The point of this/these posts is to combine our knowledge and photo resources to help us build better and more accurate models of the Nimitz class carriers in any scale. I'm going to list all the overhaul/refits and then list the modifications that are noticeable from the EXTERIOR ONLY. Any updates or corrections are much appreciated and will be updated here on this first post. Each Nimitz class will have it's own post. This is meant as a helpful guide, not an absolute record from official US Navy records.
USS Nimitz CVN-68 Launched: May 13, 1972 Commissioned: May 3, 1975 Shakedown: ?
First overhaul/refit (May 10, 1977 to July 10, 1977) Extended Selected Restricted Availability TBA
Second overhaul/refit (October 3, 1978 to January 5, 1979) Selected Restricted Availability TBA
Third overhaul/refit (October 27, 1980 to January 26, 1981) Selected Restricted Availability TBA
Forth overhaul/refit (April 5, 1982 to June 24, 1982) Selected Restricted Availability 1) Waste catapult bridal catcher was removed
Fifth overhaul/refit (June 17, 1983 to Jul.22, 1984) Complex Overhaul 1) Port sponson was added and then enlarged in the next refit.
Sixth overhaul/refit (November 1, 1985 to March 3, 1986) Selected Restricted Availability 1) Port sponson's shap was changed/thickened.
Seventh overhaul/refit (August 21, 1987 to February 8, 1988) Selected Restricted Availability TBA
Eighth overhaul/refit (August 19, 1989 to March 3, 1990) Drydocking Selected Restricted Availability TBA
Ninth overhaul/refit (October 19, 1991 to May 29, 1992) Selected Restricted Availability TBA
Tenth overhaul/refit (December 7, 1993 to January 28, 1995) Extended Drydocking Selected Restricted Availability 1) Port bow catapult bridal was removed
Eleventh overhaul/refit (June 1996 to January 21, 1997) Extended Selected Restricted Availability TBA
Twelfth overhaul/refit (May 26, 1998 to June 28, 2001) Refueling and Complex Overhaul 1) Top two levels of the island and replaced 2) New antenna mast 3) New radar tower 4) RAM launcher added to the forward port sponson 5) RAM launcher added to the aft starbord sponson
Thirteenth overhaul/refit (February 23, 2004 to August 23, 2004) Phased Incremental Availability 1) Cat walk grating was replaced and flight deck was resurfaced. No structural changes
Fourteenth overhaul/refit (March 1, 2006 to September 1, 2006) Planned Incremental Availability TBA
Fifteenth overhaul/refit (July 2008 to January 2009) Planned Incremental Availability TBA
Sixteenth overhaul/refit (December 16, 2010 to December 2011) 1) Two sponsons added - location of these sponsons on the ship is yet unknown.
Need to confirm: 1) when was the AN/SPQ-9B installed? 2) When were the two Mk 29 guidance radars added to the aft port sponson's (some time in the early 80s)
Modelling notes: 1) For all Nimitz class carriers up to and including CVN-77. Catapult number four cannot launch fully loaded aircraft due to wing clearance issues for the catwalks. Issue will be fixed with CVN-78.
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Last edited by Jon on Tue Jul 05, 2011 11:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
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