[Gondring]

I should think a ship that fast would have a perfectly good military application. A great high-speed troop transport.

It was originally designed for use as such.

[americanophile]

Can you build something that big and fast for the cost of refurbishing?

[GonzoGOP]

She burns too much fuel to be competitive in todays world. Those big steam turbines are great for setting speed records, but would kill you for cruising. While sentiment serves some purpose we would be better off using any cash available for ship preservation for ships like Olympia, Texas, and other ships that actually did something spectacular and important to our national history during their lifetimes.

If we need troopships that can work as superliners between wars we would be better off building new ones with up to date electrical systems, high efficiency diesel engines, and better maneuverability inshore. Also pools on the upper decks can be drained and covered over with a thin structure to form landing pads as was done with Canberra and QE1 in the Falklands. SS United States had her pool deep inside and her deck is too cluttered to quickly add a helicopter port. Not a big issue in the early 50’s, a deal breaker now.