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
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
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
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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One Beautiful Ship!!!!

Hog

She is a beauty, assigned to San Diego, CA.......

Charlie

Impressive!

God Bless the U.S.A.

That's cool. I don't think I've ever seen a picture of an aircraft carrier with all the seapersons lined up around the perimeter, from that angle. It's usually a picture taken from land.

that boat is way to big to troll for walleyes.

Thought that was the white picket fence around the 4.5 acre yard.... NOT!!!!!

Nice shot
Gregg

Damn......that's where all my money went.

and worth every penny

Ditto what RDC said!

-Wolfy

To Hell with what the Libs say....God Bless Ronald Reagan...May He Rest in Peace!

-Soul

That is an awesome picture. It makes the Memorial look so small.

awesome pic Hog!!!

Wow that is one beautiful ship and it even comes with a white picket fence.



































































Just kidding Navy.




JonR

my boat dont look half as good as that one.

Just Beautiful!

Can you just imagine if a big cruise ship pulled up beside her, and some little old lady says......

"See Sidney, I told you there vas a bigger boat"!

Charlie

I used to work as a civilian contractor training dolphins for the Navy's marine mammal program in Hawai'i. We were working some dolphins in the channel one day and pulled to the side to let an aircraft carrier leave the harbor. After it went by we thought we would resume training...not so. Those four huge screws had churned up half of Pearl Harbor! The entire channel was nothing but sand kicked up and it was not going away! I'm not sure the draft on those things but I believe the channel was forty feet deep and it looked like it had scraped bottom!

That is beautiful!

myash07 (former airdale)

Catch the third wire or cable!

Charlie

Handsome Boat.

God Bless America ... and ALL her armed forces. PLEASE bring them home safe.

... ???

I didn't know Nancy Reagan was married to herself.

Purp