747400sp From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 3301 posts, RR: 2 Posted (1 year 6 months 2 weeks 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 4879 times:
Here in the Hampton roads area, there was a big story about the USS Enterprise CVN-65 turning 50, in Yesterdays or the Sundays paper. The fact that great ship has lasted 50 years, amazing. She was the first carrier to deploy F-14 Tomcat, and was used in films like Top Gun and The Hunt For Red October. I just wanted to pay tribute again to this great ship.
PS: There is a photo of the Big E and the SS United States, dry dock next to each other at Newport News ship yards. The Big E really made the United States, look like a small ship. After that, I stated to look at the Big E as the US version of SS France, due to the France being big also ( ok not as big as the Big E). I also liked the fact, that this was the second carrier to be name USS Enterprise, both USS Lexington are gone or decommissioned, and the first USS Enterprise carrier is gone, so it a treat to still have the second Big E still commissioned. I tried to get a tour of her, because she would moored next to my old ship the Truman, but her crew was always busy. I have a photo that took of her, the Kennedy right before it was decom, the Truman and Roosevelt, but I can not find it.
redflyer From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 4181 posts, RR: 30 Reply 1, posted (1 year 6 months 2 weeks 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 4842 times:
I remember as a kid growing up I built a plastic model of the ship (I think it was around 1969). She was quite an amazing piece of machinery back then, and I would never have imagined that she would still be making waves (figuratively and literally) all these years later.
nomadd22 From United States of America, joined Feb 2008, 1576 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (1 year 6 months 2 weeks 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 4840 times:
I got in a race with that old broad once, coming off the same fueler on a 378. Despite the armchair experts who tell you that the stories of her speed were just myths, we got up to 29 knots in a hurry, just to see the E get up to speed and pass us like we were going backwards.
It'll be a sad day to see her retire. If nobody takes her, I'd rather see an artificial reef than an end at the breakers.
ZANL188 From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 3258 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (1 year 6 months 2 weeks 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 4810 times:
I understand also that USN has changed it's mind and plans to get one more deployment out of her before they send her to the breakers.
Quoting nomadd22 (Reply 2): It'll be a sad day to see her retire. If nobody takes her, I'd rather see an artificial reef than an end at the breakers.
I think a retired nuke as a reef would be a hard sell.
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redflyer From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 4181 posts, RR: 30 Reply 4, posted (1 year 6 months 2 weeks 6 days 6 hours ago) and read 4806 times:
Quoting ZANL188 (Reply 3): I think a retired nuke as a reef would be a hard sell.
IMHO, I think it would be safer than a conventional propulsion ship. But to your point, it might be a PR headache given the sensitivities around anything associated with the word "nuclear".
747400sp From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 3301 posts, RR: 2 Reply 5, posted (1 year 6 months 2 weeks 6 days 6 hours ago) and read 4781 times:
The Big E looks bigger than a Nimitz class carrier to me. I remember the time when the Enterprise was moored next to us, then it went under way and the IKE pulled into her spot days later, and the IKE look so little, well little for an US aircraft carrier.
Quoting nomadd22 (Reply 2): Despite the armchair experts who tell you that the stories of her speed were just myths, we got up to 29 knots in a hurry, just to see the E get up to speed and pass us like we were going backwards.
redflyer From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 4181 posts, RR: 30 Reply 6, posted (1 year 6 months 2 weeks 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 4756 times:
Quoting 747400sp (Reply 5): Well a ship with eight reactor is going to move!
Didn't they dummy her down to four during her SLEP a few decades back?
ZANL188 From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 3258 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (1 year 6 months 2 weeks 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 4741 times:
Quoting redflyer (Reply 4): IMHO, I think it would be safer than a conventional propulsion ship. But to your point, it might be a PR headache given the sensitivities around anything associated with the word "nuclear".
I bet she ends up as a hulk docked on the other side of the pier from Long Beach at Bremerton.
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nomadd22 From United States of America, joined Feb 2008, 1576 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (1 year 6 months 2 weeks 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 4684 times:
Quoting redflyer (Reply 6):
Didn't they dummy her down to four during her SLEP a few decades back?
I'm not sure, but I thought they just went to new design cores in the 69/70 refit that allowed them to routinely run on four reactors, or one per shaft, but still kept all 8 active.
trigged From United States of America, joined Mar 2005, 497 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (1 year 6 months 2 weeks 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 4443 times:
A buddy of mine in college was a nuke on her. He used to refer to her as the Mobile Chernobyl... IIRC, he said that they would rotate through the reactors to keep all 8 of them in working order. Granted, he was on her about 10-12 years ago.
PSAJet17 From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 248 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (1 year 6 months 2 weeks 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 4426 times:
Quoting 747400sp (Reply 5): The Big E looks bigger than a Nimitz class carrier to me.
rwessel From United States of America, joined Jan 2007, 2005 posts, RR: 2 Reply 11, posted (1 year 6 months 2 weeks 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 4305 times:
To pick a nit: That's the flight deck length - Big E still has bridle catchers (which none of the Nimitz's do any more), so her overall length is 1123ft.
LMP737 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 12, posted (1 year 6 months 2 weeks 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 4040 times:
A nieghboor of mine growing up was on board when they had the accident back in 1969m scary stuff.
