Northrop Grummans Newest Aircraft Carrier Takes a Bow(Bow laid for newest carrier)

Spacewar ^

[MARKUSPRIME]

The carrier is under construction at Northrop Grumman's Newport News sector, the nation's sole designer, builder and refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. Weighing 780 tons and made up of 25 steel sections, the upper bow is one of the heaviest crane lifts in the ship's production plan. Newport News began construction on the upper bow unit last February.

"Landing the fully-outfitted upper bow on the ship is a significant milestone in the design and construction of CVN 77, and most importantly, a great team effort by our shipbuilders," said Scott Stabler, vice president for the CVN 77 program at Northrop Grumman Newport News. "We are on track for record shipboard construction progress at launch in October."

[Vision]

How about the USS Rush Limbaugh CVN-77?

[Cheburashka]

I've said it before, I'll say it again. Clinton will have a carrier named after him.
It will be in the Red Chinese Navy.

[R. Scott]

I’ve heard it compared to landing on a postage stamp.

[cva66snipe]

?? The article says that it's the George H.W. Bush.

The BUSH is set to launch this fall. There is an effort going on though to have the next carrier after USS GHW BUSH named USS AMERICA after the carrier that was sank to gather data to design it. Name CVN78 USS America A new flagship for America! This site was put up by a former crew member.

[cva66snipe]

Because all then VTOL aircraft will take years to bring online,

Yep they've been working on them over 25 years now. Before I got out in 1980 I saw Harriers doing flight ops off a nearby LPH I think in late 1979. From what I understand it simply still takes too much fuel to get them in the air thus cutting down on effective radius.

[cva66snipe]

Hum, Look Mom no visable Secondary Con in the upper bow. Secondary CON is the back up Navigation Bridge usually on the 03 level right below the Flight Deck used if the Island is destroyed.

[magslinger]

Trust me, when your circling to land, that boat doesn't look nearly that large! Just sit back in the seat and pray the pilot is as good as he thinks he is.

[Bookie1066]

Carter got a sub cause he served on one. Reagan and Bush got because they were strong supporters of the military. Clinton will be lucky to get a tug boat. And you know it will instantly be nicknamed "The Love Boat." Hell the only that should be named after Clinton is a new strain of VD.

[R. Scott]

I’ve never experienced a carrier landing, and don’t really like flying in anything larger and faster than a Piper Cub. I’ve talked to a few friends and neighbors who were carrier qualified – true adrenaline junkies.

[finnigan2]

" You've confused the Raptor with the JSF, only one model of which, F-35B, has S/VTOL capability."

- The F-35B is a Raptor with a modification to it's engine which adds a vertical turbine to permit the downward deflection of exhaust that gives it VTOL capability. The Marine Corp wants this model to replace the Harrier. All Services will use the Raptor, modified in some way or other to suit their particular needs while reducing the overall costs of production, since most build requirements and spare parts can be standardized. As with the Harrier, a VTOL Raptor works best with a very short ramp built into the ship to allow it to take off without using the extra fuel that would be needed if it had to rise vertically.
Basically there would be no need for a flight deck at all, as the ship could be crammed from bow to stern with aircraft in a storage area one deck below and brought up, in sequence, to the ramp for take off at the bow. Retrieval would be by an elevator at the stern.
Storage of aircraft would then be out of the weather and maintenance could be carried out without moving the aircraft below, as is now the case.
This sounds like a plan to me, but I think the Navy is fixated on a WW11 configuration.

[Hank Rearden]

There is an effort going on though to have the next carrier after USS GHW BUSH named USS AMERICA after the carrier that was sank to gather data to design it.

Much better than naming our fleet after politicians. Expecially the Clinton-loving ones.

[Spruce]

JSF and Raptor are two completely separate aircraft. They share some similarities in appearance, but that is all.

[MARKUSPRIME]

No its not. Im in the air force and they are 2 differant planes completly.JSF(single engine)=F-16/F-18 replacement F-22(two engine and differant body)=F-15 replacement.

