20 facts about HMS Queen Elizabeth (the Navy's largest ever ship)

1. HMS Queen Elizabeth is both a warship and an aircraft carrier - and will be based in Portsmouth

2. The ship is the largest ever built for the Royal Navy. At 900ft long, the carrier is the same size as 3 football pitches

3. The vessel weighs 65,000 tonnes

4. The cost? £3 billion.

5. There are around 700 crew on-board, which will rise to 1,600 when fully operational

6. The ship has a top speed in excess of 25 knots

7. There are five gyms, a cinema, games room, as well as space to play basketball and tug of war

8. 10,000 people worked on construction of the ship. Different parts were made at yards around the UK, then transported to Rosyth, Fife, where it was assembled

9. The aircraft carrier will be used in future battles as well as humanitarian missions

10. It takes just 60 seconds for fighter jets to be lifted from the hangar to the flight deck

11. Jets will take off using a steep ramp rather than an American 'catapult' system

12. The warship has a range of 8,000 to 10,000 nautical miles

13. HMS Queen Elizabeth will become the Royal Navy's new 'flagship'

14. On-board facilities include a chapel, a medical centre and 12-bed ward, with three GPs, as well as a dentist

15. The ship's two propellers weigh 33 tonnes. They produce enough power to run 1,000 family cars or 50 high speed trains

16. The size of the flight deck? Four acres.

17. The crew is currently made up of around 80 women and 620 men

18. There are 5 gyms on the ship

19. The ship's entire crew of 700 can be served a meal within 90 minutes. That's cut to 45 minutes when at 'action station'.

20. HMS Queen Elizabeth isn't quite ready for action. Tests are due to take place until at least 2020.