What do we Have Here?
 

Saw this heading up the river while I was riding below the airport. Just thought it was really cool that I could identify it. DDG-84 the USS Bulkeley.

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x...hStreet016.jpg

I also rode over toward Media and the Ridley Creek State Park/Tyler Arboretum. Very pretty over there. Only put about 50 miles on, but it felt damned good to get away from the land of stop signs every ten feet. Made sure to keep an eye on that tire, and it didn't do anything strange.

I always wished I joined the Navy. They get some kick ass toys.

seriously, they should give me one of those carriers they have laying around at pier 4

Buddy of mine spent his entire time on a carrier as a diesel mechanic. He said being on the carrier was the graviest and sweetest job he ever had.

Apparently, the US is going to build a lot more of the Arleigh Burkes. The super-special "Next Generation" DDG-1000 is such a PITA, Congress decided to build something that actually works right, right now. I don't blame them, listening to people talk about that thing at work. And it's supposed to have an aluminum hull and composite superstructure... Fail. It's no stealth bomber, it's a freaking 600ft long, 15,000lb warship.

Working in the guts of a ship all the time would suck. It's loud, hot, noisy, and there are no windows. You get no say in what it does or where it goes, and share a closet with 4-6 other guys. Is it any wonder those guys go bananas when they actually get OFF their tin can?

Me and my dad had quite the spirited argument the other day as to whether or not he could safely do an emergency landing on the forrestal. He didn't think it was possible without it moving until I pointed out the axial deck length is 900ft and cessnas have 60* of flaps ;)

That's exactly what I do. And I enjoy it most of the time. It's great exercise, and I'm alone the majority of the time.

Yer making me miss driving tanks. I never wanted to get out of the hole

What did you do? On what hulls? Sooner or later, I'll be making house calls :lol:


Now tanks I could see! You or one of your 2-3 close buddies gets to drive and shoot shit!

There's no feeling quite like it in the world. You know the mechanical bond you feel with your bike when you get everything right? Imagine that on a far more massive scale. An addictive godlike feeling

About 120 tons worth? :lol:

M1s are around 72

We're jack of all trades. Divided between mechanics and technicians. But, we do it all.. Diesels, turbines, compressors, HVAC. We don't really specialize in any one thing.

I've only worked on CPFs.

I was a gunner on an Arleigh Burke DDG. Most days I hated that shit. But, I tell you, firing that 5"/54 and feeling the entire ship shake underneath it NEVER got old. I shot thousands of rounds out of that thing.

i used to love popping my hatch up during gunnery to feel the blast overpressure :lol

Ah, the burkies just have little guns. Can you imagine an Iowa's guns? That overpressure would kill you.

Sometimes it's just time to man up
http://postgradbonanza.files.wordpre...adside_usn.jpg

I understand they fired one of the 5in guns on the new jersey for the penns landing celebration Saturday. Amazing boats, makes one wonder what a dreadnaught like the yamato must have been like

I love how you can see the whole freakin' ship being pushed

http://www.livephysics.com/forums/mi...a_bb-61_pr.jpg
Sadly, I think they took away some of the big guns the 3rd or 4th time the battleships were recommissioned. Part of the "cruise missiles solve everything" mentality.

I've been on the USS Missouri. It's very impressive.

I was onboard HDMS Absalon several times last month. You want state of the art? I'd renounce my citizenship to sail on that "cruise" ship.

I'd be happy to be seeing it from that view. How would you like to be looking out at the beach and seeing those flashes headed your way?

I know that a lone F22 could probably rape an Armada of battleships, but I wish they'd recommision them just for their awesomeness.

It could happen. I think one or two are still in inactive reserve. Like I said, they've been recommissioned a number of times- including for Korea, Vietnam, and the first Iraq war. Of course, one of the last times the Iowa's main guns were fired, it damn near blew the turret off. Some retarded leadership (mil and civ) trying to show off, and the usual screwups by the (enlisted) guys doing the grunt work.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Iowa_turret_explosion

The jersey should be brought back online as a giant fuck you to the middle east. Its the most hated ship in the muslim world you know.

Walked past the bulkeley after work, interesting amount of security out there. Between the guy with the m4 and the two girls with pistols and the zodiac trying to hide on her jersey side

Being most of the middle east is desert with not much beach front (well not the ones we are blowing up), what the hell can a battleship do to piss off the Muslims? Other than being named Jersey.

Yeah I'm wondering that too..

new jersey shelled the piss out of them in apparent support of christian forces in the lebanese civil war of 1983.

Gotcha and understandable why they wouldn't like them.