[MarkL]

If anyone wants to be truly impressed, visit Newport News. Go downtown to the shipyard area and look at a carrier under construction or refit – the tallest building in Newport News is any carrier in the shipyard. These ships are truly huge, but they don’t look all that big until you get within a few blocks of the shipyard.

Before the air museum was opened on the Intrepid, I took a tour of it, and there was a display with a scale model of the Intrepid next to the Nimitz. After having walked around the flight and hanger decks, and being being amazed at what a huge ship that was, I was shocked to see how the newer CVNs just dwarfed the Intrepid.

Someday, now that there's a museum there, I'd love to go back. I heard that there's another warship there too, as well as a Russian submarine.

Mark

[A.A. Cunningham]

The F-35B is a Raptor

Nope, you're still confused.

F-22 Raptor

F-35 JSF

The Marine Corp wants this model to replace the Harrier.

The F-35B will replace both the AV-8B and the F/A-18As and Cs flown by the Marines.

which adds a vertical turbine to permit the downward deflection of exhaust that gives it VTOL capability.

Nope, wrong again. The shaft driven lift fan moves clear air, not exhaust, and it precedes the engine, the exhaust nozzle swivels deflecting the engine exhaust.

All Services will use the Raptor,

Nope, wrong again. The F-22 Raptor is USAF only although some in the Pentagon are floating the idea of selling some to foreign users. The F-35 JSF is scheduled to be flown by the Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and several foreign users.

As with the Harrier, a VTOL Raptor

Nope, wrong again. No such thing as a VTOL F-22 Raptor.

works best with a very short ramp built into the ship to allow it to take off without using the extra fuel that would be needed if it had to rise vertically.

LHAs and LHDs aren't equipped with ski jump bows.

Basically there would be no need for a flight deck at all,

Nope, wrong again. You still need a flight deck long enough to execute a rolling STO even with a ski jump bow.

Retrieval would be by an elevator at the stern.

Very inefficient. Doesn't allow for near simultaneous recoveries, restricts refueling, rearming, maintenance, crew swap, marshalling, etc. Aircraft also need to cool off before being taken below deck.

Storage of aircraft would then be out of the weather and maintenance could be carried out without moving the aircraft below, as is now the case.

A lot of maintenance already takes place on deck and some of it has to take place on deck not to mention loading and unloading of ordinance and fueling. Exactly how many LHAs and LHDs, and with which HMMs, have you served on?

This sounds like a plan to me,

Fortunately, people like you don't get to make plans.

I think the Navy is fixated on a WW11 configuration.

If that were the case then CVNs would be a lot smaller than Nimitz class boats.

Your knowledge and "philosophy" rivals that of Gary Hart.

[CGTRWK]

From what I understand it simply still takes too much fuel to get them in the air thus cutting down on effective radius.

The problem isn't that the short takeoff burns too much fuel, it's that a shorter (or worse yet vertical) takeoff run significantly reduces allowed GTOW. You don't have a full load of fuel in the first place.

[cva66snipe]

Thanks for the explanation. It was odd watching them. We were roughly 5 miles or so away from the helo carrier just enough where you could see the plane disappear as it crossed the flighteck. We weren't close enough to watch them land with the naked eye. This was likely among the first sea trials. We heard such a plane was being developed. It was kinda like flying fish you think you saw something but you weren't quite sure LOL.

[R. Scott]

I’ve been through the Battleships North Carolina and Texas, as well as several smaller warship museums. I think I was most impressed with the WW II submarines – I thought our old LCUs were cramped until I saw them.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Sea trials for the Marine Corps Harriers were conducted in the early 70s. VMA-231 embarked 12 AV-8As aboard the FDR, CV-42, some of which are pictured below, on her final cruise as part of CVW-19 in 1976 in the med.

[A.A. Cunningham]

More photos from VMA-231 aboard CV-42.