First piece of steel cut for CVN-21 (CVN-78)

Northrop Grumman reached its first construction milestone in the life of the new-generation aircraft carrier, CVN 21. The company cut one of the first pieces of steel, a 15-ton plate for a side shell unit of CVN 78, the first ship of the CVN 21 program.

Picture


Hurray, she will be commissioned into service in 2013.

And of course this is what it will all look like when it's done.

Picture

Hmm.... 78's my lucky number, they'd better give it a good name, at least not named after a President. All the good presidential names have been taken. Of course if the current USS Enterprise is decommisioned (it was originally scheduled for April of 2004 I think) they could name the CVN 78 the Enterprise. After all the current one is the second carrier with that name, and the eighth ship in the USN to bear that name.

Either way I can't wait to see her commisioned. God knows it's about time we got another carrier.

Actually they are petitioning for her to be either the USS America, or USS Lexington. The previous America recently became an artificial reef off of Florida during explosives tests. They stripped her down to nothing but her hull, took her out to see, and did a series of experiments designed to make future ships more surviveable. Here's the last pic ever of the CV-66. Sad day, but hopefully some good will come from her demise.

www.cvn78.com...

[edit on 21-8-2005 by Zaphod58]

[edit on 21-8-2005 by Zaphod58]

Too bad they retired the name USS Hornet.

God knows it's about time we got another carrier.

CVN-77 George H.W Bush (Sr) will be commissioned into service in 2008. She will be a transitional carrier, she will have some but not all of the new stuff that will be on CVN-78.

[edit on 21-8-2005 by NWguy83]

Originally posted by NWguy83
And of course this is what it will all look like when it's done.

Picture

Nice pic... I just love carriers... How many poples will work on the ship and how many fighters will have place on it...?

The fighter wing will be about the same as the Nimitz carriers, but the crew will be something like 1000 people smaller. I think a total of around 3000. They're adding a lot more automation to do some of the jobs that are currently done by people.

Reduced manning by 30 percent, which correspondingly increases deployment availability by 25 percent


www.globalsecurity.org...

[edit on 21-8-2005 by Zaphod58]

Plans as I understand it are to carry or have the ability to carry more planes and less crews..meaning larger air wings but less people to actually run the ship itself.
One poster had it correctly ...more automation means less manning and watch standards as was done in the past.
I have seen the new generation of air conditioners used on the USS Ronald Reagan. They are computer menu driven meaning they can be monitored from remote stations rather than having a watch stander roving all over constantly ...they just monitor from a central terminal...ie ..less people needed. This is happening across the board in the Navy and commercial shipping.
As to the planes..they are phasing out the F14 Tomcats as they are a very large airplane and take up alot of deck space ..on the flight decks and below in the hanger bays. This leaves more room for the newer F 18 Super Hornets.
For those of you intrested in this kind of stuff look up a construction technique called "photogrammetry" . This is a technique done with a laser to pinpoint certain points on a object..so as to catalogue the accurate dimensions. This can be done with a pump and motor ...a electric box...cable bundles...or a whole airplane. These accurate dimensions are fed into a computer and then crunched for certain compartments. They then know by this data how much equipment can be placed in a specific compartment etc ..what changes need to be made to accomodate.
They also know quite accurately the difference of size in compartments in a series of ships constructed. All of this done by computer.
They know specifically how many F 18 Super Hornets will fit on the flight deck and in the hanger bays of the new carriers. Quite a remarkable tool used in construction. Quite a jump from the olde way ships were built.
Looking foreward to seeing the CVN 21 series coming up out of the bottom of the drydocks here as they are built.
The USS George Bush is currently in the carrier drydock ..but when It comes out they will begin laying the CVN21 assemblys down there in that dock.

Thanks,
Orangetom

The poster who said that CVN-78 should be named Enterprise might get their wish. I am trying to find a reference to this, but I believe that shortly after World War II Congress passed a law or resolution that there would always be an Enterprise in the U.S. Navy. The current Enterprise CVN-65 is going to be due for retirement fairly soon.

is the CVN 78 goin to be the first carrier to use the electromagnetic catapults? or its not feasible yet at this time for this carrier?

Originally posted by orangetom1999
For those of you intrested in this kind of stuff look up a construction technique called "photogrammetry" . This is a technique done with a laser to pinpoint certain points on a object..so as to catalogue the accurate dimensions. This can be done with a pump and motor ...a electric box...cable bundles...or a whole airplane. These accurate dimensions are fed into a computer and then crunched for certain compartments. They then know by this data how much equipment can be placed in a specific compartment etc ..what changes need to be made to accomodate.
They also know quite accurately the difference of size in compartments in a series of ships constructed. All of this done by computer.
They know specifically how many F 18 Super Hornets will fit on the flight deck and in the hanger bays of the new carriers. Quite a remarkable tool used in construction. Quite a jump from the olde way ships were built.
Looking foreward to seeing the CVN 21 series coming up out of the bottom of the drydocks here as they are built.
The USS George Bush is currently in the carrier drydock ..but when It comes out they will begin laying the CVN21 assemblys down there in that dock.

