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HMS Illustrious sails past Kent...again!

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Picture: Rhona Pinkerton
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.

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.

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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