[Amazing] 25 Reasons That Aircraft Carriers Are The Baddest Ships On The Water
There are few things more massive or more impressive than an aircraft carrier. As of this writing there are 37 aircraft carriers in the world spread across 12 navies. Perhaps not surprisingly, half of those belong to the United States. Furthermore, 10 of those American aircraft carriers are something known as supercarriers. These supercarriers are huge nuclear powered war machines that can run for twenty years non stop without needing to refuel. Each of them can hold up to 90 fighter planes. In fact, just one of these supercarriers holds more firepower than 70% of the world’s militaries. The only other nation besides the United States that operates nuclear powered aircraft carriers is France, but it only has one. The aircraft carriers themselves have been called floating cities. Beneath the deck there are restaurants, barber shops, stores, and basically everything else that you might need if you are out to sea for extended periods of time. Whether you are a military aficionado or just curious about the world’s largest war machines you are sure to find something interesting in this list. Without a doubt there are few things more imposing than a huge ship with fighter jets on it. These are 25 reasons that aircraft carriers are the baddest ships on the water!
Feature Image: pixabay
There are only 37 active aircraft carriers in the world.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
Although they are spread across 12 navies, The United States Navy operates 21 of them.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
10 of those aircraft carriers run by the US Navy are called "supercarriers". They hold up to 90 aircraft each and their total deck space is more than the rest of Earth's aircraft carriers put together.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
These supercarries are also nuclear powered and can run for 20 years without refueling
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
France is the only nation besides the US to build a nuclear powered aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
The command structure that you see rising out of the deck of an aircraft carrier is known as the "island"
Source: howstuffworks.com, Image: wikipedia
In the 70s, the US Air Force drafted plans to create a flying aircraft carrier but it was never realized
Source: blastr.com, Image: wikipedia
All the excrement that is generated on the US Navy's newest carriers will be vaporized by plasma
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
The aircraft carriers being built today cost 7 million USD to operate...every single day
Source: wikipedia, Image: pixabay
France named one of its carriers after Ferdinand Foch who famously said "airplanes are interesting toys, but of no military value"
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
One US Navy supercarrier has more air power than 70% of countries
Source: discovery.com, Image: wikipedia
An aircraft carrier can desalinate nearly half a million gallons of water every day
Source: howstuffworks.com, Image: wikipedia
In 1960 a Dutch aircraft carrier wanted to dock in Australia. When the local seamen refused to help, the carrier used thrust from the aircraft engines to dock
Source: wikipedia
During World War II, Japan had 3 underwater aircraft carriers. These were basically submarines that were designed to launch planes (I-400-class submarine)
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
Unfortunately for Japan, the largest conventional aircraft carrier that it built during World War II (Shinano) sank on its first voyage
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
Project Habakkuk was a plan by the British military to build an aircraft carrier out of pykrete during World War II because other materials were in short supply (pykrete is a mixture of wood pulp and ice)
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
The first aircraft carrier in the Chinese Navy was a decommissioned Ukrainian carrier that was sold to a Chinese businessman with the intention of becoming a floating casino. Instead, the military ended up in possession of the ship.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
Brazil actually tried to sell an aircraft carrier on eBay
Source: ebay, Image: wikipedia
The aircraft carrier USS Lexington CV-2 helped to power the city of Tacoma, Washington for an entire month in 1929
Source: historylink.com, Image: wikipedia
While filming the movie Top Gun, Tony Scott paid nearly $25,000 to turn an aircraft carrier to get a 5 minute shot because he wanted better lighting
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
Planes launching from the deck go from 0-300 km (nearly 200mph) per hour in less than 2 seconds
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
The biggest carriers have up to 7 levels, or decks, beneath their top deck, all stocked with planes
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
Gigantic lifts move planes between decks
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia
The flight crew of modern carriers can launch 2 aircraft and land one aircraft every 37 seconds during the day and every minute at night
Source: encyclopedia.com, Image: pixabay
Beneath the deck of a US supercarrier is a radio station, a TV station, barber shops, librariers, gyms, a hospital, a post office, and more
Source: encyclopedia.com, Image: wikipedia
