Shoeblack was a Victorian name for someone who shined strangers shoes for a living. In Victorian London shoeblacks were licensed and brigades were established, distinguished by their red uniform, to provide employment to 'poor and honest boys'. The first London shoeblack brigade was the Ragged Schools brigade of Saffron-Hill. In 1888 itt was reported that the average earning for a shoeblack brigade boy was in the region of ten shillings a week. Research Shoeblack
The Principe de Asturias is a Spanish aircraft carrier launched in 1982 and in service with the Spanish Navy since 1988. The carrier has an overall length of 196 metres and a full load displacement of 17,190 tons. The ship supports up to 12 AV-8BHarrier II and the Harrier Plus. The Harriers are armed with AIM-9L AIM-9 (Sidewinder) and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles and AGM-65E Maverick air- to-ground missiles, in addition to GAU-12U cannon. The carrier also has facilities to support up to 12 helicopters, usually six Sikorsky Sea King SH-3H, four Agusta AB-212 and two Sikorsky SH-3 AEW helicopters. The ship normally supports a maximum of 29 fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft with up to 12 on deck and 13 aircraft in the hangar. In an emergency a maximum of 17 aircraft can be stored in the 2,300 metre hangar. The hangar deck is accessed by two flight deck lifts. The 5,100 square metre flight deck is 176 metres in length and includes a 12 degree ski jump of length 46.5 metres. The ship's aircraft control radar is the ITT SPN-35A.
The ship has four FABA Meroka Mod 2B close-in weapon systems (CIWS), with 12-barrelled Oerlikon L120 20 mm guns installed two on the stern deck and one each on the port and starboard side of the flight deck at about 53 metres from the bow of the ship (about half way between the ship' s bow and the island structure). The Meroka fire control system has tracking radar and an ENOSA thermal imager. A Mk 13 Mod 4 eight-cell launcher for the AGM-84 (Harpoon) anti-ship missile is also fitted. The ship is equipped with a COGAG (combined gas turbine and gas turbine) propulsion system, consisting of two LM 2500 gas turbine engines supplied by General Electric, each rated at a sustained power of 34. 6 MW. The engines drive a single shaft with variable pitch five-bladed propeller. The main propulsion system provides a maximum speed of 25 knots and the range at an economical speed of 20 knots is 6,500 miles. If the main propulsion system is out of action, two retractable motors rated at 590 kW each are capable of providing a speed of 4 to 5 knots. Research Principe de Asturias
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Shoeblack
