USSAmerica -> RE: OT: CV-63 Making her final voyage (1/19/2022 12:38:10 PM)
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I was on a "sort of" sister ship, the USS America, CV-66. There were some engineering changes, as she was originally intended to be nuclear powered after the Enterprise, but they decided to redesign the reactors. Hence, America and the Kennedy (CV-67) were both build as conventionally powered carriers, but with significantly enhanced fresh water capability that would have been used by the reactors. Enterprise had 8 reactors where the Nimitz class only needed 4. As for the Panama Canal, the new, larger locks might allow her to fit at the water line, but keep in mind just how much wider these babies get by the time you reach the flight deck. The locks are pretty high, so they still wouldn't fit. I know the Iowa BBs and Essex CVs were build to fit in the old locks (not sure about the Midways), but all the carriers build post war were too large.
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