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HMS Illustrious sails past Kent...again!

By: KentOnline reporter multimediadesk@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 15:26, 04 November 2008

Updated: 16:00, 02 May 2019

A view from the flight deck
Aircraft Carrier HMS Illustrious travels along the Thames for Remembrance events
Captain Gary Sutton from Chatham
Flying the flag
Leading Seaman Mark Seymour from Sittingbourne
Left a bit.....squeezing past the Thames Barrier with just feet to spare
Reaching the Millennium Dome
Well-wishers wave from Gravesend's shores
Picture: Rhona Pinkerton

Now is your last chance to see HMS Illustrious at a shore near you.

If you rush, you may be able to catch the the 22,500 tonne aircraft carrier as she sails past Kent.

The enormous warship, which can carry up to 1,500 crew, sailed from Portsmouth through to London on a magnificent journey as part of the remembrance celebrations last week.

Now she is making the return journey, via Dartford and Gravesend.

mpu1

To catch a glimpse of the magnificent warship, you must now head to Cliffe for 2.10pm today.

Factfile

Weight: 20,600 tons

Length: 686 ft (209 m)

Propulsion: 4 × Rolls-Royce Olympus TM3B gas turbines providing 97,000 hp (75 MW)

8 Paxman Valenta diesel generators.

mpu2

Speed: 28 knots (52 km/h), 18 knots (33 km/h) cruising

Range: 5,000 nautical miles at 18 knots (9,300 km at 33 km/h)

Complement: 685 crew

366 Fleet Air Arm

Armament: 3 × Goalkeeper CIWS

2 × GAM-B01 20 mm close-range guns

Aircraft carried: Harrier GR.7/9 fighter/bombers; Sea King ASaC, Merlin HM Mk.1 helicopters

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