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The US Navy's Five Aircraft Carrier Museum Ships
JEFFHEAD.COM ^ | July 12, 2013 | Jeff Head

Posted on 07/12/2013 7:42:25 AM PDT by Jeff Head

US NAVY AIRCRAFT CARRIER MUSEUMS


(Click map for a high resolution image)

Currently (July 2013) there are five US Navy Aircraft Carrier museums. Four are of Essex class carriers commissioned during World War II which underwent the SBC-125 refit in the 1950s to modernize them. All were commissioned in 1943 & served into modern times. The last, the USS Lexington, was decommissioned in 1991 after 48 years service. The other is the USS Midway, namesake of a larger class carrier built at the end of the war. She underwent two major refits, in the 1950s & in 1970 greatly enlarging her flight deck for modern aircraft. She was commissioned in 1945 & decommissioned in 1992 after 47 years service.



USS YORKTOWN, CV-10, MUSEUM, CHARLESTON, SC

Name: USS Yorktown
Designation: CV-10
Class: Essex
Displacement: 41,200 tons (after modernization)
Commissoned: 1943
Decommissioned: 1970
Mueum Web Site: http://www.patriotspoint.org/
Location: Charleston, SC (Click HERE for a map)



USS INTREPID, CV-11, MUSEUM, NEW YORK, NY

Name: USS Intrepid
Designation: CV-11
Class: Essex
Displacement: 41,200 tons (after modernization)
Commissoned: 1943
Decommissioned: 1974
Mueum Web Site: http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/
Location: New York, NY (Click HERE for a map)



USS HORNET, CV-12, MUSEUM, ALAMEDA, CA

Name: USS Hornet
Designation: CV-12
Class: Essex
Displacement: 41,200 tons (after modernization)
Commissoned: 1943
Decommissioned: 1970
Mueum Web Site: http://www.uss-hornet.org/
Location: Alameda, CA (Click HERE for a map)



USS LEXINGTON, CV-16, MUSEUM, CORPUS CHRISTI, TX

Name: USS Lexington
Designation: CV-16
Class: Essex
Displacement: 48,300 tons (after modernization)
Commissoned: 1943
Decommissioned: 1991
Mueum Web Site: http://usslexington.com/
Location: Corpus Christi, TX (Click HERE for a map)



USS MIDWAY, CV-43, MUSEUM, SAN DIEGO, CA

Name: USS Midway
Designation: CV-41
Class: Midway
Displacement: 74,000 tons (after modernization)
Commissoned: 1945
Decommissioned: 1992
Mueum Web Site: http://www.midway.org/
Location: San Diego, CA (Click HERE for a map)


PROPOSED AIRCRAFT CARRIER MUSEUM

Currently, none of the more modern "super carriers," meaning none of the Forrestal Class, Kitty Hawk Class, or later aircraft carriers, have been saved and set aside as museums. However, there is an active effort underway to get the John F. Kennedy, CV-67, set up as an aicraft carrier museum in the New England area, She was a "super carrier," built to a modified Kitty Hawk standard, and was the last conventionally powered (meaning non-nulcear) aircraft carrier the United States built.



USS JOHN F. KENNEDY, CV-67, (Proposed - Rhode Island)

Name: USS John F. Kennedy
Designation: CV-67
Class: Kitty Hawk
Displacement: 82,700 tons
Commissoned: 1968
Decommissioned: 2007
Mueum Web Site: http://www.ussjfkri.org/
Location: (Proposed Rhode Island)


WORLD-WIDE AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
THE RISING SEA DRAGON IN ASIA
AEGIS & AEGIS-LIKE VESSELS OF THE WORLD
THE US NAVY IN THE 21ST CENTURY
AMERICA AT THE CROSSROADS OF HISTORY


TOPICS: History; Military/Veterans; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: aircraftcarriers; hornetcv12; intrepidcv11; jfkcv67; lexingtoncv16; midwaycv41; militaryhistory; museums; museumships; navalhistory; usnavy; usshornet; ussintrepid; ussjfk; usslexington; ussmidway; ussyorktown; yorktowncv10
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To: clamper1797
Naaa, I was a "Hover Lover" - HT-18. When I was in VT-2, the Lex was off Texas for you Jet Jocks.

So we hit the Concrete Deck for our T-28 carrier quals.

Whoop de do!

HT-18 CQ was in an UH-1E, not much difficulty there.

Later on, putting a CH-53 down on the back of an underway LPD was a bit more fun, 45 degree approach angle to the ships heading and all. Really messes with your mind with the sea surface going by at an angle.

Nothing like a rainy night trap in a fast mover, though. I really have to hand it to you, even if you can't hover.

:-)

41 posted on 07/12/2013 10:04:30 AM PDT by BwanaNdege ("To learn who rules over you simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize"- Voltaire)
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To: MasterGunner01

I stand corrected! Thanks Gunner. I’ve been by Groton and seen the sail. Wonder what the circumstances were that they have an “extra” sail? One on the sub, one on separate display? Maybe they installed a re-inforced sail for the polar mission?

