(USS) Truman Performs High Speed Rudder Test

USS Harry S. Truman Public Affairs ^ | 7/9/2012 | Mass Comm Spec Seaman Taylor DiMartino

[gandalftb]

USS HARRY S. TRUMAN, At Sea (NNS) -- The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) conducted a full power run and rudder swing checks during sea trials July 8.

The ship rolled more than 13 degrees in each direction.

"After weeks of calibrations and testing, the ship's steering was finally put to the test," said Lt. Kasey Vowell, assistant auxiliary division officer for engineering department.

Truman maxed out at 30 plus knots during the run.

[Trod Upon]

In fairness, we've been at it a tad longer. Also remember that with even 1980s-1990s tech that thing is one stray missile or torp from being a hulk. Don't get me wrong--carriers are great for thumping turd-worlders who can't hit back in any meaningful way, but against a halfway modern enemy I think carriers (anybody's carriers) are this century's battleships. Impressive, expensive, and mostly obsolete. Look at systems like the Sunburn, BrahMos, or Shkval, for example, and contemplate massed attacks. Even CWIS has its limits. Actually I think they were pretty much obsolescent against a credible enemy by the late 1960's. Look at the resources we have pour into battlegroups just to protect the carrier. That's not to say they aren't useful and nice to have on hand, but I wonder about their survivability if the fur really flew against someone with modern platforms.

[Covenantor]

If I was in the Navy, I'd be the "land guy." I'd untie the ships from the, um, place.

Yo! Larry drop that bowline and trot on over to untie that stern line in.

I remain in total awe of our carriers every since seeing the USS Forestall being fitted out in Newport News from a ten foot wooden dingy with my slightly older cousin. Back in the day when that was still possible. Aside from the sheer size of the ship, the thing that sticks in my memory was how cold it suddenly got rowing from sunlit water to the deep shadow of the moored ship, like walking into cold box.

[Alter Kaker]

When I hear about all these reports about Indian and Chinese and Russian carriers, ya gotta laugh at their inferiority compared to our Navy.

Carriers are obsolete. Nothing the US can do to stop increasingly accurate ballistic missiles from top-level adversaries.

[762X51]

Wake me up when they test the Gabby Giffords.

It can only turn left and then sink from the large gaping hole.

[Eye of Unk]

With four nuclear reactors the Big E was faster. A close friend who is a nuke specialist in the underwater boat department told me the Enterprise has a classified emergency flank speed of 75 knts.

[FreedomPoster]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-ballistic_missile

[Gamecock]

Lot of pride in that outfit.

[Parley Baer]

“I’ve know guys that served on the Indy, Forrestal, Big E, Shitty Kitty — all of them saw these carriers outrun escorts”

I was aboard the Big E for a couple of cruises to the South China Sea and I was surprised when we out ran the escort ships.

[43north]

800 ft?

That’s amazing. I imagine that maneuver pretty much turns the rudders into ailerons...

[DuncanWaring]

If he told you and you then posted it here it’s not very well classified, is it?

[SamAdams76]

OK, it can turn. How are the brakes?

I believe those are to be installed in the French versions.

[tanknetter]

With four nuclear reactors the Big E was faster. A close friend who is a nuke specialist in the underwater boat department told me the Enterprise has a classified emergency flank speed of 75 knts.

The Enterprise actually has eight reactors, not four. Since she was, in hull form, a modification of the Kitty Hawk design (actually with a better length to width ratio) she has a higher top speed than either the conventional CVs or the later CVNs.

But 75 knots is science fiction. Even the best engineering can't overcome the laws of physics. Enterprise's best top speed - and that's fresh out of overhaul with a clean hull and props and operating in specific sea conditions and depths, gets her pretty close to 34 knots. Which still makes her the fastest deep-draft warship in the world.

A good read on all this is Stuart Slade's "Speed Thrills III". The essay was written back in the late 1990s as a response to flame wars that were taking place on many of the nascent military discussion boards over the speeds of relative classes of ships (there are other "Speed Thrills" essays on the Iowa Class Battleships that are worth reading. One goes into details about how running in shallow water conveys additional speed).

[SamAdams76]

A close friend who is a nuke specialist in the underwater boat department told me the Enterprise has a classified emergency flank speed of 75 knts.

Oh no, not another "friend of a friend who knows something" remark, designed to impress people online who have no way of validating the information.

[Bob]

Just love how after all these years the USN can stick to these vague speed claims for our Nimitz-class carriers.

Thirty-plus knots is an adequate description for a ship's speed. While my DDG was officially listed at 31+ knots, I really didn't want the guys shooting at us to know our real max speed to the last decimal point.

[43north]

OK, it can turn. How are the brakes?

I believe those are to be installed in the French versions.

Actually the French versions have the propellers installed in reverse so they can only back away from danger...

[jboot]

Above 20 knots it’s all about hullform. The carrier has a massive freeboard and sheer edge on any destroyer. In a leading sea the destroyer will dig in at top speed while the carrier will still plane.

[wxgesr]

I beg to differ regarding the speed, but won’t comment further.

[tanknetter]

Above 20 knots it’s all about hullform. The carrier has a massive freeboard and sheer edge on any destroyer. In a leading sea the destroyer will dig in at top speed while the carrier will still plane.

Relatively speaking, yes. But the tendency for the Nimitz-class hull to also dig in at speed is one of the reasons why the Reagan and Bush both have that bulbous bow (and why there's been some talk about retrofitting it to the earlier CVNs as they go through RCOH). The later Nimitzes have significantly higher displacements than the earlier one do, on pretty much the same hull form.

[353FMG]

It’s not the equipment that we should be worried about — it’s the one in charge who controls all this equipment.

[jonascord]

If you want to know performance figures for US war toys, go ask the Russians. They not only know, they don’t mind telling everyone else.