Another step towards the completion of the refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) was achieved May 18 when the covers for catapult one were installed on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).
The installation of the covers lasted three days and was performed by Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS). Getting the four catapults back to an operational state is the current focus of Lincoln’s Air Department.
The catapult covers on an aircraft carrier bridge the catapult trough to provide a smooth, continuous flight deck and provide support for the shuttle that launches aircraft. They also provide a channel for the grab that retrieves the shuttle after a launch.
With the catapult covers in the process of being installed, Lincoln’s flight deck now has more space and a new look.
The catapult overhaul process started at the very beginning of the RCOH, and Lincoln is scheduled to start catapult testing this fall.
Lincoln’s Air Department has already saved more than $8 million in man-hours and parts by recycling parts from the decommissioned USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) and removing and replacing old lagging on the ceiling of hangar bays 1, 2, and 3.
Lincoln is currently undergoing a RCOH at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries in Newport News.
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Image: US Navy