US Navy Ford Class nuclear carriers

delft said:

From the Daily News of Marine Forum, 27 June:

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World Maritime News said:

Huntington Ingalls Industries announced yesterday that its Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division installed the third and final aircraft elevator on the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).

The elevator, which is used to move aircraft from the hangar bay to the flight deck quickly and safely, is located on the starboard side of the ship. It measures 85 feet long and 52 feet wide and weighs 120 tons, akin to a steam locomotive.

“The Ford class is designed with three aircraft elevators, one less than the Nimitz class,” said Rolf Bartschi, NNS vice president, CVN 78 carrier construction. “The design provides greater flight deck area for increased sortie rates over the Nimitz-class design. The location and number of aircraft elevators are an integral part of the design.”

Gerald R. Ford’s primary hull structure reached 100 percent structural completion in May, bringing more than three years of structural erection work to a close. Work continues on the ship, including work on the piping and electrical systems and habitability areas such as the galley and mess spaces. Shipbuilders are also in the process of painting the hull prior to the ship’s christening, scheduled for Nov. 9

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Newport News Shipbuilding said:

On Saturday, November 9, 2013, Newport News Shipbuilding will christen the nation's newest aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) during a ceremony on-site where the ship is being constructed. President Gerald R. Ford was the 38th President of the United States. His daughter, Susan Ford Bales, will serve as the ship's sponsor, performing the traditional honor of breaking a bottle of American sparkling wine across the ship's bow during the ceremony.

Prior to the ceremony, the dry dock in which CVN 78 was structurally built will be flooded, preparing the ship for launch in the days following her christening. The christening ceremony will be held in front of the ship's bow.

Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is the first of a new class of aircraft carriers, the first new design since USS Nimitz, which was launched in 1972. Redesigned from keel to mast, the ship will be able to launch aircraft more quickly while costing less to maintain, saving the Navy a projected $4 billion over the ship's 50-year lifespan.

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Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced today that the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) has put on significant weight in the dry dock at its Newport News Shipbuilding division with the installation of four 30-ton bronze propellers. At 21 feet in diameter, each propeller spins to push the aircraft carrier through the water.

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