Ahead of Our Time

[Keith Outten]

Newport News Shipbuilding can build and refuel just about any kind of vessel you can imagine :)

"We Have It Made In Virginia"

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Sweet :) I imagine the owners would need a few good woodworkers to outfit the interior! :)

[Jerry Clark]

Looks like Area 51 to me!:cool:

[Boyd Gathwright]

.... That is A-OK Keith. And here's another mammoth project that NEWPORT NEWS put out.


Enjoy ;).




USS Reagan..................






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USS REAGAN PASSING THE <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 /><ST1:STATE w:st="on"><ST1:PLACE w:st="on">ARIZONA</ST1:PLACE></ST1:STATE> MEMORIAL

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BEAUTIFUL!!!!<O:P></O:P>

Boy!!! When the Bridge pipes "Man the Rail" there is a lot of rail to man on this monster. Shoulder to shoulder around 4= acres. This doesn't give her displacement but it's about 100,000 tons with full complements.



Capability
Top speed exceeds 30 knots
Powered by two nuclear reactors that can operate for more than 20 years without refueling
Expected to operate in the fleet for about 50 years
Carries over 80 combat aircraft
Three arresting cables can stop a 28-ton aircraft going 150 miles per hour in less than 400 feet<O:P></O:P>

Size
Towers 20 stories above the waterline
1092 feet long; nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall
Flight deck covers 4.5 acres
4 bronze propellers, each 21 feet across and weighing 66,200 pounds
2 rudders, each 29 by 22 feet and weighing 50 tons
4 high speed aircraft elevators, each over 4,000 square feet<O:P></O:P>

Dates
Dec 8, 1994 Contract awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding
Feb 12, 1998 Keel laid
Oct 1, 2000 Precommissioning Unit established
March 4, 2001 Christened by Mrs. Nancy Reagan
May 5, 2003 First underway
July 12, 2003 Commissioned
July 23, 2004 Arrived at homeport in San Diego, CA<O:P></O:P>

Capacity
Home to about 6,000 Navy personnel
Carries enough food and supplies to operate for 90 days
18,150 meals served daily
Distillation plants provide 400,000 gallons of fresh water from sea water daily, enough for 2000 homes
Nearly 30,000 light fixtures and 1,325 miles of cable and wiring
1,400 telephones, 14,000 pillowcases and 28,000 sheets
Costs the Navy approximately $250,000 per day for pier side operation
Costs the Navy approximately $2.5 million per day for underway operations (Sailor's salaries included
.


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Newport News Shipbuilding can build and refuel just about any kind of vessel you can imagine :)

"We Have It Made In Virginia"

[Doug Shepard]

At $2-something a gallon, I sure hope that thing takes unleaded. Wouldn't want to pay to fill that thing up!

[Jim Becker]

It's not a Neander ship...definitly an electron burner...in the strictest sense!

[Michael Cody]

Newport News Shipbuilding can build and refuel just about any kind of vessel you can imagine :)

"We Have It Made In Virginia"


Glad to see they made a replacement for the Reliant --- the one destroyed in ST II by Khan & the Genesis Device was a fine ship of the line and you can never have enough Miranda Class Heavy Frigates to go around, not with the Dominion, Borg and the like roaming the Galaxy. ;) Also the need for good workers is correct, the new plasma conduits which route power throughout the ship can only be made of Osage Orange -- it's the toughest thing in the Galaxy when dry and lasts forever. Nothing but sharp tools and great skill to outfit a ship like this one. I hear Lee Valley got the contract to supply MKII's for every woodworker on the project --way to go Rob! Not to mention all the L-N stuff on site... Canada & the US working together on a defense project -- go figure!

I noted though they did not put the correct serial number on it .. there is no A or B suffix.

[Steve Clardy]

Cool pictures. I am a trekie fan

[Keith Outten]

I sure hope the folks in California take care of our ship. The Regan will be back in Virginia eventually, we are the only ones who can build em and refuel em.

I must admit I have watched more than just a few of the Star Trek shows and movies including the other generations :)

Boyd, thanks for the pic of the Regan at Pearl.

[Glenn Clabo]

They are all just nice targets...The USS Viriginia SSN774...now that's real.
http://www.njscuba.net/artifacts/img/uss_virginia.jpg

[Ted Shrader]

Fast Attack Tough!


It's not a Neander ship...definitly an electron burner...in the strictest sense!Jim -

To get those electrons to burn, they start with a few neutrons. :)

Ted

[Keith Outten]

Glenn,

She's a beauty! I worked on several sub hulls during a short stint at NNews Ship. The last one I remember was the Newport News, named for the city. I worked in the nuclear pipe shop and we fabricatred piping assemblies for almost every hull. The last carrier I worked on was the Lincoln, pressure testing tanks in the shop.

My Dad rode almost every submarine "C" Trial for 25 years, I had to attend them all and I think every one was in Febuary. My Mom and I would near freeze to death every time a sub was launched. Dad worked missle compartments and retired almost 25 years ago. My Grandfather also retired from the yard.

[Glenn Clabo]

Glenn,

She's a beauty! I worked on several sub hulls during a short stint at NNews Ship.

Knew I liked ya for some reason Keith. :D I own the stuff under the sail (where the numbers are for those who don't know). We just completed launcher trials and the lady did fine.

Here's a big cartoon of her capabilities.
http://www.sublant.navy.mil/GRAPHICS/JPEGS/VA72-1.jpg

[Michael Perata]

I sure hope the folks in California take care of our ship.
Being a Californian, and being a sailor on the Connie (built in Brooklyn) when it was homeported at North Island I can tell you we do take care of them out here, but we also work them hard. They retired the Connie [CVA-64] (keel laid 9/57, launched 8/60, my time 65-67 - at only 44 years old).

Dropped a few bombs in its day.

[Bill Lewis]

I'm not in the navy, I just work for it.

I've been to NNS and gone under a carrier that was in for refit/refuel. It is just absolutely incredible how big those things are. Especially when they've got them up on blocks.

[Keith Outten]

I remember being on the pier when the Nimitz left Newport News Shipbuilding. My partner and I were xraying a hull patch on the USS New and the sun was going down so the pier was getting dark. I suddenly got the feeling that I was losing my balance, like I was moving. The tugs were pulling the Nimitz straight back from the pier but the ship was so huge I had to look straight up to see the lights on the deck were moving. I will always remember standing there watching the Nimitz backing out into the James River and making way into the Bay.

[Chuck Wintle]

I'm not in the navy, I just work for it.

I've been to NNS and gone under a carrier that was in for refit/refuel. It is just absolutely incredible how big those things are. Especially when they've got them up on blocks.
How do they get those huge ships on blocks? I have seen them on blocks but how do they position them? If the blocks are not level will the ship sag?

[Glenn Clabo]

They sink the drydock...float the ship over it...divers position the blocks...and then they float the drydock. Yes...if the blocks aren't position just right the ship will sag...twist...fall off. It ruins the day of some people.

Old picture...but they do it pretty much the same way.
http://www.skylighters.org/potd/images/09082003lg.jpg

[Rich Konopka]

Keith,

I remember back about 7-8 years ago when I was working with the NY Times Shared Services group in Norfolk. They were located right on the 7th floor of the trade center building on waterside dr. I'm sitting in this conference room on the 6th or 7th floor and this big ole ship comes in and the tugs just spin her right around and back her into one of the drydocks. That ship was soooooo big and was at eye level. Incredible just incredible.