I've always wanted to see her unfortanetly when I was in the Navy she was undergoing refuel in Norfolk. Don't feel soory for me though, I was "stuck" in San Diego
L-188 From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 29366 posts, RR: 61 Reply 14, posted (1 year 6 months 2 weeks 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 4022 times:
Quoting FlyingCello (Reply 13): Surely she has to be a candidate for a floating museum?
I would hope so but the US Navy didn't feel that way about the original "Big E" and sent her off to the breakers in the 1950's so I doubt they will feel the same about her.
I do hope they keep the original Enterprise portholes that where salvaged and installed in CVN-65 when she was built
OBAMA-WORST PRESIDENT EVER....Even SKOORB would be better.
LMP737 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 15, posted (1 year 6 months 2 weeks 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 3875 times:
Quoting FlyingCello (Reply 13): Surely she has to be a candidate for a floating museum? Big E is a genuine piece of military history, and would make a great display piece.
It's been mentioned that once the reactors and associated machinery is removed there won't be much left two decks below the hangar deck.
Cadet985 From United States of America, joined Mar 2002, 1416 posts, RR: 5 Reply 17, posted (1 year 6 months 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 3078 times:
Quoting LMP737 (Reply 15): It's been mentioned that once the reactors and associated machinery is removed there won't be much left two decks below the hangar deck.
Seems to me that of the few ships I've been on (USS Olympia, USS Becuna, USS New Jersey, and USS Intrepid), it isn't like the entire ship is open anyway. Like I know the first time I visited the USS New Jersey, I was very disappointed with how little of the ship is actually open for tours. Also, lets say that some museum or really rich person convinces the Navy to turn her into a museum. Those spaces below decks can be recreated with the use of models.
I would like to see her turned into a museum to honor those who served on her, the Cold War, the War on Terror...and even if stand ins and stock footage were used at some points...the movies she was mentioned in. Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home (yeah, I know it wasn't actually CVN-65 used, it was one of the diesels), The Hunt for Red October and Top Gun come to mind.
zanl188 From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 3258 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (1 year 6 months 2 days 9 hours ago) and read 3054 times:
Quoting Cadet985 (Reply 17): Seems to me that of the few ships I've been on (USS Olympia, USS Becuna, USS New Jersey, and USS Intrepid), it isn't like the entire ship is open anyway. Like I know the first time I visited the USS New Jersey, I was very disappointed with how little of the ship is actually open for tours. Also, lets say that some museum or really rich person convinces the Navy to turn her into a museum. Those spaces below decks can be recreated with the use of models.
Probably have to cut the ship apart to get the nuke equipment out. Nothing left to put in a museum.
Edit:
Check out this pix of the Big E's nuclear contemporary, the Long Beach. It's waiting it's turn for scrapping at Bremerton. Superstructure has been completely removed in preparation.
Courtesy Google Earth
[Edited 2011-12-18 12:18:04]
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AAR90 From United States of America, joined Jan 2000, 3410 posts, RR: 50 Reply 19, posted (1 year 6 months 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 3025 times:
Quoting 747400sp (Reply 5): Well a ship with eight reactor is going to move!
You have to remember that when built, the eight reactors were relatively "low power" modified submarine reactors (that's all that was available). Their cores have been redesigned (at least twice) for more power and service life, but they are still much smaller (and less powerful) than Nimitz class reactors.
Quoting nomadd22 (Reply 2): we got up to 29 knots in a hurry,
Big-E's SINS (ships inertial navigation system) data was regularly turned off so the crew could not see what speed we were actually doing. Spun up one of our bird's INS' just to see but the numbers displayed remain classified. Suffice it to say that Big-E would regularly show up as an "airborne target" on our Hawkeye displays.
Quoting LMP737 (Reply 12): I've always wanted to see her unfortanetly when I was in the Navy she was undergoing refuel in Norfolk. Don't feel soory for me though, I was "stuck" in San Diego
Hey buddy, I would never feel sorry for you; however, I too was "stuck" in San Diego (still am...thankfully) but I did have the honor of serving aboard USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65) for three years (two deployments and 282 traps --that I'm allowed to count).
Quoting LMP737 (Reply 15): It's been mentioned that once the reactors and associated machinery is removed there won't be much left two decks below the hangar deck.
Depends upon how much horizontal access you desire. Removing the reactor cores requires "drilling" vertical access holes through the flight/hanger decks. If someone wishes to "save" the ship as a museum, those holes would have to be filled-in again (doubt USN would spend the $$$ to do that on an "obsolete" ship).
Quoting zanl188 (Reply 18): Check out this pix of the Big E's nuclear contemporary, the Long Beach. It's waiting it's turn for scrapping at Bremerton.
Dang, I'm getting old. That's two ships from my limited USN service being retired. I was lucky enough to spend 5 weeks aboard CGN-9 for my 3rd class Midshipman "cruise." I guess the "Hydrogenator" in Engine Room-1 is shutdown for good now.
*NO CARRIER* -- A Naval Aviator's worst nightmare!
LMP737 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 21, posted (1 year 6 months 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 2803 times:
Quoting AAR90 (Reply 19): Hey buddy, I would never feel sorry for you; however, I too was "stuck" in San Diego (still am...thankfully) but I did have the honor of serving aboard USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65) for three years (two deployments and 282 traps --that I'm allowed to count).
I'm stuck in Chicago now, although that might change with things the way they are.
Quoting AAR90 (Reply 19): Dang, I'm getting old. That's two ships from my limited USN service being retired.
Every NAS or NTC I was ever stationed at has either been closed or realigned.
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