed around the world. They will be versatile enough to be used for operations ranging from supporting war efforts to providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
According to Captain Simon Petitt, Senior Naval Officer of HMS Queen Elizabeth, “The new flight deck coating is one of the many 21st Century engineering innovations being incorporated in the Queen Elizabeth Class program. As the largest warships ever built for the Royal Navy, these powerful ambassadors will protect U.K. interests around the globe for the next 50 years.”
The Aircraft Carrier Alliance has four members, three of which are industrial: Babcock, BAE Systems, and Thales UK. The fourth, the UK Ministry of Defence, has a dual role, acting as a member of the Alliance as the customer.
While both aircraft carriers will enter service under the white ensign of the Royal Navy, they will ultimately be utilized by all three sectors of the UK Armed Forces.
http://www.aircraftcarrieralliance.co.uk/media/latest-news
