posted
The Enterprise was overpowered with 8 reactors because the previous ships, the Long Beach, the Nautilus both had about four (don't remember), and they assumed that the Enterprise being the largest would need eight but later found out she required around only six.
I always assumed that the Defiant was designed with a different warp core, and later had a newer one put in.
Registered: Jul 2000
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posted
Matrix, it gets even better. Those reactors on all those ships you mentioned were originally designed for the nuclear submarine fleet. Later nuclear carriers had larger reactors. Only the Enterprise was given the submarine-sized ones. And during her refit in the '80s, they decided that replacing the reactors with contemporary carrier reactors would involve too much internal reworking, and so she got eight contemporary submarine reactors. I don't know how much higher they're rated than the originals, but under normal carrier group ops, she only has four generating at any given time.
But...
An old friend of mine who was part of CINCPac at the time told me about the little jape the skipper of the Big 'E' pulled on some Russian observers of US fleet maneuvers -- evidently involving all eight reactors being brought online.
The view from Norm's sub was of the Enterprise's stern settling a bit as she gradually outaccelerated the rest of the group, heeled hard over to port to run a ring around all of the ships accompanying her, and then took off along their original course like a bat out of hell. The Enterprise's top speed is still classified, but she was pulling up a rooster-tail as she left the battlegroup behind...
--Jonah
[ May 05, 2002, 23:37: Message edited by: Peregrinus ]
-------------------- "That's what I like about these high school girls, I keep getting older, they stay the same age."
--David "Woody" Wooderson, Dazed and Confused
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted
thats pretty fast heh the fastest that i've traveled on a military vessel was 2/3 power on a Sheffield Type 42 guided missile destroyer [HMS Nottingham] and that seemed fast, and the turn rate is pretty impressive, at full speed, the ship can turn 180 degrees in 2 ship lengths (about 800+ feet)
I've been on CVN-72 but that was anchored at sea during a stay in Singapore, so couldnt experience the speed on that.
-------------------- "Tom is Canadian. He thereby uses advanced humour tecniques, such as 'irony', 'sarcasm', and werid shit'. If you are not qualified in any of these, it will be risky for you to attempt to decipher what he means. Just smile and carry on." - PsyLiam; 16th June
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
And they are going to retire her in a few years? Well, by the time I get out of A-school and a month of shore leave in May-June of 2003, it is very likely I will be on the Enterprise herself as Aviation Structural Mechanic. Sounds like fun.
-------------------- Matrix If you say so If you want so Then do so
Registered: Jul 2000
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It may be good, but it's still old. The Navy's retiring my favorite fighter in seven or eight years -- again because it does what it was designed to do too well.
--Jonah
-------------------- "That's what I like about these high school girls, I keep getting older, they stay the same age."
--David "Woody" Wooderson, Dazed and Confused
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted
What's that Jonah, kill the enemy--- gotta have a challenge somehow, what's the fun in war without? [Sorry if my cynical nature offends... but sometimes it does seem silly that the big wigs want to retire any piece of equipment, fighter or ship, during this time].
Oh, and as for the comments about the Enterprise's maneuvers, it's the first time I've heard the story. Did the sonar operators on our side pick up the Russian jaws hitting the deck?
[ May 06, 2002, 15:41: Message edited by: J ]
-------------------- Later, J _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ The Last Person to post in the late Voyager Forum. Bashing both Voyager, Enterprise, and "The Bun" in one glorious post.
quote:Originally posted by J: Oh, and as for the comments about the Enterprise's maneuvers, it's the first time I've heard the story. Did the sonar operators on our side pick up the Russian jaws hitting the deck?
Yes, but the sound of their jaws was hard to distinguish from the sound of them shitting bricks.
G2k
-------------------- . . . ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.
posted
The Enterprise class was suppose to be the fastest of all CVNs, since she retained the speed hull form of the earlier Kitty Hawk class. She's got better performance at dashing, but not as good at cruising at the Nitmizs. At least, that's what I remembered.
-------------------- "God's in his heaven. All's right with the world."
Registered: Apr 2001
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quote:Originally posted by Peregrinus: The Navy's retiring my favorite fighter in seven or eight years
i'm not a whizz at naval aviation but u're talking about the F-14 right?? [if not correct me] but isnt the F-14 being retired coz it's Interceptor role is slightly uselsess nowadays, weren't they trying to mod them to fly as 'BombCats' during Bosnia. With the F/A-18 dual capability and then the introduction of the JSF the F-14 would be out of place? Plus isnt the government cutting down on spending all the time?
Buzz
-------------------- "Tom is Canadian. He thereby uses advanced humour tecniques, such as 'irony', 'sarcasm', and werid shit'. If you are not qualified in any of these, it will be risky for you to attempt to decipher what he means. Just smile and carry on." - PsyLiam; 16th June
Registered: Aug 2001
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That story about the Enterprise's high speed dash brought an old memory to mind. My brother served aboard the Big E as a jet mechanic back in the early 70's. He used to tell us a story that she could do 50 knots. I always thought he was full of it, but maybe he wasn't as crazy as I thought he was. (He died in the late 80's, so I can't go back to him for more info). Hmmm.....
-------------------- The difference between genius and idiocy? Genius has its limits.
Registered: Aug 2001
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The often-quoted-of-late site http://www.warships1.com/ has a fair bit of information on the speeds of various aircraft carriers. It is of course unclassified but the physics seems to stand the light of reason.
For the most part I think the retiring of ships/aircraft/even starships is based on a preceived worth to bother ratio. At some point it is just easier to buy or build exactly what you want rather than try to refit what you have.
The (current day) big-E is pretty darn old for something subjected to daily use on the sea. It is amazing the amount of work that is required to keep a ship going - and someday they just wear out....
-------------------- Twee bieren tevreden, zullen mijn vriend betalen.
Registered: Oct 2000
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quote:Originally posted by Toadkiller: The (current day) big-E is pretty darn old for something subjected to daily use on the sea. It is amazing the amount of work that is required to keep a ship going - and someday they just wear out....
Why do you think they canned the Iowas? Those things were falling apart on the job, and people still wanted to squeeze a few more years out of them.
I think the Navy's making a big mistake replacing the Tomcats with something like the Super Hornet. For one thing, the Super Hornets sucks. It's a flying bell and whistle basket that can't even out fly its grandfather, the F/A-18. I think the Navy's going a bit too far with standardrized and jack-of-all-trade designs. Maybe the JSF will do better, but I'm not holding my breath.
-------------------- "God's in his heaven. All's right with the world."
Registered: Apr 2001
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Yes, I was referring to the F-14. Wonderful plane, and not nearly matched by the Super Hornet. My friends in the Navy refer to the various models of the F-18 as "plastic wasps".
Of course, on the flip side, one friend in particular related to me the old Navy adage about the F-4: "Proof that with enough power, even a brick can fly".
... And the F-14: "Proof that with even more power, you can make it do tricks".
At any rate... Matrix? If I'm successful at being able to secure a disarmed and partially-stripped F-14 after they're retired, do you think I could convince you to sign on as my Chief Mechanic?
--Jonah
-------------------- "That's what I like about these high school girls, I keep getting older, they stay the same age."
--David "Woody" Wooderson, Dazed and Confused
Registered: Feb 2001
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![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
thats pretty fast heh![[Smile]](smile.gif)
is based on a preceived worth to bother ratio. At some point it is just easier to buy or build exactly what you want rather than try to refit what you have.![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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