20 January 2022
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Corgi HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08), Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier
PRICE: £62.99
REF NO: CC75000
SCALE: 1/1250
Dating back to 1999, when companies were first invited to tender, these hugely impressive vessels have been a long time coming, as has Corgi's model - it's been worth the wait though. On both counts.
Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers are the largest and most advanced warships ever built for the Royal Navy. The first to be commissioned, this impressive vessel is capable of carrying up to 40 aircraft and boasts state-of-the-art weaponry and communications systems.
They will be known as the UK's flagships as they embark on many vital global deployments over the next 50 years. HMS Queen Elizabeth has already been accepted to the fleet, while HMS Prince of Wales has just been commissioned. She is the largest and most powerful vessel ever constructed for the Royal Navy.
HMS Queen Elizabeth boasts five gyms, a chapel and a medical centre. The flight deck comes in at an enormous four acres and will be used to launch the fearsome new F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. Four of these awesome fighter jets can be moved from the hangar to the flight deck in just one minute.
The ship's two propellors weigh 33 tonnes each. The powerplant behind them generates enough power to run 1,000 family cars. These carriers are 280 metres long, displace 65,000 tonnes in weight and have a top speed of over 25 knots. Carrying a crew of between 700 and 1,600 (when all 36 F-35s are on board), these mighty ships also will carry four Merlin Helicopters. Although the size of the Queen Elizabeth class would enable it to accommodate most current and projected carrier-based fixed-wing aircraft, the lack of arresting gear means that, as initially completed, it is only capable of operating either STOVL aircraft, such as F-35 Lightning, tiltrotors such as the Osprey, or aircraft that do not require either catapult-assisted take-off or arrested recovery.
Corgi's excellent newly-tooled model, comes complete with a plastic diorama-like moulding, which the hull sits in very neatly, to add to the display options. The model's hull is flat-bottomed, should you choose to go for a 'ship-only' display. Even the outer packaging sleeve gets in on the act as an option. At 1/1250 scale, this exceptionally detailed model is a remarkable addition to any collection.