USS Intrepid

I was fortunate enough to visit New York a couple of  years ago, accompanying my wife who was on a work trip  While she was off setting the world right, I had an opportunity to look around and one of my must-do things was a trip to the USS Intrepid moored on the Hudson River.

I had seen it from the river before, but nothing had quite prepared me for how absolutely huge it was close up. I have tried to capture some if its immensity.

It is like standing next to a block of flats.

Here is Intrepid in full WW2 mode. She was built in 1944 and served in WW2, Korea and Vietnam.

The hangar deck, which stretched faaaaar into the distance.

A Dauntless(?) TBD. I spent hours and hours flying one of these in the old Microprose flight sim, Pacific Air War.

Something more modern.

Flying Banana!

The superstructure, with a Harrier in the foreground.

The deck was packed with various aircraft.

US jets.

A collection of helicopters.

A beautiful Harrier.

Various inside bits.

The Flag Bridge.

Quite an impressive view from the top of the Bridge.

Nice view of the wood decked aircraft elevator.

Phantom.

Two MIGs with great colour schemes.

Close up of the elevator.

Concorde!

On the rear of the main deck was a large hangar containing various bits of spacecraft, including pride of place to the USS Enterprise. A big old bird.

And a rather smaller Soyuz capsule.

The forward anchor deck, also suitably immense.

A couple of views back down the starboard side from the AA gun pits back towards the Hudson.

A finally, someone had built this amazing Lego model of a WW2 era Intrepid with its decks fully loaded with aircraft.

That was just great, and like the USS Growler, recommended for anyone visiting New York.