Aircraft Carriers (since 1945) - USA: Illustrated History Books & Guides

Midway-Class Aircraft Carriers 1945-92 (Osprey)

The Midway class were the largest US Navy carriers built in World War II. Entering service in September 1945, they became the Navy's main carriers as the Cold War began.

Their size and design allowed major upgrades over the following decades. The ships saw action in the Vietnam War, and "Midway- launched the first carrier strikes of the Gulf War in 1990.

This book, written by naval historian Mark Stille, explains how the Midways were intended as larger and more resilient successors to the Essex class. They were the first US carriers with an armored flight deck and received many later improvements, including angled decks, catapults, and close-in weapon systems.

Richly illustrated with archive photographs and original artwork, the book shows how these ships evolved throughout their long careers. It concludes with "Midway's- preservation as a museum in San Diego, the only US carrier outside the Essex class to survive.

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US Super Carrier Operations Manual - An insight into the design, departments, flight operations and daily life (Haynes Maritime Manual)

The US Navy's fleet of aircraft carriers are at the heart of global American military force. With nuclear-powered oceanic range, complements of nearly 5,000 crew, and typically carrying more than 70 combat aircraft, US carriers can remain on station for months, delivering aerial combat strikes on distant targets around the clock.

The Haynes Super Carrier Manual offers unrivalled insights into understanding how a modern US super carrier is operated. The US Navy has given Haynes author Chris McNab and photographer Patrick Bunce official clearance to spend time at sea on one of its 'Nimitz' or 'Gerald R. Ford' class super carriers.

During the visit Chris conducted interviews with key personnel of all major departments, including flight-deck crew, aviators, ordnance officers, engineers, logisticians, operations crew and the captain; while Patrick photographed life above and below decks, with a special focus on the engineering side of carrier aviation often not covered in other publications.

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USS Nimitz (CVN-68) - America's Supercarrier: 1975 to the Present (Legends of Warfare)

The nuclear-powered supercarrier USS Nimitz is the oldest carrier in the US fleet. Commissioned in 1975, CVN-68 is named after famed navy admiral Chester Nimitz and has been at the front line of many naval operations in its 40-plus years of service. Nimitzs design and development, construction, sea trials, commissioning, and first cruise are presented in concise, detailed text.
Also covered are all of the ship's systems, including electronics, defensive/offensive armament, command and control, and aircraft launching and recovery.

Nimitzs military campaigns including the Gulf of Sidra Incident, Operation Desert Shield/Storm, and Operations Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedomare also covered in detail, including their results. The book concludes with its latest operational deployment, Operation Inherent Resolve, and the ships current status.

Part of the Legends of Warfare series.

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The Supercarriers : The Forrestal and Kitty Hawk Class

A comprehensive historical overview with extensive photos, maps, drawings, and operational detail, including all air-wing deployments. It covers all of the "Forrestal" class supercarriers and the follow-on ships, which are basically of the same design.

The book is heavily illustrated with over one hundred illustrations and maps covering the Western Pacific, Vietnam, Mediterranean, Middle East, Indian Ocean, and Caribbean.

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US Cold War Aircraft Carriers - Forrestal, Kitty Hawk and Enterprise Classes (Osprey)

The Forrestal class (Forrestal, Saratoga, Ranger, and Independence) was the first completed class of US Navy supercarriers, so-named for their 25 percent size increase over the World War II-era carriers such as the Midway class, and the strength of their air wings (80-100 aircraft, compared to 65-75 for the Midway, and fewer than 50 for the Essex class).
Design-wise, the Forrestals were a huge improvement over their predecessors, being more stable and comfortable, while maintaining advancements such as the armored flight decks that had been introduced with the Midway.
The Kitty Hawk class was an improvement on the Forrestal-class designs, and four were built in the 1960s - Kitty Hawk, Constellation, America and John F. Kennedy. These were even longer than the Forrestals, and fitted with advanced defensive weapons systems and an improved elevator layout.
All nine of the carriers covered by this volume are icons, and hold a much-respected place in US naval history. They are also some of the more well-known vessels outside of the military, for their long service histories, as well as for some of the more unfortunate events that seem to follow them.

Contents: Origins of the Super Carrier (World War II Carriers - The Midway Class Battle Carrier - The USS United States)
The Forrestal Class (Carrier Structures - The Flight Deck and Hangar Bay - Launch and Recovery Operations - Significant Structures - Defensive Systems; Electronic Systems and Radar - USS Forrestal - USS Saratoga - USS Ranger - USS Independence)
The Kitty Hawk Class (Major Differences from Forrestal Class - USS Kitty Hawk - USS Constellation - USS America - USS John F. Kennedy)
Enterprise - A Class of Its Own (Design and Development - Electronic Systems and Radar - Propulsion)

Operational History (The Forrestal and Enterprise Fires - Carrier Air Wing Evolution).

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Nimitz Class Aircraft Carriers (Osprey)

The Nimitz class aircraft carrier is the ultimate symbol of the United States superpower status. A true behemoth, this is an unsurpassed weapons platform that overshadows all of its nearest rivals. A history of the world's largest aircraft carriers, with runways over 300 meters long, this book looks at the development and deployment of the nuclear-powered Nimitz class aircraft carriers from 1975 when the USS Nimitz, the lead ship of the class, was commissioned, to the present day.
All of the class are still operational and the tenth and last of the class, the USS George H. W. Bush, was commissioned in 2009. Here, Brad Elward provides a detailed overview of their design and development, highlighting their unique features, from jet blast deflectors to cutting edge radar systems, and a history of the Nimitz class in service, from deployment in the Gulf during Operation Desert Storm, through to the enforcement of the no fly zone over Bosnia.

Contents: Introduction - Design And Development (The Development of Nimitz, Design Considerations, Carrier Systems, The Various Subclasses - Nimitz, Roosevelt, Bush, Carrier Air Wings, The Concept of the Carrier Battle Group) - Operational History (The Carriers, Nimitz Carriers in Desert Storm, No-Fly Enforcement and Bosnia, Kosovo, Nimitz' Respond to Terror, The Surge Concept) - Summary of the Nimitz Class - Bibliography - Appendices (A. Carrier Air Wing Assignments and Cruises - B. Carrier Commanding Officers and Air Wing Commanders - C. Carrier Deployment Schedules).

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Carrier Power

Aircraft carriers of the US armed forces are present on all the world's oceans. Constant operational readiness requires high motivation and maximum performance from the approximately 5 000 men and women on board around the clock.
In terms of aviation, take-offs and landings on aircraft carriers are probably the most demanding missions for pilots.

Björn Trotzki has compiled some of his best pictures from his visits to the carriers USS Enterprise, USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Ronald Reagan for this illustrated book.
The viewer is given the opportunity to experience one of the most dangerous workplaces in the world and to "breathe in" the action-packed, kerosene-laden air.

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