Mahogany wood base, real brass pedestals and descriptive plate enhance this elegant historical model

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64 aircraft and vehicle pieces included

Built from a Forestall Class design modified to create the Kittyhawk Class, the USS Enterprise carried the succession further by adding nuclear propulsion. By eliminating the need for oil storage she can carry twice the aviation fuel of her largest predecessors.

There are two reactors for each of the ship’s four shafts. The first of the 8 nuclear reactors installed achieved initial criticality in December 1960 and the ship was commissioned a year later.

Starting her maiden voyage in early 1962, the ship joined the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. After 3 years of operation and traveling more than 207,000 miles, Enterprise was refueled from late 1964 to mid-1965. Her 2nd set of cores lasted for 300,000 more miles. Refueled again in 1970, the 3rd set lasted 8 years until replaced in a 1979 to 1982 overhaul. She completed a 4th re-fueling in the mid-1990s.

USS Enterprise was the world’s 2nd nuclear-powered warship, the cruiser USS Long Beach being completed a few months earlier. The world's 1st nuclear-powered task force was formed when Long Beach and USS Bainbridge joined the Enterprise in 1964  during the aircraft carrier's  third deployment to the Mediterranean. The three ships were designated Task Force One and sent on "Operation Sea Orbit," a historic 30,565 mile voyage around the world - accomplished without a single refueling or replenishment.

USS Enterprise - or "Big E" as she was nicknamed - was the first nuclear ship to enter combat when her aircraft struck targets in Vietnam, and she assisted in the evacuation of Saigon at the end of that conflict.

The first overhaul for Enterprise occurred in 1964 (along with 1st refueling). Her next overhaul was in 1970 (along with 2nd refueling). In 1973 the ship was altered and refitted to support the Navy's newest fighter aircraft, the F-14A Tomcat, and - in 1975 after being refitted - she was redesignated from CVAN-65 (for nuclear-powered attack aircraft carrier) to CVN-65 in order to more accurately reflect the ship's new multi-mission capabilities.

The years 1979 to 1982 were spent at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard receiving a reconstructed island and numerous improvements (along with 3rd refueling). When first completed the island of the Enterprise had a very unique shaped structure consisting of a dome shaped top resting on a box, supporting futuristic electronic-scan SPS-32 and 33 radars, plus many ECM antennas which were located on all four sides and in the top dome of the ship. These were all removed during retrofit, and the island was completely altered. Installed was an SPS-48 3/D radar (forward) and an SPS-49 long-range air search (aft), as well as an SPN-41 radar aft on the starboard side of her flight deck. At the same time three 8-cell NATO Sea Sparrow Mk-29 launchers replaced the BPDMS installed in 1967, and the ship was also fitted with three Phalanx CIWS.

In 1990 Enterprise moved to Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company for her 4th refueling and the Navy's largest complex overhaul ever attempted - being updated for service through 2015. Enterprise completed the complete reconstruction in September of 1994.

In January 1995 Enterprise returned to Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company for a five month Selected Restricted Availability. The yard period involved upgrades to all of the combat and communications systems, intelligence suites, command and control capabilities, ventilation systems, berthing and dining areas, and underway replenishment equipment.

In January 1997, Enterprise returned yet again to Newport for another six months while work  focused on habitability upgrades and various combat systems.

In 1999 the ship began an extended overhaul that continued through mid 2000.

Then in January 2002 Enterprise entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for a 16 month long EDSRA (Extended Drydock Selected Restricted Availability).

Enterprise's JTFEX (joint Task Force Exercise) began in September, 2003.

Commander, Cruiser-Destroyer Group 12 serves as the Immediate Superior-in-Command for the Enterprise Battle Group which includes the USS Enterprise, Air Wing 8, CG-64 USS Gettysburg, and CG-58 USS Philippine Sea. The group reports to Commander, SECOND FLEET as one of six Carrier Battle Groups in the Atlantic Fleet.

CVX-78, the first ship in the Navy's next generation of ultra-modern aircraft carriers, is scheduled to begin construction in 2006 and is planned to replace Enterprise in the year 2013 - at which time the "Big E" will be 52 years old.