USS George HW Bush CVN 77

[zlosin]

In 1998 Congress appropriated 4.5 billion for the construction of CVN 77. The George HW Bush will replace the USS Kitty Hawk, which was commissioned in 1961. The USS Bush will be the last Nimitz class carrier and will be the prototype of the next generation of aircraft carriers.

The keel was laid on 6 Sept 2003.
It is expected to be commissioned in 2008
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/cvn77sg.jpg" alt=" - " />

Concept Drawing

This looks like its going to one cool ship !

<small>[ 02-16-2005, 08:25 AM: Message edited by: PSIP ]</small>

[Trumpetmaster]

PSIP

Beautiful ship indeed!

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Looks a lot like the Reagan to me. Although I think the island has been heavily modified. That flight deck configuration doesn't look quite right, either - even with the elevators all up (which they hardly ever are) there's something wrong with the far end of the recovery lane. Also looks weird with no blast deflectors, cat trolleys, trap line spools, other working clutter.

[OperaTenor]

I always dug the looks of the original Enterprise island - square base with the round dome with all of those little diagonal antenna thingies on it. It was so boring and normal looking after the last couple of overhauls. I spoke with nucs that used to be stationed on it, and they said in the old days it was the fastest thing on the water - claimed it would actually plane out if they diverted catapult steam to propulsion. The speed limiting factor was torsional stress on the main shafts - they would twist 1.5 times from front to back. these were sand-filled, 3 ft diameter steel shafts.

I wonder if it will ever become a museum?

<small>[ 02-16-2005, 11:13 AM: Message edited by: OperaTenor ]</small>

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

The nucs on the E were right. When Bangladesh blew up, the 65 was Wespac, and it had to scoot right quick to the IO to rescue a bunch of US nationals. A Japanese paper caught a wonderful picture of it hurrying thataway. Bow waves nearly touching the flight deck, and a Roostertail! nearly up to the fantail!!

[OperaTenor]

Can you picture water skiing behind that?!!

I was also told upwards of 70 kts. If it was in a hurry, it would just steam away and leave the rest of the carrier group like they were standing still.

Speaking of water skiing behind large water craft, has anyone seen the end title credits for Down Periscope, where the actress is water skiing behind the nuclear sub? Whenever I was up in the sail on the surface, I'd look back at that big, flat wake we left, and just imagine what it would be like...

[barfle]

How many one-term Presidents have had ships named after them?

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Kennedy, and Truman. Did Lincoln have one term or two? He's also got a carrier

[barfle]

Well, JFK had his term cut short, but both Lincoln and Truman won re-elections, unlike GHWB.

My guess is that it helps to have offspring in powerful positions in the gummint.

[OperaTenor]

I think we need to name our next carrier the USS Chester Arthur.

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Originally posted by OperaTenor:
I think we need to name our next carrier the USS Chester Arthur.

Old nucs get strange, don't they.

[zlosin]

Hi everyone. Sorry i haven't been around since I posted that. Meetings ALL day long but productive!. Let me get my bearing, talk to you all latter

[brkelm]

Don't know if you knew it, but the last of the Seawolf class of SSNs was commisioned just a day or so ago. The USS Jimmy Carter, another one term president.

r/

Brian

[BigJon]

Wot hoppened to the tower?

And what happened to the twin hulled carriers with electric drives that Popular mechanics promised us in '83?

BigJon

[OperaTenor]

Hi Brian, good to know you're still around! Try not to be so quiet and post some more, will ya?

Hi *igJon, It's not an aircraft carrier, but the LCS-X just got commisioned. I hope it's everything they hope it to be, and not a boondoggle.

[GreatCarouser]

Originally posted by Selma in Sandy Eggo:
Kennedy, and Truman. Did Lincoln have one term or two? He's also got a carrier

Lincoln and Truman were both elected to second terms. It seems in Truman's case he was eligible to be nominated again, but he served from 4/12/45 until 1/20/53, almost eight years.

[Trumpetmaster]

USS-Liberty would have a nice ring to a ship!

[Shapley]

http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/carriers/cv-list1.html

http://www.ussliberty.org/

[OperaTenor]

Hi Shap,

I see you've been perusing the Navy site. Had you known about it before?

It's strange a carrier hasn't been named after FDR yet. He may have been a lot of things, but an awful lot of carrier development occurred under his tenure, and he certainly recognized their importance(saw the fruits firsthand).
I think it's a pretty objective observation to say he's definitely more deserving of one than GHWB.

Thanks for the link on the USS Liberty. When TM mentioned the name, it rang a bell, but I had forgotten the specifics.

<small>[ 02-17-2005, 11:08 AM: Message edited by: OperaTenor ]</small>

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Deserving? It was Teddy who sent the fleet around the world and made congress fund the fuel purchases! Admirals will love that Roosevelt forever. Two "Rosie"s would be excessive.

We don't have all that many carriers. Lots of prospective names. FDR may have to wait for a starship.