CGKings317 From Canada, joined Nov 2005, 303 posts, RR: 7 Posted (2 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 6341 times:
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Hello Military aircraft gurus, first time posting in the MilitaryAv forum.
The USS Ranger, a large aircraft carrier currently in Bremerton, WA, is likely to be headed to Fairview, OR (an eastern suburb of PDX) and be converted to a museum according to a KGW-TV article:
fair-use quote:
Quote:
FAIRVIEW -- The City of Fairview may soon have Oregon's next big tourist attraction.
The regional government Metro has given permission to moor the super aircraft carrier USS Ranger at the Columbia River's Chinook Landing Marine Park indefinitely.
sasd209 From British Indian Ocean Territory, joined Oct 2007, 633 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (2 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 6208 times:
Well, that is good news that another of the Forrestal class will be preserved. Does anybody know what material condition the ship currently is in? Will it take much money to bring it to 'museum' status? Also, are there any thoughts about what A/C they will have on the deck as exhibits? I know the Intrepid has many A/C (not all Navy A/C) as displays...
garnetpalmetto From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 5251 posts, RR: 55 Reply 2, posted (2 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 6135 times:
I'm glad to see Ranger spared a SINKEX, especially given the amount of history attached to her - she was, after all, the first carrier anywhere built from the keel up with an angled-deck flight deck in mind. I also always found it interesting that in three separate cases she "played" one of her nuclear-powered sisters for Hollywood - standing in for Enterprise in Top Gun and Star Trek IV and for Nimitz in the Pearl Harbor scenes in Final Countdown. I'll be adding her to my list of ex-USN CVs to see. Thus far I've only done Yorktown but would definitely love to visit the rest as well as the BBs that have been converted to museum ships.
South Carolina - too small to be its own country, too big to be a mental asylum.
KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11742 posts, RR: 51 Reply 3, posted (2 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 6061 times:
I was hoping they picked the USS Iowa, BB61, as a museum ship too. She also has a long and proud history, and there are no BB museum ships on the west coast right now. There is one in Hawaii, USS Missouri, BB63, one in Texas, USS Texas, BB35, one in North Carolina, USS North Carolina, BB 55, one in New Jersey, USS New Jersey, BB62, and one in Massachusetts, USS Massachusetts, BB59, and her sister ship (in the SoDak class) the USS Alabama, BB60, is in Alabama.
garnetpalmetto From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 5251 posts, RR: 55 Reply 6, posted (2 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 5905 times:
Quoting UH60FtRucker (Reply 4):
Well hopefully they take better care of Ranger, than they have taken care of North Carolina.
How old is that pic, Aharon? Drove past her on the way to/from Myrtle Beach last week and she looked in better shape than that. Additionally, there's some heavy hullwork that's going to be done on her over the next several years to bring her hull back to shape
She's still to be a museum, and the USN has reopened bids to cities/foundations that wish to take her on as a museum. IIRC, bidding is open only to foundations and cities in California at the present.
South Carolina - too small to be its own country, too big to be a mental asylum.
ZANL188 From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 3258 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (2 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 4 hours ago) and read 5884 times:
Quoting KC135TopBoom (Reply 3): There is one in Hawaii, USS Missouri, BB63, one in Texas, USS Texas, BB35, one in North Carolina, USS North Carolina, BB 55, one in New Jersey, USS New Jersey, BB62, and one in Massachusetts, USS Massachusetts, BB59, and her sister ship (in the SoDak class) the USS Alabama, BB60, is in Alabama.
USS Wisconsin (BB-64) is on display in Norfolk, VA.
Legal considerations provided by: Dewey, Cheatum, and Howe
KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11742 posts, RR: 51 Reply 8, posted (2 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 5850 times:
Quoting UH60FtRucker (Reply 4): Quoting KC135TopBoom (Reply 3):
one in North Carolina, USS North Carolina, BB 55
Well hopefully they take better care of Ranger, than they have taken care of North Carolina.
Quoting garnetpalmetto (Reply 6): How old is that pic, Aharon? Drove past her on the way to/from Myrtle Beach last week and she looked in better shape than that. Additionally, there's some heavy hullwork that's going to be done on her over the next several years to bring her hull back to shape
That picture was taken this past Spring, at low tide (she is in a tidal river in Wilmington). It has been posted on www.NavWeaps.com, on their BB vs. BB board.
They are talking about building a coffer dam around the Showboat, just like they did for the Alabama a few years ago. Then dredge out the mud and do some hull repairs. BB55 is now leaking from her torpedo damage repair done at Pearl Harbour in 1943. Everything above the water line is in good shape, but NC really needs a dry dock refit like the Massachusetts had about 10 years ago.
Quoting TheSonntag (Reply 5): Quoting KC135TopBoom (Reply 3):
I was hoping they picked the USS Iowa, BB61, as a museum ship too.
What are the plans for Iowa then?
There was a group from Stockton, CA that wanted her, but could not raise enough money a few years ago. She is still in the Suisan Bay boneyard fleet. Other groups are also trying to get Iowa that I have heard about, one in Long Beach and one in San Diego. San Francisco has said they don't want an instrument of war in their city. But, IIRC they have a USN WWII Gato class SS and a Liberty Ship.
