Magnificent sight as helicopters land on HMS Queen Elizabeth in PortsmouthÂ
THIS is the moment the first of a fleet of helicopters landed on the flight deck of the Royal Navy's biggest aircraft carrier ever built.Â
Three of Merlin Mk 2 helicopters have safely touched down on the four-acre deck of the 65,000-tonne warship in Portsmouth.
It's the latest piece of activity on board the ship as the mighty 280m vessel prepares for her maiden voyage across the Atlantic to the USA.
The helicopters flew from 820 Naval Air Squadron based at RNAS Culdrose.
They are just a few of the aircraft set to embark with Queen Elizabeth as she sails from Portsmouth later this month.
In the past few days, sailors have been packing the inside of the warship with all the equipment, food and supplies they will need for the trip, which is expected to last several months.
Among the stores includes a whopping 40,000 onions.
The voyage will see the historic first landing of F-35B stealth jet on the ship. This is anticipated to happen off the east coast of the USA in late September.
It will be the latest milestone in Queen Elizabeth's build-up to her first deployment in 2021.
The Royal Navy has not yet confirmed when the carrier is set to depart from her home base of Portsmouth.
However, with the arrival of helicopters on the flight deck, the departure could come before the end of the month.