Filed by Oren Liebermann, Posted: Jan 17, 2008
Aircraft carrier in the works nears major milestone
Patience is a virtue for shipbuilders on the job. Seven years after Northrop Grumman won the contract for CVN 77, the aircraft carrier has reached one of many milestones on its way to the water. "It's fun to build something," says Scott Stabler, vice president of the construction project," but it's also fun to validate that you built it the right way." The flight deck of the final Nimitz-class carrier will fill with people instead of cranes, as the ship's catapult is put to the test, launching a weight of up to 18,000 lbs. into the James River to simulate the weight of an airplane. "The startup catapult test is really the business end of the aircraft carrier," Stabler says, "and we're proving that it can indeed work to its intended purpose." Ten On Your Side has chronicled the construction of the USS George H. W. Bush since the contract was awarded in 2001. Chopper 10 flew above the scene when the ship's namesake came to town for the christening of the ship. Former President Bush will make another visit for the catapult test. "As a guy you want to name an aircraft carrier after, I don't know who could have much better qualifications. He's a naval aviator, he's a great American president, and he's an ambassador," lists Stabler. Former President Bush will add one more accomplishment to the list, as the catapult officer for the test. The test brings the ship one step closer to completion, when lucky number 77 is launched on November 11, 2008. The first of the next generation of carriers, called the Ford class, will also be built at Northrop Grumman's Newport News shipyard.
Previous Coverage: Former President Bush to observe catapult test at shipyard next week Former President George H.W. Bush will visit Northrop Grumman Newport News shipyard next week to watch as technicians conduct the initial testing to the newly installed catapult system on the aircraft carrier that bears his name. According to a news release, the event will be hosted by Mike Petters, president, Northrop Grumman Newport News with special guest President George H. W. Bush. The event, which is closed to the public, is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25. The USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) is the last of the Nimitz-class carriers to be built. It's scheduled to be commissioned later this year. Northrop Grumman Newport News shipyard has already begun preliminary work on an all-new class of aircraft carriers, the first of which is currently scheduled to enter the fleet in 2014. http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=7735290&nav=23ii