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USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) - Status

BusyBee604

BusyBee604

St. Francis/Hugh Hefner Combo!
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USS GERALD R. FORD (CVN-78).jpg
USS Gerald R. Ford gets James River launch

Posted; Nov 20, 2013 2:43 AM EST

Newport News, VA (AP) - The Navy's newest aircraft carrier reached another milestone.

Huntington Ingalls Industries says the USS Gerald R. Ford was launched into the James River for the first time over the weekend.

The ship was moved about a mile to Newport News Shipbuilding's Pier 3 with the assistance of 6 tugboats. It will undergo additional outfitting and testing for the next 28 months.

Construction of the Ford began in November 2009.

The Ford is the lead ship in a new class of carriers. It features a new nuclear power plant, a redesigned island, electromagnetic catapults, improved weapons movement and an enhanced flight deck.

The Ford will replace the USS Enterprise which was inactivated last year. The ship is scheduled for delivery to the Navy in 2016.

From the "Bee Hive": I am in awe of the huge material improvements that have taken place over the 57 years since my entry into Naval Aviation. My first carqual was on USS Antietam (CV-36). first WestPac on the new USS Ranger (CVA-61), around the Horn bringing the brand new USS Constellation (CVA-64) to her first & only homeport. Also, a deployment on USS Ticoonderoga (CVA-14), and two on USS Midway (CVA-41). Now they are all retired. When I retired, only 2 CVNs were in commission ("Big E" & Nimitz). Now Nimitz is the "Grey Eagle" of our 10 active CVNs.

I am extremely jealous of today's newbies (w/ as A4sForever described "skulls full of cottage cheese"), who may someday drive the new F/A-35s off ships like FORD, with EM Cats & to never have the ship blow tubes on you as you roll into the groove. Was I born 60 years too soon.... Nah, I wouldn't change a thing, except I'd try harder to limit myself to only one wife!:eek:
*Apologize for the reminisce.:oops:
BzB:cool:
 
Renegade One

Renegade One

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BusyBee604 said:
I am extremely jealous of today's newbies ... who may someday drive the new F/A-35s off ships like FORD, with EM Cats & to never have the ship blow tubes on you as you roll into the groove. Was I born 60 years too soon.... Nah, I wouldn't change a thing, except I'd try harder to limit myself to only one wife!:eek:
*Apologize for the reminisce.:oops:
BzB:cool:
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First time I think I've ever seen the "Lightning II"/JSF referred to as the F/A-35. Unless I missed a memo, are you trying to start something?

Hey…where would we be without our fond reminiscences...;)
 
BusyBee604

BusyBee604

St. Francis/Hugh Hefner Combo!
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Renegade One said:
First time I think I've ever seen the "Lightning II"/JSF referred to as the F/A-35. Unless I missed a memo, are you trying to start something?

Hey…where would we be without our fond reminiscences...;)
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R1, maybe it doesn't have an A... so what the hell difference does that make, really? Please don't quote me any more, I'm just a dumb Attack stick monkey, trying to get a big A back in the game! Besides you're giving me an inferiority complex.:rolleyes: Oh wait... maybe it's not a complex after all? Remember what Mama told you 'bout respecting your elders.:p
BzB
 
Renegade One

Renegade One

Well-Known Member
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BusyBee604 said:
R1, maybe it doesn't have an A... so what the hell difference does that make, really? Please don't quote me any more, I'm just a dumb Attack stick monkey, trying to get a big A back in the game! Besides you're giving me an inferiority complex.:rolleyes: Oh wait... maybe it's not a complex after all? Remember what Mama told you 'bout respecting your elders.:p
BzB
Click to expand...
BZB…you make me laugh every time we swap posts or handshakes. God bless! Hope you're well…let's go back to your fond reminiscences. :)
 
zippy

zippy

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Big ship, stealthy looking Masts... With the larger flight deck it certainly won't improve the radar cross section at all. A lack of "no load" wakeup will take away from the experience, as will the deafening arresting gear noises. Hopefully they fixed some of the issues that popped up on the last couple NIMITZ that they were using as testbeds for new designs/systems (aka the shitters) and they increased the amount of berthing areas onboard (They've actually decreased by the end of the NIMITZ class) so large portions of the crew don't have to be displaced when they've got riders onboard (and this day in age there are always riders onboard).
 
Renegade One

Renegade One

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zippy said:
Hopefully they fixed some of the issues that popped up on the last couple NIMITZ that they were using as testbeds for new designs/systems (aka the shitters)...
Click to expand...
Can't imagine why "vastly improved shitters" hasn't made it to the press releases yet. I'm sure that time will come.
 
P

Pags

N/A
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At least CNAF got the island right. It always made me say "hmmm" to compare relative island sizes between an LHD and a CV. LHDs island is so much bigger and eats up so much real estate. I really could have done without the garages and giant weapons elevators that are never used and gotten a few more spots in the bones.
 
ea6bflyr

ea6bflyr

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Aside from the Furuno Nav radar, it appears that spinning radars are no longer on the new class of carriers.
 
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Renegade One

Renegade One

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Pags said:
At least CNAF got the island right.
Click to expand...
I'm sure they did, but I wonder about the GRF's OODs, etc., who find out that their "blind zone" after an ejection off the cat or while transiting the Lombok Straits extends to zero visibility within 1000 feet or so.
 
zippy

zippy

Freedom!
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Renegade One said:
I'm sure they did, but I wonder about the GRF's OODs, etc., who find out that their "blind zone" after an ejection off the cat or while transiting the Lombok Straits extends to zero visibility within 1000 feet or so.
Click to expand...

Island isn't too far back from the current position so while they'd lose some vis in the front, vis in the rear would be improved. Visibility close in is pretty terrible on NIMITZ anyways so it won't be much of a change. If any other surface contact is getting close enough that they need to see them within 1000ft of the ship then a lot of people have failed at doing their jobs... An ejection off the cat is a bit different but either class of ship visibility is hozed so it won't make much difference anyways.
 
SynixMan

SynixMan

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That thing looks amazing. Long odds I'll ever see the inside, but here's hoping the improvements help life aboard. Although, I'm sure the mess decks now have only microwaves for prepping food.
 
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