American aircraft carrier USS Enterprise CVN-65 COBI 4869 - Armed Forces 1:300

MODEL CVN-65 AIRCRAFT CARRIER | COBI 4869

A model of an American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier whose official motto is “Ready on Arrival”. The large, 114.5 cm long model is designed with meticulous detail. The deck features a marked runway that can be easily removed to look into the hangars below. On the stern under the keel are four rotating propellers and adjustable rudders. On the starboard side behind the bridge, there is a functional deck elevator used to transport mini aircraft (1:300) from the hangars to the deck. The command bridge is equipped with a main mast with radar equipment and optical sensors, just like the real vessel. The package also includes four F-14 Tomcat^TM mini aircraft and a transparent plastic support stand to simulate a taking-off plane. The ship features a full hull keel to maintain accurate shapes, and the entire model can be safely stored on an exclusive solid stand with a display plate.

Did you know:

Construction of the Enterprise-class aircraft carrier began with the approval of Congress on February 4, 1958, at Newport News Shipbuilding, a shipyard with a history dating back to 1886. It is the same shipyard that built the famous World War II USS Enterprise. Enterprise was launched less than two years later on September 24, 1960. From that point on, final assembly of internal equipment and weapon systems took place. At the time of her commissioning, she was the only nuclear-powered ship in the world. The nuclear fission reaction was started in the reactors on December 2, 1960, and remained uninterrupted for the next 57 years. Her home port was Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia, from where she set sail on her first mission during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The ship initially had no defensive weapons systems of her own, as that role was performed by her air wing, but during a weapons upgrade in 1967, she was equipped with RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles, decoy launchers, and a Phalanx close-in weapon system. Steam production for the propulsion turbines and steam catapults was provided by 8 Westinghouse reactors. Enterprise is the first ship to circumnavigate the globe without refueling. In 1962, the United States demonstrated absolute and overwhelming technological superiority.

The aircraft carrier was built as a fully autonomous floating city capable of meeting all military as well as civilian needs of its crew. The ship's galley prepared up to 20,000 meals every day. Cooking ran continuously, including meals for night shifts. The ship's reactors were also used for desalinating seawater, producing 1,320,000 liters per day. Water was also used to generate steam for powering the flight deck catapults.

The crew consisted of up to 5,830 people from a wide variety of professions, divided into two main groups: Ship’s Company (nuclear engineers, navigators, logistics personnel, medical staff, and master-at-arms) and Carrier Air Wing, which included pilots, flight deck crew, and weapons operators. Crew accommodations were far from luxurious. Shared quarters housed up to 100 sailors in three-tiered bunk beds. These quarters were located directly beneath the flight deck. Noise levels in the quarters reached 70-80 decibels 24/7, making service aboard the ship not meant for everyone. The aircraft carrier had its own zip code, operated its own television station and radio broadcasts, and published a daily newspaper. On board were two barbershops and several Navy Exchange stores.

Even such behemoths were not immune to accidents. On January 14, 1969, during an exercise off Hawaii, a Zuni rocket mounted under the wing of an F-4 Phantom fighter overheated and exploded. The explosion triggered a chain reaction that blew 18 large holes through the flight deck. Following an investigation into the incident, new standards and fire safety regulations were introduced across the Navy.

The ship was decommissioned on February 3, 2017. Despite public insistence, converting the ship into a museum was impossible due to residual radiation in the reactor compartments. Thus, Enterprise will be completely dismantled by the end of 2029. Her modern successor became the USS  Gerald R. Ford.

Technical specifications:

• dimensions: length 331.6 m, width 75.6 m, draft 11.9 m
• displacement 94,800 tons
• propulsion unit 8x Westinghouse A2W nuclear reactor with steam generator for 4 turbines delivering 210 MW
• fuel highly enriched Uranium HEU 93-97%
• maximum speed 62.2 km/h (33.6 knots)
• operational range - unlimited
• aviation fuel capacity 12,000,000 liters
• armor side 20 cm, deck made of special STS steel, gradually reinforced with Kevlar
• number of aircraft carried 60 (max. 90)
• armament 2x RIM-7 Sea Sparrow batteries + 2x Phalanx CIWS + 2x RIM-116 RAM
• crew 5,830 people

From the memories of Captain William C. Hamilton Jr.:

“Perhaps the hardest moment for us was September 11, 2001. After the civilian aircraft struck the Pentagon building, confusion broke out in the military command. For a short time, USS Enterprise became the military command and coordination center of the U.S. Armed Forces. I immediately issued orders to execute a 180° turn and head back to the Persian Gulf. We were the first to deal crushing blows to the enemy during Operation Enduring Freedom.”

About the set :

• COBI 4869 building set is made of 6131 high-quality ABS pieces
• the package contains 4 inner boxes with individual construction sections of the ship and 4 small boxes with mini aircraft
• scale 1:300
• number of figures 0 
  
• Armed Forces collection
• Pad Printed - no stickers
• faithful design
• made in the EU
• compatible with other building block brands
• the internal packaging of the set is divided into four sections: 1. Front keel 2. Middle and rear keel 3. Below deck 4. Flight deck