Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wasatch!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!cbnews!military
From: welty@lewis.crd.ge.com (richard welty)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: news tidbit regarding the Enterprise
Message-ID: <8175@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 12 Jul 89 01:24:17 GMT
References: <8095@cbnews.ATT.COM> <8127@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM
Organization: New York State Institute for Sebastian Cabot Studies
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From: welty@lewis.crd.ge.com (richard welty)

In article <8127@cbnews.ATT.COM>, Jeff K Medcalf writes: 

=>From: vixie!decwrl!decvax!midnight.MV.COM!rml (Roger M. Levasseur)

=>that will be much newer, but having much the same capabilities.
=>Looking at the 12th edition of The Ships and Aircraft of the US
=>Fleet, each class of ship measures up to be nearly the size,
=>same manning requirements, and capabilities.  Any comments?

=Actually, size is misleading.  The Enterprise has eight reactors, compared to
=the current two on Nimitz and Improved Nimitz classes.  This translates into
=more stowage for avgas and munitions, and also more fuel for the escorts, which
=are not always nuclear.

yep.  when Enterprise was built, the only proven powerplants were from
contemporary submarines, so 8 submarine reactors were used to minimize
the risks in building such a novel ship.

however, to place things in perspective, even with 8 small reactors instead
of 2 large ones, Enterprise has more available stowage than contemporary
conventionally-powered carriers, such as John F. Kennedy.

=In addition, the newer flat tops have better damage control, more efficiently
=laid out command suites, and better radar coverage (since Enterprise has the
=flat island structure for the old phased array radar she used to carry).

Enterprise got an all new, Nimitz-like island during her last major refit.

richard
-- 
richard welty               welty@lewis.crd.ge.com
518-387-6346, GE R&D, K1-5C39, Niskayuna, New York
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