Gerald R. Ford Carrier Gets 30-Ton Propellers
- 11 years ago
Progress continues to be made on the US Navy’s Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, and this time the big news is propellers.
Progress continues to be made on the US Navy’s Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, and this time the big news is propellers.
Each of the 4 enormous bronze drivers weighs 30 tons.
Their complete installation took 10 months and required the participation of numerous specialty trades.
The propellers themselves were made by Rolls-Royce at their Pascagoula, Mississippi location.
Measuring 21-feet, they’re smaller than those used on the Nimitz class carrier the Ford is replacing. It was noted by the manufacturer that engineering adjustments were made to compensate for the change in diameter.
Building them took two months, and once completed the 120-ton cargo was hauled to Virginia via truck.
Now that the propellers have been installed and the primary hull has been complete since May, little remains to be done.
Among the tasks still at hand are piping and electrical.
Shared crew spaces including the galley and mess area also need to be finished.
The Gerald R. Ford christening is scheduled for November 9th.
Construction of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier began in 2007 with a budget of 12 billion dollars.
Progress continues to be made on the US Navy’s Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, and this time the big news is propellers.
Each of the 4 enormous bronze drivers weighs 30 tons.
Their complete installation took 10 months and required the participation of numerous specialty trades.
The propellers themselves were made by Rolls-Royce at their Pascagoula, Mississippi location.
Measuring 21-feet, they’re smaller than those used on the Nimitz class carrier the Ford is replacing. It was noted by the manufacturer that engineering adjustments were made to compensate for the change in diameter.
Building them took two months, and once completed the 120-ton cargo was hauled to Virginia via truck.
Now that the propellers have been installed and the primary hull has been complete since May, little remains to be done.
Among the tasks still at hand are piping and electrical.
Shared crew spaces including the galley and mess area also need to be finished.
The Gerald R. Ford christening is scheduled for November 9th.
Construction of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier began in 2007 with a budget of 12 billion dollars.