The aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan is the ninth Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the United States. Nimitz class is the largest aircraft carrier in the world today, among which Reagan is the most outstanding. This aircraft carrier is equipped with all the latest scientific and technological achievements, which can park 85 fighters and cost as much as $4.5 billion. So, what secrets are hidden in this 97,-ton safety fortress and the latest weapons of the US Navy?
Keywords: unique mission
The aircraft carrier Reagan is 333 meters long, with two nuclear reactors on board. It can sail for 2 years and does not need to dock for refueling at all. This aircraft carrier is like a city. Even if all the residents of Aspen, Colorado moved to the boat, there would be more than enough space. In fact, more than 6, people can live on the Reagan. When it was designed and built, it was ready to serve for 5 years.
The Reagan even has its own zip code. The food and supplies on board can last for three months. In addition, there are 3, lights and 1,4 telephones on board. The cables in the corridor add up to 21 kilometers long.
when fully loaded, this aircraft carrier has a displacement of 97, tons, that is to say, floating on the water, it will discharge 194 million pounds of water, which can fill about 28.7 Olympic swimming pools.
such a huge ship has only one mission, which is to serve as a wartime airport.
Keywords: structure
The structure of the Reagan aircraft carrier consists of three parts: the control tower, the deck and the lower cabin. The control tower is the superstructure of the aircraft carrier's flight deck, where the staff control the direction of travel, direct air traffic and monitor the activities on the deck. Radar and communication equipment are also installed here.
naturally, the flight deck is the place where airplanes take off and land. The hangar below the deck is used to park planes that are not in use for the time being.
Living quarters, dining areas, propulsion systems, power devices and other facilities to maintain the operation of this offshore airport are distributed in all parts of the lower cabin.
Keywords: difference
Reagan is a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, and its basic design is almost the same as that of the first Nimitz-class aircraft carrier built in 1975. Although there is not much difference on the surface, there are still some unique improvements that make Reagan the most sophisticated weapon.
Let's start with the top floor: The superstructure of the Reagan is the first major change made by the US Navy since the 196s. During the construction, a lot of idle space was left here for the installation of unpredictable equipment in the future.
The biggest difference between Reagan and Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in the past lies in its design below the waterline. The most important improvement is the spherical bow. This is one of the characteristics of many ships in various countries at present. This design was adopted on Reagan to increase buoyancy. For the take-off and return flight of the aircraft, especially for the take-off, this design can make the bow of the ship rise for a longer time when it bumps up and down. In addition, the bow of the ship is a little longer than before, which also improves the adjustment speed of the ship.
Keywords: fuel
One of the jobs that ordnance managers drill repeatedly under deck is to load jet fuel at sea. When refueling, the aircraft carrier threw the pipeline to a fuel ship that followed. These pipelines can move huge oil pipes and transport fuel to aircraft carriers. If the oil tank of Reagan is full, it can hold considerable fuel. It can hold 3 million gallons of fuel, which is not used by Reagan, but for the aircraft on the aircraft carrier. With these fuels, an economical car can travel around the world for 4,2 times.
Under the deck, in the hinterland of the aircraft carrier, the staff always monitor the storage and distribution of fuel. A huge system consisting of pipes and valves distributes fuel to different storage facilities. What will happen if the fuel on the aircraft carrier is unevenly distributed? That's the hull tilt.
Keywords: living space
As the crew's second hometown, what kind of place is Reagan? First of all, the space here is very valuable. There are very tight lockers here. At sea, it is the only storage space for the crew. Things must be folded in a certain way before they can be put in, and uniforms should also be put in. Due to the extremely limited storage space, all clothes must be pressed and folded. The officer always monitors the behavior of the crew.
cash is strictly prohibited on board. Before going to sea, the crew must first buy a stored-value card similar to an ATM card.
However, there are some similarities with real life. People need haircuts. There is a barber shop on the Reagan. Some people have religious beliefs. There are three chapels on the Reagan. If you need daily necessities, there are two convenience stores on board. If you want to release heat or exercise, there is a gym on board. If you prefer traditional letters with extremely slow delivery speed, there is a post office on board. If there are no stamps, don't forget to bring the navy stored-value card.
On the Reagan, you can always see the crew on vacation, busy with their daily work. It is a huge project to make so many people live as usual.
Keywords: laundry
Most people on board work 12 hours a day and 7 days a week. If the Reagan is full of 6, people, there will naturally be a lot of uniforms soaked with sweat. Plus 28, sheets and 14, pillowcases-there will be a mountain of laundry every day. The machines here can wash about 5 tons of clothes a day, and only the clothes of senior officers can be sent for ironing.
The laundry room can be very hot sometimes, and the staff on duty have to put up with a lot of dirty socks. But the laundry department has a holiday on Sunday, which means that they only work six days a week. This is a very easy job on the Reagan.
Keywords: food
For people living on an aircraft carrier, delicious meals are one of the rare enjoyment. Pilots may encounter various setbacks, but they know that when they return to the ship, they can enjoy first-class food and first-class service. The restaurant here is open 23 hours a day, and only closed for one hour for cleaning.
There are 11 food storage rooms on board. 7 rooms are used to store dry goods, and there is no refrigerator; The other four are cold rooms. The Reagan can store food for six thousand crew members for three months. The restaurant is open almost all day, so it is difficult to calculate the number of meals. But according to official statistics, when the Reagan is full, it will serve more than 18, meals a day.
Keywords: garbage
A huge amount of food will produce all kinds of garbage from bones to napkins. There are five waste processors here, and different machines are needed to decompose different kinds of garbage. Combustible garbage such as clothes and wood can be put into this incinerator. The ashes were thrown overboard.
but high temperature is not the only way to eliminate garbage. For some materials, soaking in salt water is also one of the treatment methods. Garbage that can be decomposed in salt water, such as paper, food, etc., is put into the crusher. After it is put in, the inside of the machine will rotate, decompose all the garbage and throw it into the sea.
for the sake of environmental protection, plastic products should not be discarded casually. A machine is used to compress plastic waste for storage. Finally, the garbage looks like a hockey puck, a giant hockey puck. After compression and fusion, the garbage will become pieces like this. These giant ice hockey balls will be sent to the garbage disposal site on land.