For those that may be interested in historical preservation, here are some interesting links to the times and history of the SS United States and its present status.
JT
she be berthed in Philthydelphia at MLK Blvd. and YMF Avenue. Saw her last time I was there.
In the early '60s I was on a Navy radar picket ship on patrol in the North Atlantic. One night while we were cruising at 10 knots our surface radar picked up a contact coming up astern at 30 knots relative speed (40 knots total). It was the SS United States. It was an unforgettable sight as it zipped by a mile or so away brightly lighted. If I remember right, the power plant was based on aircraft carrier design and was in fact classified for some time. The ship was basically stripped years ago and is just a hull rotting away now- no way it can be restored. Paul Johnson
I'm giving some consideration to going to the June conservancy gathering. Of course, I say that every year...
JT
(Procrastination Central)
Read the story in the second link. Not only does it cover the designer (gibbs), it is accurate regarding the ship's design as well. Top speed was about 50 mph.
It's a long read but well worthwhile for those interested.
Oh, and she is currently owned by NCL which pays about $3 million a year to keep her there.
JT
AFAIR the intent was to use it in Hawaii cruise service, perhaps Norwegian has scrapped those plans as I have not heard anything more about it for a while now. Also, AFAIR, a regular contributor to another group I read occasionally is the son of the person who was SS U.S. captain.
-- wf.
Grumpy AuC>
that may be interested in historical preservation, here are some
Many of the aircraft carrier propulsion units are leased to gov't not owned for many reasons. While in SLEP program in mid-late '80's the systems were retrieved from the ships I was on (Independence & Kitty Hawk) by GE or Westinghouse? and rebuilt, many of the systems supposed had one-off parts too. The JFK is supposed 1 of 1 in many ways and was creating massive issues to remain in fleet.
For some reason I thought I remembered that ship as nuclear powered? Did we ever build a passenger ship that was nuclear powered?
that may be interested in historical preservation, here are some
This from the article:
"By the war?s end, Gibbs? reputation as a naval architect was second to none. The firm of Gibbs and Cox had designed an incredible 70% of all military tonnage built during World War II (6).
The time was right for him to finally design his 1,000 foot long superliner. The United States Lines, impressed with Gibbs? previous passenger liner work, gave him the green light to proceed with the most advanced and refined liner in the world.
Gibbs? plans had to satisfy the requirements of two parties. The United States Lines, tired of playing second fiddle to British and French competitors, wanted a ship that would be appealing to passengers. The United States military, which was paying for the majority of the project?s $70 million price tag, wanted a ship built to naval specifications. That meant she had to be fast, fireproof and able to stay afloat after taking multiple torpedo hits.
She also had to be able to be converted from an ocean liner carrying
2,000 passengers to a troop ship carrying 15,000 soldiers in 48 hours. After extensive testing and revisions of plans, construction on the S.S. ?United States? commenced in 1950 in the shipyards of Newport News, Virginia.To meet the demands of both the passenger trade and the United States military, the offices of Gibbs and Cox fashioned a ship that was long and low in profile, with an overall length of 990 feet and a width of
100 feet, and a gross tonnage of 52,000, making her considerably lighter than the Queen Mary. To save on weight, Gibbs had the superstructure, masts and funnels of the ship made out of aluminum, while the hull was built of steel plating of the highest grade. The United States had four propellers driven by steam turbines that produced an unheard of 240,000 horsepower, even as the ship?s propeller configuration and underwater shape were classified secrets."No.
A freighter, the Savanah wss nuclear and was on display for a number of years in Charleston, SC after retirement. It is currently being restored.
JT
Alex Magdaleno wrote:
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.