Thanks,
Orangetom

Many manufacturers are using 3-D modeling to design their equipment these days. Photogrammetry is used create a model of an existing component or on a component with complex curves like some car parts. They actually have a sculpter make a full sized sculpture of the part and then generate the model from it. The 3-D modeling is what I do for a living. I actually build an entire machine in the computer and generate the blueprints from the models. Almost all of our suppliers provide 3-D models of their products to us. This lets me figure out how to mount the components, design housings, run wires, hoses and piping without having the parts on hand. I can also figure out weight, center of gravity, air flow and fluid flow before we ever start making parts.

I read that the entire ship has been modeled in 3-D and that they were going to use some of the information from the models to setup virtual simulaters to train the crew while the ship is being constructed.

CVN-21

I don't recall hearing about a law requiring the navy to always have an "Enterprise". Naming ships is the final choice of the SecNav.
Obviously I'm biased, but having served on America CV-66, I think it is fitting that CVN-21 be named the same.
America was sunk off the Carolinas in over 5000ft of water. She was reported to have gone down in one piece. She was a good ship and I think her name is worthy to be carried on.

Originally posted by deltaboy
is the CVN 78 goin to be the first carrier to use the electromagnetic catapults? or its not feasible yet at this time for this carrier?

That's the biggest upgrade with her, is the new catapults, and the new automation.

Cool, If they are stating to cut the metal for the hull of CVX-78, that means the first of the New Class of Aircraft Carrier is on its way. By the way, CVX is a whole new Class of aircraft carrier that's why it's called CVX, instead of the usual CVN. CVN-77 was the last of the Nimitz Class. I wonder what the name for this Class will be.

Any Ideas? Maybe we could call it the "Eagle Class" or the "Freedom Class"!

Tim

Originally posted by ghost
Cool, If they are stating to cut the metal for the hull of CVX-78, that means the first of the New Class of Aircraft Carrier is on its way. By the way, CVX is a whole new Class of aircraft carrier that's why it's called CVX, instead of the usual CVN. CVN-77 was the last of the Nimitz Class. I wonder what the name for this Class will be.

Any Ideas? Maybe we could call it the "Eagle Class" or the "Freedom Class"!

Tim

I've kind of always wanted to serve on the USS Whoop A$$ but I don't see that as a choice. Still it would be a hell of a name for a carrier. How about a compromise with one of the previous posters. How about the USS Enterprise the first America class aircraft carrier?

The members of USS America Carrier Veterans Assoc. are putting a concerted effort into having CVN-21 named after CV-66, which was sunk in a SINKEX this year. We are requesting from SecNav to name both the lead ship and the class after America. CVN-21 is the project name for the class and the actual ship will be designated CVN-78. I believe naming the new carrier thus will honor a great warship and our country. Those interested in supporting this can go to this link and find forms and info on how to send them.

www.cvn78.com...

I've kind of always wanted to serve on the USS Whoop A$$

Who wouldn't? And very funny

Also I think naming CVN-21 after the late USS America is great idea. I think if enough people ask of it they might name her that.

Update: Just added my signature along with some comments to the petition.


[edit on 23-8-2005 by WestPoint23]

I signed the petition too. I'll even send a couple e-mails to my Congresscritter and Senator. Let them name the first one America.
They can name the second one (the better one after all of the bugs are worked out) Enterprise.

Junglemike were you Air Wing or ship's company?

Originally posted by JIMC5499
I signed the petition too. I'll even send a couple e-mails to my Congresscritter and Senator. Let them name the first one America.
They can name the second one (the better one after all of the bugs are worked out) Enterprise.

Junglemike were you Air Wing or ship's company?

Hey, Carrier-bro!

I was ship's company on America and Nimitz. Only squadron I was with was Vt-10 out of P'cola. Didn't deploy. I was an AK. Only roof time I saw was during VERTREPs. I did get toasted by an A-6 exhaust though when it turned in front of my fork-lift and dang, that was hot and nasty! I understand you were on Forrestal? I saw "Ordeal by Fire" when I checked on board America and it so impressed me that I volunteered for a repair locker and insisted on getting trained on an OBA! I didn't want to learn how during a mass conflagration!
Funny, but every command I was in, I had a close friend from Pittsburgh.
I even attended the Three Rivers festival at the Point and drank I.C.!