Quoting ZANL188 (Reply 7): Quoting KC135TopBoom (Reply 3):
There is one in Hawaii, USS Missouri, BB63, one in Texas, USS Texas, BB35, one in North Carolina, USS North Carolina, BB 55, one in New Jersey, USS New Jersey, BB62, and one in Massachusetts, USS Massachusetts, BB59, and her sister ship (in the SoDak class) the USS Alabama, BB60, is in Alabama.
USS Wisconsin (BB-64) is on display in Norfolk, VA.
garnetpalmetto From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 5251 posts, RR: 55 Reply 9, posted (2 years 10 months 1 week 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 5843 times:
Quoting KC135TopBoom (Reply 8): but NC really needs a dry dock refit like the Massachusetts had about 10 years ago.
Ain't happening. The state decided it would be cost prohibitive to do that to the tune of $16,000,000 since she'd have to be towed to Norfolk or Charleston to get that sort of drydock work done. All hull work will be done with her at the pier she's currently berthed at in the Cape Fear River and she'll remain open while repairs are going on:
Quoting KC135TopBoom (Reply 8): That picture was taken this past Spring, at low tide (she is in a tidal river in Wilmington). It has been posted on www.NavWeaps.com, on their BB vs. BB board.
I am really sorry... I did something I normally despise: not quoting the source.
I hate to say it, but I have started to visit World Affairs Board far more often than Mil-Av. The topics seem to be discussed more in-depth, with a more technical focus. There are a lot of very knowledgeable people over there. I recommend you guys check it out.
Quoting KC135TopBoom (Reply 8): Everything above the water line is in good shape, but NC really needs a dry dock refit like the Massachusetts had about 10 years ago.
Absolutely. But it's probably never going to happen. Not at that price tag. Not to mention, there are serious questions of whether the hull integrity could withstand the proposed move to Norfolk.
The cofferdam is probably the only solution, at this point. But it doesn't answer the question to the bottom of the hull... which has been sitting on that mud for a long time. It's surely very corroded.
garnetpalmetto From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 5251 posts, RR: 55 Reply 11, posted (2 years 10 months 1 week 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 5751 times:
Quoting UH60FtRucker (Reply 10):
I am really sorry... I did something I normally despise: not quoting the source.
And I did something I normally despise - not directing my link to the right page.
At any rate, to try to bring this back on topic, what are the fates of the other decommissioned supercarriers from Forrestal onwards? Here's the ones whose disposition I know:
ex-USS Forrestal - to be sunk as a fishing reef
ex-USS Saratoga - ??? I remember she was to be donated but plans to place her in either Jacksonville, FL or Quonset Point, RI as a museum ship fell through
ex-USS Independence - ???
USS Kitty Hawk - ??? I know there are plans to bring her to Wilmington to keep North Carolina company, but not sure what the status of those plans are.
ex-USS Constellation - ???
ex-USS America - Sunk by scuttling following a SINKEX on 5/14/05
USS John F. Kennedy - On museum/donation hold - are there still plans for her to be placed in Boston as a museum ship?
Also, I think that it's only fair that one of the Ford class be named Ranger as it's one of the proudest and longest tenured names in the USN with connections going back to John Paul Jones. I see Ranger as one of those names that it's almost criminal to not have in active service.
South Carolina - too small to be its own country, too big to be a mental asylum.
KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11742 posts, RR: 51 Reply 12, posted (2 years 10 months 1 week 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 5659 times:
Can Kitty Hawk even fit on the river with NC?
Last I heard the JFK might go to Battleship Cove in Fall River, MA to be displayed with the Massachusetts. I wish they would move the Salem there, too. That could be why the Saratoga won't go to Quonset Point, RI. The ships would be very close to each other for tourists compitition.
USS Enterprise is the next carrier scheduled to be decommissioned, and the first of the CVNs, in 2014. The Forrestal will be sunk as a reef, I believe in 2012 or 2013.
I agree one of the Ford class of CVNs should be named Ranger. But Enterprise also deserves to have her name live on, too. Her name also has a long and proud name in the USN, as well as going back to the RN. USS Enterprise, CV6 was the most decorated USN ship of WWII and earned the most Battle Stars.
garnetpalmetto From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 5251 posts, RR: 55 Reply 13, posted (2 years 10 months 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 5618 times:
The plan would be to dredge a new channel off the Cape Fear for both Kitty Hawk and North Carolina and then move North Carolina there since Kitty Hawk would be too tall to fit under the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge
http://www.starnewsonline.com/apps/p...20060125/NEWS/60124035/1015/news01 has a good write-up on it, albeit about four years old and written prior to the recession. Given the financials and the fact that the original plan would have involved North Carolina's dry-docking in Norfolk for hull repairs, I'm not sure what the current status is. Still it'd be pretty nice to have a supercarrier in one's proverbial backyard and also it'd be cool in that one could daytrip to/from Charleston and it'd be possible to visit Yorktown and Kitty Hawk in the space of a day.
South Carolina - too small to be its own country, too big to be a mental asylum.
KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11742 posts, RR: 51 Reply 14, posted (2 years 10 months 1 week 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 5400 times:
My guess is those plans were dropped due to the expense. That is why BB55 is not going into drydock and will be given the coffer dam treatment instead. Once that is done, I doubt NC can ever be moved again,
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