Dunno?

Anyway, the point I made about Nuke vessels generally holds true. ENTERPRISE will likely be scrapped out. After they get done removing 8 nuclear reactors and associated piping & machinery from below decks — there isn’t going to be much left undisturbed.


42 posted on 07/12/2013 10:07:04 AM PDT by Tallguy (Hunkered down in Pennsylvania)
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To: philled

That’s really neat...!


43 posted on 07/12/2013 10:07:51 AM PDT by mn-bush-man
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To: dirtboy

My dad served on the USS Essex during the Cuban missile Crisis. He also served on the Midway for two cruises on Yankee Station during the Vietnam War.


44 posted on 07/12/2013 10:38:11 AM PDT by SeaHawkFan
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To: clamper1797

What did you do on the Midway at that time? My dad was also on that cruise?


45 posted on 07/12/2013 10:40:38 AM PDT by SeaHawkFan
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To: MarkL
... a display where they had 2 scale models, with the Intrepid sitting on top of the deck of the Enterprise. As Huge as the Intrepid was, the model of the Enterprise just dwarfed the Intrepid.

My dad served on the USS Block Island (CVE-106) which was only 557 feet long. The Intrepid is 872 feet long. Just a fun fact: the Block Island carried all Marine pilots flying Corsairs.

46 posted on 07/12/2013 10:43:56 AM PDT by Pan_Yan (I believe in God. All else is dubious.)
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To: Tallguy
You pretty much have to cut into the vessel to remove the reactors (8 of them on the Big E) and primary steam lines.

The legend goes that Rickover never wanted a nuclear powered carrier but Congress forced him to build one. With eight reactors and an armored stern amongst other extremely expensive features Rickover won, at least temporarily. The next couple of carriers were conventional.

47 posted on 07/12/2013 10:48:03 AM PDT by Pan_Yan (I believe in God. All else is dubious.)
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To: HokieMom

There are a number of battleships and other ships preserved in museums also. This list is only of aircraft carriers.


48 posted on 07/12/2013 11:45:26 AM PDT by TalonDJ
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To: Tallguy

Well they are defueling the reactors here in Newport News right now. I don’t think they so scrapping here though. so they will have to at least weld it back up to float it out of here.


49 posted on 07/12/2013 11:48:22 AM PDT by TalonDJ
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To: MosesKnows

At the bottom of the Atlantic(She was sunk around 2003 or 2004).


50 posted on 07/12/2013 12:12:00 PM PDT by US Navy Vet (Go Packers! Go Rockies! Go Boston Bruins! See, I'm "Diverse"!)
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To: SeaHawkFan

I was LOX crew and Seat Shop AME-3


51 posted on 07/12/2013 1:34:59 PM PDT by clamper1797 (Evil WILL flourish when good men WILL not act)
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To: Jeff Head
 photo 292816_2461612437086_1598360889_n.jpg

Clamper1797 on the USS Midway somewhere in the Tonkin Gulf 1972-1973

52 posted on 07/12/2013 2:03:29 PM PDT by clamper1797 (Evil WILL flourish when good men WILL not act)
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To: TalonDJ

Ah, OK, thanks. ;^)


53 posted on 07/12/2013 2:42:21 PM PDT by HokieMom (Pacepa : Can the U.S. afford a president who can't recognize anti-Americanism?)
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To: clamper1797

What squadron?


54 posted on 07/12/2013 3:25:13 PM PDT by SeaHawkFan
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To: SeaHawkFan

VA-93


55 posted on 07/12/2013 3:40:04 PM PDT by clamper1797 (Evil WILL flourish when good men WILL not act)
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To: MosesKnows

Ameerica was sunk in a SINKEX, live fire exercise. She took a LOT to go down, in fact rumor has it that IED personnel had to go onboard and wire her to sink. She taught the Navy a lot.


56 posted on 07/12/2013 4:52:22 PM PDT by Jeff Head
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To: Flash Bazbeaux

Thanks!

I did not know that. Mooored in the same slip the original Hornet used to leave for Tokyo?

Great info that!


57 posted on 07/12/2013 4:53:23 PM PDT by Jeff Head
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To: Pan_Yan

Agreed 100%...it was a complete travesty. My Dad used to talk about it. He was a combat US Naval officer vet of the PTO.


58 posted on 07/12/2013 4:54:12 PM PDT by Jeff Head
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To: stremba

There were only two of those deisel SSGN’s built, using the Regulus missile.

The other was converted to an amphibipous assault sub in the mid 60s for special forces and used until around 1980 I believe, then decommissioned and scrapped. The USS Growler is the only one left.


59 posted on 07/12/2013 4:56:45 PM PDT by Jeff Head
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To: HokieMom

It is...but it is a battleship. These are all aircraft carriers.


60 posted on 07/12/2013 4:57:15 PM PDT by Jeff Head
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