A HUGE 11,000-tonne section of one of the Royal Navy's under-construction aircraft carriers has been moved out of its dock hall for the first time.

The largest section of HMS Prince of Wales was driven out of the hall at the BAE Systems Govan shipyard at 1mph using nearly 2000 wheels and a single remote control.

Over the weekend the large hull section will be moved on to a barge, where it will remain until late August when it will set off on a sea journey around the north of Scotland and down to Rosyth in Fife for assembly.

The Aircraft Carrier Alliance began construction work on the structure at Govan in December 2013.

HMS Prince of Wales is the second Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier being built for the Royal Navy.

Its sister ship, HMS Queen Elizabeth, was the first to begin construction and could have jets flying off it by the end of 2018.

Derek McCaffrey, head of the project for the Clyde works, said the move went to plan.

He said: "It all went very well.

"We moved the 11,000-tonne section out of the dock in preparation for it travelling to Rosyth.

"We'll roll her onto a barge over the weekend - probably on Sunday when the tide is right - and then we'll make sure she's watertight and secure for travelling down the Clyde.

"It's a massive job but we've got a whole team to plan everything and make sure it all goes smoothly."

Mr McCaffrey said the team was "really proud" of their work.

He said: "To see it start from a bare bit of metal and turn into a complex war ship is really quite something.

"Everyone is very proud of the building work.

"We should be proud that these types of ships are still being built in Glasgow. It's skilled people doing the work in the city."

There are two more sections to be build in Govan Shipyard by the end of this year.

Those behind the project, which is estimated to cost more than £6 billion overall, say the QE Class will be the centrepiece of Britain's naval capability.

Each 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier will provide the armed forces with a four-acre military operating base which can be deployed worldwide.

The vessels are designed to be versatile enough to support war efforts or provide humanitarian aid and disaster relief.

Mr McCaffrey urged city residents to keep a look out for the section before it moves.

He said: "It's certainly an interesting sight.

"The people who live in Glasgow Harbour will look out their windows and wonder what it is.

"Anyone will be able to see it from the banks of the Clyde so it's a good time to see it."